Michael Bartone offers extensive experience in:

- Travel agency operations/call center management (31 years experience)
-Global Travel Agency program development/deployment
-Quality Control program development
-Travel policy
-Travel contract strategy and re-negotiation
-Staff Development

Before becoming affiliated with Consulting Strategies, Michael Bartone was a senior executive with American Express Company. His most recent position was as a National Director/General Manager of Global Corporate Services. Throughout his career at American Express, Mr. Bartone gained a reputation for “expanding customer relationships” and “developing quality standards,” doing so for a client base ranging from small entrepreneurial firms to Fortune 100 companies. He has significant P&L and call center operations experience as well as experience developing and leading globalization plans for multi-national clients. Also known for building effective work teams and developing his leadership teams’ talent, American Express has recognized Mr. Bartone with a number of awards for outstanding achievement and leadership. These include American Express’s Hall of Fame Award, President’s Club, Management Excellence, and the Chairman’s Quality Award. These awards represented his consistent position as one of American Express’s highest-performing leaders.

Mr. Bartone has a B.S. in Business Administration and Economics from Elmira College and has earned the Certified Travel Consultant (CTC) credential. He also serves on a number of Boards of Directors and is involved in activities supporting his local community.

Michael J. Benson was born in Liverpool, England.

Mike Benson started his career in the British Police force. During his Police service he was a member of the firearms support unit dealing with special operations, military liaison and was a security advisor to the public and industry.

In 1988 he left the Police and moved to the United States to start his own international security consultancy company. In this field he specialized in advising royalty, multinational corporations and high profile individuals on international and personal security.

His services included developing evacuation and kidnap crisis plans and in several cases he was directly involved in the extraction of company employees from hostile foreign locations and the rescue of kidnap victims.

In 1996 he was employed by a large independent oil and gas company reaching the level of Vice President and Officer of the company with responsibilities for security and travel.

Early in 2008 he left his VP position to start up his own international security and travel Consultancy Company.

To date he has specialist security experience in over fifty countries around the world. He has been a professional writer for 11 years and has had a novel published called ‘Terrorist Harvest ‘and has also published a book on travel security.

Hugh Edwards joined Consulting Strategies in August 2005 as their UK representative, having been in travel management consulting since January 2000.

Hugh offers expertise in:

· Travel management processes
· Travel policy
· Travel management company performance, tender, selection and implementation
· Airline, hotel, car rental strategy and negotiation
· The marine and offshore market

With over 38 years industry experience, Hugh is unique in the UK travel management consultancy arena in that he has worked for an airline, a travel agent and was Corporate Travel Manager for a large multinational corporation.

Hugh was with British Airways for 20 years in a variety of sales, marketing and operational roles, working in the UK in London, Aberdeen and Bristol and numerous countries overseas including Russia, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, Canada, Japan and the Seychelles.

He has also been Marketing Director of a leading UK-based Travel Agency with offices in Bristol and Oslo.

As a Corporate Travel Manager he was the driving force in educating employees throughout the parent company in travel cost disciplines and maximizing savings from its global spend which at one time exceeded UK£100 million.

Hugh's clients include Stolt Offshore, AMEC plc, Skanska, AEA Technology, Yukos, Westland Helicopters, United Utilities, Scottish and Southern Energy, Hanson plc, Imperial Tobacco and AMP.