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Meet Our Team: Book Smart and Save with Ilse Ankum, Account Manager
In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing interviews with colleagues from our team, they will explain how they contribute to booking more efficient travel for our clients, customers, and accounts. Discover how smart booking strategies not only save costs but also save valuable time. Get to know Ilse Ankum from our Account Management team and learn valuable tips that can help you too.
How do you make our clients feel valued?
“Personal attention is one of the most important aspects of being an Account Manager for me. I am always available for my clients, listen to their needs, and provide feedback in a way that works for them. Every client is unique, and I tailor my approach to meet their specific requirements.”
How do you approach this at the start of the year?
“Depending on the client’s volume, I create an account plan at the beginning of a new year. In this plan, we set goals such as implementing new technology or establishing a hotel program. We discuss the progress at fixed intervals and make adjustments as needed.”
How do you maintain contact with your clients?
“I maintain both strategic and daily ad-hoc contact with my clients. This keeps me well-informed about what’s happening and allows me to respond quickly to their needs. This enables me to provide valuable advice, such as fine-tuning travel or sustainability policies.”
And tell us a bit more about the relationship with your clients?
“We consider our clients as partners. This approach allows us to collaborate on optimizing the travel program. With my personal touch, proactive attitude, and close cooperation, we ensure that every client feels valued at ATPI.”
Can you give an example of a situation where you went the extra mile?
“I always go the extra mile for all my clients; customer satisfaction is my top priority, and I strive to make a real difference. Recently, I had a conversation with a client who mentioned they were spending a lot of time manually adding and updating traveler profiles. We recommended an HR feed, which linked the client’s HR application to our e-profile database. This saved the client a tremendous amount of time; manual updates were no longer necessary, and the client could focus on other tasks.”
Can you give another example?
“Certainly! A client wanted to improve efficiency in the booking process and asked how ATPI could help. They were only using our offline services. After several meetings and a demo session, we implemented an online booking tool. Within three months, the client booked 90% of their trips through our online booking tool, saving both time and costs.”
How do you see this approach in the bigger picture?
” By consistently going above and beyond and thinking proactively, we truly help our clients. This not only results in satisfied clients but also fosters long-term and successful collaborations.”
How do you ensure you can flexibly respond to our client’s needs?
“As an Account Manager at ATPI, no day is the same. Flexibility is crucial. In addition to scheduled contact moments, I regularly communicate with my clients. We can quickly coordinate internally to serve the client as effectively as possible. What I enjoy about my role is acting as a central figure, balancing the interests of both the client and ATPI.”
How does ATPI Halo contribute to sustainable travel for our clients?
“Our clients have many questions about travel, sustainability, and CO2 emissions. We advise them on making sustainable choices and help them achieve their sustainability goals, considering the CSRD objectives of the European Commission. In review meetings, we make CO2 emissions visible to raise awareness. Clients can then choose to measure, reduce, and offset their CO2 emissions through ATPI Halo. Using the calculation methods of our partner Thrust Carbon, we ensure that the carbon footprint is measured accurately. We adjust CO2 calculations based on actual data, such as the specific aircraft flown, both pre-and post-trip. This gives our clients a comprehensive view of their CO2 emissions, allowing us to work together on reduction strategies. We also analyze travel policies and can configure our tools to only show train travel options for distances up to 500 km. Finally, we offset CO2 emissions through certified projects worldwide, aligning with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN. In addition to project-based offsets, we have recently partnered with Neste, a leading producer of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).”
Can you give an example of how you used ATPI Halo to help a client reduce their ecological footprint?
“When a client shows serious interest in ATPI Halo, we schedule meetings to discuss goals and possibilities. We review the measured CO2 emissions and decide how to offset them—whether through projects or SAF. We offer non-binding quotes for both options. Clients who have used our ATPI Halo program for years have already offset tons of CO2. ATPI Halo provides various options for offsetting: quarterly, semi-annually, annually, per trip, or based on a CO2 budget. We can even offset emissions down to specific cost centers or projects. Clients receive official certification and, in consultation, we provide materials (texts and/or photos) that the client can post on their intranet to raise awareness among travelers, encouraging them to make more ecologically conscious choices when booking travel.”
