19 May 2014

CTM Celebrates 20 Years in Business

1994, petrol cost 60c a litre and Forest Gump was a hit at the box office but more importantly, a legacy was born. On this day in a diminutive office in the Brisbane CBD, with a team of just two, a young Jamie Pherous opened the doors to the first Corporate Travel Management office.

With a vision of offering the market a fresh and innovative alternative, Jamie and his team set out with a steely determination to build a business renowned for providing a highly personalised service, developing innovative and flexible client solutions and a commitment to demonstrating a positive return on investment for our services. Fast forward 20 years and it’s these same principles which underpin everything CTM does.

CTM now employs over 2000 staff across 37 cities in 15 countries with Jamie still at the helm as Managing Director. A successful listing on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2010 means the company has grown to become one of the largest privately owned travel management companies in Australia and continues to expand across the globe.
Jamie attributes the company’s success to a number of things but there’s one which stands alone as the cornerstone. Our people. “The passion of our people is unrelenting and their commitment to being better at what we do every year even after two decades continues to impress me on a daily basis”.

A key figure in CTM’s rise, CEO Laura Ruffles reflects on her time with the company. “True partnerships with our customers and staff are the driving force behind our success. The innovation that has been present from day one still burns strong and we aren’t afraid to constantly create and provide better solutions and tools for our customers and teams.”

Andre Moten, GM of Australia joined the company in its early years. Like a proud dad, he looks back on how far CTM has come. “CTM will always hold a special place in my memory because of the wonderful culture that has evolved within the business. I have long since held the view that being a growth company with a strong value proposition has brought a diverse array of talent and experience to CTM. The organisation has done particularly well in embracing the diverse talent and views of our people to develop strong points of differentiation in the market. This is key to our success in my opinion.”

“CTM has always been prepared to try new things. Not all of which have necessarily gone the way we planned. However, that spirit of entrepreneurialism and “having a go” has been fundamental to our progress, and indeed has been a cornerstone to our approach in redefining the industry within which we live.”

So it is with enormous pride that today we celebrate 20 years of business and thank everyone who has been involved in helping CTM become the business it is. We look towards the coming years with complete positivity and determination to deliver on the promises the business was founded on.

And what of the original Brisbane office? It now serves as a store room to our larger premise next door and a constant reminder of CTM’s humble beginnings.