Travelport has taken a 55% share of expense and travel management service Locomote. In August 2014 it had bought a 49% stake in the Australian startup, but it now has majority ownership.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Locomote is a four-year-old company offering a corporate booking tool and expense management system for corporations. For instance, Regus, a workspace rental system with offices in 106 countries, uses Locomote's platform to track and organize travel itineraries, bookings, and procurement.
The deal ushers in a fresh CEO for Locomote: Sandra McLeod, a Travelport veteran. McLeod has been based in the United Kingdom, but she'll be moving to Melbourne.
At a conference in North America earlier this month, Travelport's Scott Hyden, group vice president and managing director in the Americas, said:
"Historically Travelport has struggled to make profits with a corporate booking tool. Yet last year we acquired Locomote, an Australian company, which has just such a tool and a growing customer base in that part of the world."
Hyden added that Travelport planned to invest more in that platform and to bring it to the Americas and beyond.
Relatedly, Locomote founder Philip Weinman will move into a vice chairman role, providing advice to Travelport on its global digital services strategy.
UPDATE: 1 December:
Following McLeod's move to Locomote, Travelport has made a number of management changes.
Scott Hyden will take on her responsibilities in the new role of group vice president for global accounts and corporate development, having moved over from GVP and managing director for Travelport Americas.
Replacing Hyden will be Bret Kidd. He joined Travelport from Stratos Management Systems (which he co-founded) in 2013 as VP and GM for airline IT solutions.
Dan Westbrook, previously VP for airline services in the US for Travelport, takes on Kidd's role.
CONTEXT: Travelport buys into corporate travel platform Locomote
EARLIER: Travelport claims it’s the world’s fourth-largest hotel distributor