In the green room at Phocuswright with... Evan Konwiser

Evan Konwiser, VP of product strategy and marketing

American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) provides travel management, meeting and event management and business travel consulting services in more than 140 countries and works with more than nine million travelers. At The Phocuswright Conference, GBT’s vice president of product strategy and marketing, Evan Konwiser, will be a mentor in the Startup Program.

In a series of interviews with executives participating at the event in Florida in November, PhocusWire finds out what makes them tick...

What book do you recommend to others and why?

Recently, The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. Fascinating read on the birth of aviation, inspiring story of innovation and perseverance and, of course, perfect for us A.V. geeks.

What do you do to alleviate stress?

Watch TV, mostly. It’s the golden age of TV, after all.

Tell us about your favorite vacation.

My favorite is the ski vacation. It’s the perfect blend of being active outdoors, doing something fun and spending time with family.

Why isn't the travel startup survival rate higher than it is?

Because most entrepreneurs learn too late that they haven’t built something that people actually want.

What are you like outside of work?

Nowadays, mostly chasing my toddler kids around the apartment - which is amazing and also quite exhausting.

What was your childhood aspiration?

To be a veterinarian. Animals are still a passion of mine; I was a behavioral ecology major in university, if you can imagine that.

Who is the person you most admire within the industry?

Naturally my chairman, Greg O’Hara. But I don’t admire him because he’s my chairman, I’ve gone to work for him because I admire him. Not many people can truly see the forest from the trees like Greg.

How do you want to be remembered as a leader in your company? 

I want to be remembered for progress. We’re transforming a traditional player into bleeding edge of progress and that’s a challenging but incredibly gratifying experience.

Equally, I want to be remembered for taking care of people - always empower, trust, encourage and support. I work for my team, not the other way around. If I focus on that, I know I’m doing the right things.

What’s your must-have app?

Google Maps for traffic. I’m obsessed. Sometimes I check traffic at home when I’m traveling, just to see. A close second - weather apps. Radar, Aviation Weather, Forecast apps, etc. I also check the weather at home when I’m traveling. Some people use weather and traffic as boring filler in conversation, but to me it’s the good stuff.

What is your proudest professional achievement? 

As part of our transformation at Amex GBT, we’ve enhanced our focus on a purpose-driven culture. I worked with a cross-functional team to develop that purpose and then evangelize it across our global business. It’s such a powerful experience to watch people light up as they truly internalize and take ownership of our purpose.

What's your morning routine?

An hour of no-tech meditation, followed by a workout and a vegetable smoothie. Just kidding. E-mail first thing (that’s the nature of a global business), help get kids ready for the day, walk the dog and then off to work.

My commute is a walk from South Street Seaport (just under the Brooklyn Bridge), across Manhattan through the World Trade Center Oculus and then our Jersey City office overlooking the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan.

Sometimes I take the ferry around the Battery, which makes you feel like you’re in the opening credits of a movie. It’s hard not feel grateful on a daily basis at being able to live and work in such an amazing place.

What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

Things work out. And you don’t really have control anyways.

What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume alone?

I used to be a ski patroller, treating and evacuating injured skiers and snowboarders. I’ve let my certification lapse, but I sometimes still carry my patrol pack while skiing out of habit.

What gives you energy?

Brainstorming with smart, collaborative people. And also being out in nature, far away from anything. And puppies.

Describe the setting where you do most of your work.

On a plane is the best. I try to avoid Wi-Fi and just actually get work done.