Board of Directors
Please meet your Focus Travel Partnership board of directors, their collective expertise and unwavering support leads our strategic decisions and ensures the Focus Travel Partnership achieves it’s long-term goals. The deep industry expertise and vision, along with the diverse backgrounds of our board of directors, helps to position Focus at the forefront of a dynamic and successful future for our TMC Partners.
Bob Schumacher
Non-Executive Chair
Bob joined the Focus Travel Partnership board of directors in January 2024, bringing almost 30 years experience in senior sales and management positions in the aviation sector. Bob was previously Regional Director Sales for United Airlines, in this role which he assumed in 2011, he was responsible for United’s B2B marketing activities in Europe, as well as trade contact centres.
Bob was also Senior Director UK & Ireland for Continental Airlines, a position which he held from 2004 having joined in 1994 as Airport Business Manager at Gatwick and progressing to Director Passenger Sales UK & Ireland in 2000. In 2023 Bob stepped down after nine years as Chair of the Board of Airline Representatives, BAR-UK.
Bob has a BSc Hons graduate in Geography/Economics from Keele University.
Cilla Goldberger
Director
Cilla has over 25 years experience in Travel Management having started her career in travel in Israel. Upon relocating back to the UK in 2001 she established the UK office of Amsalem Business Travel, stepping up to MD four years later with overall responsibility for the EMEA operations.
Twenty three years on, ABT-Global now operates in 7 countries around the globe with over 400 employees. In 2012, ABT-UK joined the Focus Travel Partnership with Cilla joining the board in 2015.
She has a passion for tackling systemic problems in society and has undertaken community engaged projects such a Crisis at Christmas and The Felix Project.
Clare Collins
Director
Having worked in the travel industry since 2000, Clare brings a wealth of expertise in Business Travel and beyond. Clare joined CT Travel Group in 2004 and after ascending through the business over a period of eight years, Clare became MD Corporate Travel and a shareholder of the Group in 2012.
In her capacity as Co-owner and Managing Director for Corporate Travel, Clare oversees three global corporate brands; Business Travel, MICE, and Trade Missions, managing the successful rollout of their services on a local and global scale in areas such as sales, implementation, account management, technology and customer service. She is also integral to the smooth running of the organisation, spearheading the HR function, managing all corporate governance and compliance across ISO, and gaining valuable accreditations. Clare’s efforts to realise the potential of staff and improve standards has led to a dynamic company culture and the successful attainment of the Investors in People accreditation for over 10 years.
Clare is passionate about representing the next generation and will work closely with like-minded industry experts to guide the strategic direction of Focus, and explore innovative solutions to propel the business travel landscape forward.
James Parkhouse
Non-Executive Director
James has over 25 years experience in business leadership and programme management in diverse industries, in both private and public sector organisations. During his 15-year tenure as CEO of Agiito, he led multiple mergers and acquisitions, alongside making significant investment in market-leading technology, products and services to create one of the industry’s leading business travel, meetings and events companies. James also spent four years on the board of the BTA, as well as international network, GlobalStar.
James stepped back from Agiito in 2023 to move into business travel advisory services, and he joined the board of directors of Focus Travel Partnership in January 2024.
Mark Colley
Director
Following a City-career in investment banking and global money markets, Mark formed a hospitality company operating a hotel and restaurant and going on to win a coveted Michelin Star. In 2015, Mark moved to the family owned Sunways Travel, formed by his father in 1973 and run by his late brother. Since taking the helm, Mark has continued to steer the company successfully in both the leisure and corporate travel sectors, developing their technology and digital capabilities, as well as building upon the impressive corporate customer base. Mark has worked closely within Focus as a member of the Technology Steering Group since 2016, collaborating on many of the technology solutions that are available to the Partners today.
Mark is a driving force in carbon positive travel having launched Sunways Sustainable Business Travel in 2021. This initiative enables travellers to calculate and offset the CO2 of their trips and is further supported by Sunways’ promise to donate a tree for every flight they take – a commitment to the positive impact travel can have.
Tina Rose
Director
Tina Rose, a 35-year travel industry veteran, serves as the Managing Director of both Chartwell Travel and Ovation Travel Group UK, whose parent company acquired Chartwell in 2018. A London native, Tina’s career in travel started in Beverly Hills, where she worked as part of a large group of independent travel consultants. After four years, Tina transferred back to her home city, where she set up a partnership with a leading entertainment travel agency, working with film, television and other media clients who had global locations. In 1999, Tina joined Altour International as MD to set up their new European operation. In 2005, she moved to Protravel International, setting up their first business unit outside the U.S. and Tina was appointed MD when Protravel was acquired by Travel Leaders in 2012.
In her role at Chartwell, Tina leads the development and execution of client strategy, guiding Chartwell’s operations.
Wendy Walker
Director
Based in the Cotswolds, Wendy Walker is Director at Wotton Travel Ltd & Director of Group Travel for their parent company, Renishaw Plc. Wendy boasts a wealth of experience in the Travel Management sector and is a skilled negotiator with a strong background in supplier relationships, sales management, leadership and international sales. Wendy still enjoys working with operations and often does on a day to day basis – keeping her skills alive! She was offered her first job in travel in 1979 at Lep Travel in Bristol. This was because she had a “good” telephone manner when answering calls for her Father’s business!
After many years building her career and travel knowledge at Lep, Exchange Travel in Bristol and Cheltenham, she joined Wotton Travel in 1988.
To relax, Wendy played County Badminton for many years, however, has now swapped her racquets for a set of Golf clubs and is thoroughly enjoying this new challenge!