Global travel management company Take2Eton Group has announced the appointment of former long-serving Reed & Mackay senior executive Julie Oliver as CEO. She commences the role on 3 August 2026 and will work in close collaboration with Chris Thelen, current CEO, who will take the title of founder + chairman. Oliver will also become a partner and shareholder in the business.
Oliver has had a long-standing career in corporate travel. She served as managing director at Business Travel Direct (BTD) for 24 years until its acquisition by Reed & Mackay in 2019. At Reed & Mackay she held high profile senior positions including Global COO, European CEO and most recently CEO – Global Events where she helped grow the business from a team of six to a multinational leading events division.
Chris Thelen commented: “I am thrilled to welcome Julie to Take2Eton and am excited about the acumen and leadership expertise she brings to our business. Julie’s reputation within premium travel management and events speaks for itself, but what excites me most is our shared belief in the future of this industry – one where relationships, responsiveness and executive-level service matter more than ever.”
“With Julie on board, I look forward to focusing on growing our business,” he added.
Oliver said: “Chris and I have spent many years discussing what exceptional client service should look like in modern corporate travel. Take2Eton has built something genuinely differentiated, combining agility, personal service and global capability in a way that strongly reflects where I believe the market is heading.”
“Our focus will remain on strengthening our high-touch travel management services, developing the events division, and continuing to invest in AI, technology, and data to enhance our client offering,” she added. “I am also looking forward to building on the close partnership that Take2Eton enjoys with SAP Concur, as this echoes the strong relationship I developed with SAP Concur during my time at BTD.”
