Sue Powers

Company: Worldspan
Company Description: Worldspan is the leading travel technology resource for travel suppliers, travel agencies, e-commerce sites and corporations worldwide. Utilizing efficient network and computing technologies in the industry, Worldspan provides comprehensive electronic data services linking travel suppliers around the world to a global customer base. Additional information is available at www.worldspan.com.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Product Development or Engineering Executive

Nomination Title: Sue Powers, Senior Vice President Worldwide Product Solutions and CIO

1. Tell the story about what this nominee achieved in 2002 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

   2002 was a phenomenal year for Sue Powers and Worldwide Product Solutions.

   As a result of the hard work and innovation of Powers and her staff, Worldspan is accomplishing its goal of becoming the leader in travel technology products and solutions. In 2002, Worldspan was the only travel technology company that moved a significant portion of its mainframe pricing system to a middle tier environment. Powers recognized the advantages of this decision – not only was it cost effective, but also provided Worldspan customers with a more robust product offering.

   Worldspan customers now have over one hundred pricing options via the new product through this decision. In the past, Worldspan provided only 14 pricing options.

   Another significant project Powers and her division completed in 2002 was the caching of airline availability information.

   Worldspan provides the booking engine for three of the top four travel Web sites, and quickly recognized the burden numerous searches for low fares were having on the airlines’ Web sites.

   By caching flight and price information, Worldspan is able to reduce the demand searches have on the airline systems.

   As a result, Worldspan demonstrated to the airline suppliers the value and importance of its relationship with them, and also continued to try and improve the consumer travel shopping experience through developing new products and tools.

   The Worldwide Product Solutions division is leading the industry in the messaging product industry as well. Worldspan has messaging product offerings that are able to meet the demands of the most sophisticated online travel retailer or a new retailer who wants to enter the travel industry. Worldspan’s Integrated Message Broker project allows Worldspan travel industry customers quick access to all messaging products in the format and method they are most familiar with.

   Powers also made great strides in helping Worldspan be recognized as a leader in the electronic ticketing industry as well. In 2002 KLM became a new electronic ticketing customer of Worldspan by utilizing this tool and Northwest airlines was able to raise their electronic ticketing percentage from 82 percent to 88 percent through the efforts of Powers’ division. There are additional first to market electronic ticketing efforts that will be announced later in 2003.

   Worldspan is also building a competitive advantage with the Travel ButtonSM product. Travel Button is an easy-to-use, private-label solution for online leisure travel. Some of the largest customers for this product are NASCAR.com and clarkhoward.com.

   Powers’ Worldwide Product Solutions division is responsible for Worldspan Trip Manager® in the corporate travel arena. Worldwide Product Solutions integrated Trip Manager with the financial product Ariba (check spelling) to create a seamless connection between the travel booking product and a corporations’ expense reporting system. This solution helps reduce a corporation’s travel costs. The Home Depot and BellSouth are examples of satisfied customers who utilize this product.