Joining our program on this episode is prolific entrepreneur Jamie Pherous - Founder & Managing Director of Corporate Travel Management.
Launched in 1994 as a start-up with just two personnel, Corporate Travel Management (CTM) has since grown to become one of Australia’s largest home-grown business success stories, with the firm boasting a market capitalisation in excess of $2.2bn, revenues exceeding $500m per year and some 3,000 staff stationed across the World including in Europe, North America & Asia (as at May, 2024).
Born into humble beginnings in Brisbane’s Western Suburbs, Jamie was surrounded by business from an early age through his parents who were involved in a number of ventures spanning the retail & fashion industries - in 1985, he graduated Brisbane Grammar School and eager to ‘get ahead and make money’, enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Queensland specialising in law and statistics.
Following completion of his tertiary studies in 1988, he initially sought to pursue a career as a stockbroker but soon landed on a graduate role with accounting firm Arthur Anderson, a business in which over the course of the ensuing six or so years, led him to working across the company’s business services & financial consulting divisions across Australia, Asia & the Middle East.
Armed with first-hand experiences in and knowledge of the monopoly being held by global players in the corporate travel industry, he established Brisbane-based Corporate Travel Management in 1994 supported by innovative technology, and demonstrating a strong return on investment to the corporate travel budget.
Throughout the course of the next sixteen years, Corporate Travel Management under Jamie’s leadership grew strongly, with the firm listing on the ASX in December 2010 at $1 per share and with a market capitalisation of $70m.
Fast-forward to 2024 and Corporate Travel Management now trades above $15, has a market capitalisation above $2bn and provides service solutions in more than 100 countries through its extensive global network.
In this exclusive interview, Jamie unpacks his background, the launch and evolution of CTM, the fundamentals required for delivering sustained success & the opportunities and challenges he’s encountered across a corporate career spanning more than three decades.
