Sari Vahakoski

Sari Vähäkoski can say it in Finnish, English, Spanish, German and even possibly in Swedish: Amadeus is today so much more than a global distribution system (GDS).

The Finnish-born Amadeus Australia and New Zealand managing director has been with Amadeus over fifteen years in various markets and has seen the company grow to its current strong position in some 200 countries.

Ms Vähäkoski spoke to e-Travel Blackboard of the company’s success, pointing to its vast geographical reach and considerable product offerings.

“Amadeus has two business lines,” Ms Vähäkoski said, adding that beyond providing distribution solutions, Amadeus are also providers of IT solutions to travel industry players.

From Finland to Germany and then onto Spain, in her other roles with Amadeus, Ms Vähäkoski has been responsible for opening markets, at one point having 100 countries under her belt.

“It’s rare for a company to achieve such success on a global scale,” she said.

“I remember our previous president had a map in his office and every time Amadeus entered a new market he would paint that country in blue.

“He really wanted to paint the whole world blue and did very good work in making that happen.”

And Ms Vähäkoski had this reassurance for travel agents.

“What we believe at Amadeus is that GDSs are still the most efficient and really proven means of distribution which can transparently provide different content to travel management companies or the end customers.”

“We believe direct commerce options may result in higher pricing or will give you fewer options as a traveller.”

Since you took on the role of managing director at Amadeus, how have things developed for both you and the company?

I was very lucky because since the business became fully owned since 2001 we had two fantastic managing directors who built the company from scratch. They already set the scene.

What are a few of the key features that you offer over and above your competitors?

We are a 25-26 year old company so we are younger than our competitors.
In the beginning we invested in the right strategy, right management, IT tools and software development and took a very European company successfully to some 200 countries.

Where do you see the travel industry heading this year?

Last year I think Australia was very lucky in comparison with many other countries; the fact that the Australian dollar was so strong; the fact that people were travelling.

What, if anything, would you like to see change within the industry?
I would like to see the industry increase and embrace change. We have to learn and openly look at other industries to see how they have gone through structural changes in their business.

[At Amadeus] we’re quite lucky because a lot of our customers are true innovative entrepreneurs who are coming to us requesting new things all the time – and that’s why I love this business.

How do you plan for events that affect travel?

We had commercial and operations teams immediately contacting customers in Queensland and Christchurch to firstly check how they and their businesses were going and to see if they had the tools to continue trading.
Also, Amadeus OneClick is a product tracking tool for travel management companies. A corporation can click to find where all their travellers are and to communicate with them.

What struggles do you face presently in the office and in day-to-day business operations?

Time is the biggest challenge. When you operate in a multi-national company then you are always a slave to time. We are very busy and I think the challenge is to prioritise. Every day is a new day with lots of exciting things to do. I like it.

If you were on a cancelled flight and the only option to get from A to B was by land, what mode of transport would you use and name three famous people you’d take with you?

Horse riding. I was an active horse rider when I was younger. And I would have to take someone I can talk to, someone I can learn from like Mandela. Jamie Oliver. I like cooking – it relaxes me a lot. And Diana Krall.

Of the seven continents how many have you been to and which country was your favourite?

Most of my travel was for business and I’ve been very lucky to do business with many different cultures and countries.
One of my favourite countries is Brazil. Rio is a gorgeous city.
I don’t know Asia that well, but being in Australia I have been exploring that region more.

When you travel, what activity is on top of your must-do list?

To see a lot. To get to know the people and to talk to the locals.

What is in your travel bucket list?

It’s amazing but I’ve never been to New York. And I’m very keen on experiencing Asian culture and people. And Chile.