Picken founded Traveltek in 2002 when he spotted a gap in the market for a modular-based system that could help travel companies to operate more efficiently, and more profitably.
Traveltek founder and long-standing CEO, Kenny Picken, will retire from his position in the coming months.
Picken founded Traveltek in 2002 when he spotted a gap in the market for a modular-based system that could help travel companies to operate more efficiently, and more profitably.
From there, iSell was born – a system that equips agents and operators with the ability to create highly customised travel itineraries through dynamically packaging a range of flights, hotels, cruise and ancillary travel services in one transaction.
Since then, with just five employees on board at its inception, the company has gone on to become one of the travel industry’s leading software providers.
Today, the Glasgow head-quartered firm, which now employs more than 130 staff and has offices in key locations across the world, has over 400 clients, operating across 35 countries, transacting in excess of US$11 billion in booking value through its platform each year.
Says Picken, “Based on the success of the platform, I knew there was scope for us to grow the business further, on a global scale. It was that realisation that led me to take on investment from equity partners YFM back in 2016.
“Since then, we’ve been pursuing a very ambitious expansion plan.”
The company’s recently appointed chairman Chris Noblet, said, “The business that Kenny has grown, from a standing start, is nothing short of remarkable.
“He identified that there was a more efficient way for travel businesses to manage their operations and he set about building a software solution to suit; a solution that is now adopted by many of the industry’s leading firms.”