The Power of Community in Business

With over 25 years of experience, Mr Ali Hussain, Regional Managing Director of ATPI Asia has witnessed significant changes in the travel management landscape and has played a key role in driving ATPI’s growth and innovation.

Mr Hussain’s background in finance and his experience in setting up and managing offices across various geographies have equipped him with a unique perspective on the industry. He emphasizes the importance of relationships, reliability, and adaptability in building trust with customers and navigating the complexities of the travel management industry.

As ATPI continues to expand its footprint in Asia, Mr Hussain highlights the significance of technology adoption and innovation in staying ahead of the curve. He also stresses the importance of community and collaboration, quoting John Donne’s phrase “No man is an island entire of itself” to emphasize the need for businesses to work together and support one another to achieve success.

In addition to his professional pursuits, Mr Hussain is passionate about sustainability, education, and technology, and invests in and works with companies that share these values. As he looks to the future, Mr Hussain is mindful of the challenges posed by an increasingly unpredictable world and the need for businesses to be adaptable and resilient in the face of disruption.

In a candid conversation with Miss Delphine Estibeiro of Marex Media, Mr Hussain shares his insights on the company’s continued success and his own journey as a leader in the industry.

The Human Touch…

In today’s fast-paced and often transactional business landscape, it’s refreshing to come across a company that prioritizes relationships over mere transactions. Our company’s ethos is built around solving problems and putting people first, rather than just focusing on the bottom line.

This approach has been honed over years of experience in the industry, and it’s what sets us apart from other transactional-based travel management companies (TMCs). When crises like Covid-19 happen, and flights are grounded, our clients can rely on us to provide personalized support and solutions, rather than just automated responses or bureaucratic red tape.

Our commitment to maintaining a flat organizational structure, despite our growth, allows us to stay agile and responsive to our clients’ needs. This, combined with our investment in technology and innovative solutions, enables us to provide a wide range of personalized services that cater to each client’s unique requirements.

Whether it’s our Halo sustainability program, which allows clients to buy carbon credits and offset their environmental impact, or our ability to work with companies of all sizes and complexity, we pride ourselves on being a partner that can adapt to each client’s needs.

Our scale and reach also enable us to bring new technologies and innovations to market, making us a leader in the industry. Ultimately, it’s this combination of relationship-based business, personalized service, and innovative solutions that sets us apart from other TMCs and makes us a trusted partner for companies around the world.

Harnessing the Power of AI…

As a leader in the travel management industry, we recognize the significance of investing in cutting-edge technology to stay ahead of the curve. Our strategic partnership in the US has enabled us to leverage the latest advancements in cloud computing, data lakes, and predictive analytics. However, we believe that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to exponentially fast-forward technology adoption and transform the corporate travel and shipping landscape.

One of the biggest challenges in implementing AI is balancing the traveller’s needs with the corporate requirements. While AI has the capacity to automate essential workflow elements, making them more efficient and streamlined, it’s crucial to ensure that these solutions cater to the complex needs of corporate entities. We’re excited about the prospect of AI enabling better decision-making, both at an individual user level and for corporations.

In the shipping space, we’re already working on a project called Total Cost of Port Call, which takes into account the entire cost of a ship’s port call, including husbandry services, port agencies, and other expenses. Our ability to coordinate these services sets us apart in the industry, and we believe that AI will accelerate this process, making it even more efficient and effective.

As we continue to explore the possibilities of AI, we’re committed to harnessing its power to revolutionize corporate travel and shipping, making it more streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective for our clients.

Expanding Horizons…

We’re excited to share our latest developments, including the expansion of our offices in strategic locations such as South Korea, Taiwan, China, and India. These new offices will enable us to better serve our clients and tap into the growing demand for travel and shipping services in these regions.

Our expansion plans are driven by our commitment to providing exceptional service and leveraging technology to improve the travel experience. We’re investing heavily in AI and other digital solutions to reduce costs, enhance efficiency, and deliver more value to our clients. Our goal is to make travel more seamless, convenient, and cost-effective, while also providing a more personalized experience.

In addition to our geographical expansion and technology investments, we’re also focused on strengthening our relationships with customers and industry associations. We believe that collaboration and knowledge-sharing are keys to driving innovation and improving the overall travel experience. One area we’re exploring is the development of more efficient and streamlined processes for immigration and documentation, particularly for seafarers.

Our vision is to create a more integrated, efficient, and customer-centric travel ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders. We’re excited about the opportunities ahead and look forward to working with our partners and clients to achieve our goals.

Staying Ahead of the Curve…

We recognize the importance of staying informed about regulatory changes, technological advancements, and shifting industry trends. To achieve this, we maintain strong relationships with government agencies, travel bodies, and industry associations, such as IATA, MASSA, FOSMA, the Seafarers Union in Singapore and other representative industry stakeholders.

Our team of Customer Success Managers works closely with clients to understand their unique needs and challenges, ensuring that we provide tailored solutions that meet their specific requirements. We also collaborate with over 200 airlines, as well as other industry stakeholders, to stay up-to-date on the latest developments and innovations.

One area of focus for us is the adoption of new technologies, such as chat-based approvals and peer-to-peer payments. We’re exploring the potential of these solutions to streamline processes, reduce costs, and enhance the overall travel experience. For instance, we’re leveraging Microsoft Teams to enable chat-based approvals, which offers a more secure and auditable alternative to WhatsApp.

We’re also committed to addressing the unique challenges faced by seafarers, who often require specialized travel arrangements. By working closely with industry associations and stakeholders, we aim to simplify and streamline the travel process for seafarers, leveraging advancements in areas like e-travel regulations and e-visas.

Ultimately, our goal is to stay ahead of the curve, anticipating and adapting to the evolving needs of our clients and the industry as a whole. By fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, we’re confident that we can continue to deliver exceptional service and value to our clients.

Human Intelligence, Empathy & Reliability

Our investment in people is also a top priority. We’re proud to have a team with an average tenure of 11-12 years in some countries, demonstrating our ability to attract and retain top talent. As we grow, we’re committed to providing opportunities for our people to develop their skills and advance their careers.

While we invest in technology to make tasks more efficient, the increasing turbulent world makes travel more unpredictable. Apart from routine disruptions with Aircraft, Airports and passengers, we have seen large disruption events like the ‘Crowdstrike’ outage or the closing of airspace in the Middle East when the conflict in Gaza expanded. At times like these, there is no automated practice. The human factor takes over. Our seasoned consultants are available 24/7 and understand the importance of getting a person back to their family or to a safe zone. The uncertainty for a traveller at such times, cannot be managed by an automated machine, it needs the human empathy and reliability.

By combining our human expertise in travel management with cutting-edge technology, we’re confident that we can drive growth, improve efficiency, and deliver exceptional results for our clients.

Power of Healthy Competition…

I firmly believe that good competitors are essential to the growth and development of any industry. They bring choice, innovation, and a drive for excellence, ultimately making the industry stronger and more resilient. On the other hand, bad competitors tend to focus on a single factor, such as price, which can lead to a race to the bottom and undermine the value proposition of the entire industry.