14 June 2022: World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) has today revealed the winners of its Onboard Icons competition, which sees 10 people in the industry crowned the most influential.
Over the last two months, industry professionals have been nominating and voting for their industry colleagues who they believe deserve to be recognised for their incredible contributions over the past decade. With 40 nominations made and hundreds of votes cast, the 10 winners were announced this morning (Tuesday 14th) at the Taste of Travel Theatre live at WTCE in Hamburg.
Over the last two months, industry professionals have been nominating and voting for their industry colleagues who they believe deserve to be recognised for their incredible contributions over the past decade. With 40 nominations made and hundreds of votes cast, the 10 winners were announced this morning (Tuesday 14th) at the Taste of Travel Theatre live at WTCE in Hamburg.
In a ceremony led by WTCE Event Director Polly Magraw, to celebrate the show’s 10-year anniversary, the 10 individuals crowned winners were:
- David Loft, Chief Commercial Officer at dnata Catering and Retail
- Erdmann Rauer, CEO of LSG Group
- Genevieve Rosario, Head of Product Development and Service Design at Qatar Airways
- Lance Hayward, Founder of The Hayward Partnership
- Leonard Hamersfeld, Founder of Buzz
- Marc Warde, Founder of Niche Free From Kitchen
- Matt Crane, the Group Head of SATS Global Innovation Centre UK and Singapore, Director at Monty’s Bakehouse and a Founding Member of the Aviation Sustainability Forum
- Sam Sibble, Director of Supply Chain at Delta Air Line
- Valentina Dalle Mule, Export Manager at Bottega SpA
- Wilbert de Louw, CEO of Foodcase International
When asked what his expectations are for the onboard industry in the next 10 years, Lance Hayward, Founder of The Hayward Partnership, said:
“There is no doubt that the last two years have presented challenges, however, I am optimistic that the next 10 years will see increased growth as the industry recovers. Leisure travel has massively bounced back and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the industry experiences this too.”
When collecting her award, Valentina Dalle Mule, Export Airlines Manager at Bottega SpA, was asked what she loves about the industry and what inspires her. She said:
“In my job I have been lucky enough to travel the world and connect with others in the industry. It’s important to seize opportunities to generate your own successes and the challenges we overcome inspire me to continue innovating at Bottega SpA.”
WTCE Event Director Polly Magraw added:
“It was an absolute pleasure to present our Onboard Icons with their awards. The huge volume of votes that poured in over the last month is a real testament to how highly regarded our 10 winners are among their industry peers and I’m so pleased we were able to gather to congratulate them at the show. Their successes are no doubt an inspiration to many in the sector and I’m looking forward to seeing what our 10 winners achieve next.”