United Kingdom
News Release
Carlson Wagonlit Travel Acquires Centenial Group in Costa Rica
AMSTERDAM, October 5, 2011 – Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), a global leader specialising in managing business travel and meetings and events, announces it has acquired the assets of Centenial Group, an international partner of CWT in Costa Rica since 2004. Centenial Group, based in San Jose, has provided travel management expertise to corporate travellers since 1995. The new organisation will be called Carlson Wagonlit Travel Costa Rica (CWT Costa Rica). As a result, CWT further strengthens its already leading position in Latin America with a wholly owned presence also in Costa Rica, a key and growing market in this region.
CWT is also pleased that Mauricio Castro, president of Centenial Group will lead CWT Costa
Rica’s team as general manager. Mr Castro shares that “merging fully with CWT is in the best
interest of Centenial Group’s employees and customers. CWT’s global footprint, award-winning
products and services provide the strong support to clients who have established Costa Rica as
their headquarters for their Central America and Caribbean operations.”
“This acquisition represents a natural progression of the long-standing relationship CWT has
enjoyed with Centenial Group,” said Marino Faccini, executive vice president, Mediterranean &
Latin America Zones. “Our clients’ needs have expanded as companies of all sizes increasingly find
themselves participating in a global economy. We will continue to offer the same high-quality
service and travel options clients have long enjoyed, while creating additional opportunities
through CWT’s global network and resources.”
Integration of Centenial Group into CWT’s structure is underway and will continue in the
coming months. Throughout the transition, the CWT and Centenial Group teams will remain focused on
delivering the strong service each organisation’s customers have come to expect, while making every
effort to ensure a seamless transition for clients.
About Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) is a global leader specialising in managing business travel and meetings and events. CWT serves companies, government institutions and non-governmental organisations of all sizes in more than 150 countries and territories. By leveraging both the expertise of its people and leading-edge technology, CWT helps clients derive the greatest value from their travel programme in terms of savings, service, security and sustainability. The company is also committed to providing best-in-class service and assistance to travellers. CWT services and solutions comprise Traveller & Transaction Services, Programme Optimisation, Safety & Security, Meetings & Events and Energy Services. In 2010, sales volume for wholly owned operations and joint ventures totalled US$24.3bn. Carlson Wagonlit Travel supports the global healthcare initiative known as MASSIVEGOOD, which enables travellers to make a “micro-contribution” when they purchase travel services. For more information, please visit our global website at www.carlsonwagonlit.com. Follow us on Twitter @CarlsonWagonlit
Media contacts:
Christine Fischer
Carlson Wagonlit Travel
(0)20 3353 1113
[email protected]
Carrie-Ann Cooper
Carlson Wagonlit Travel UK
(0)20 3353 1110
[email protected]
