Understand the market
I test whether your offer fits German buyer and consumer expectations, identify the most promising segments and explain the local market reality in plain language.
You know where to focus — and what may need to change.
Your senior travel-industry partner on the ground
Entering Germany without your own local organisation?
I help established international travel companies understand the market, reach the right customers and partners, and represent them locally — personally, selectively and practically.
Germany first. Austria and Switzerland where relevant.
More than 40years in the travel industry
Practical market access
What I can do for you in Germany
You do not need to buy a large consulting programme before practical work begins. We agree the immediate commercial question and the smallest sensible assignment to answer it.
Reach the right people
I identify and qualify suitable customers, partners and decision-makers, shape a credible reason to meet and support selected conversations.
You gain relevant conversations, not a list of names.
Build a local presence
I can represent your business at important meetings and events, support negotiations and give management direct feedback from the market.
You become locally credible before building a full organisation.
Selected results
They came with a commercial challenge. I stayed with it until there was a result.
The common thread is hands-on market development: finding the right route, building trust, negotiating and helping the organisation work locally.
FASTBOOKING
- Challenge
- Grow an international hotel-technology provider in the German-speaking markets without its own established local sales organisation.
- My role
- Commercial Agent: hotel acquisition from first approach through contract, followed by account management.
- Result
- Approximately 50 hotel contracts secured across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
International Travel Partnership
- Challenge
- Find and secure a credible German partner for an international travel-management network.
- Result
- First Business Travel, then a TUI brand, joined after around a year of negotiations.
Thomas Cook
- Challenge
- Build a complete travel-agency structure after the opening of the Berlin Wall.
- Result
- A B2C and B2B agency presence built through a combination of new openings and acquisitions.
ABT–ACTE Russia
- Challenge
- Create a local professional association for the developing Russian business-travel market.
- My role
- Co-developed the association, recruited members and established its international affiliation with ACTE.
- Result
- A national platform connected to the international business-travel community.
ACTE–BCHA
- My role
- Operational Chief Operating Officer under an external mandate, with global programme responsibility.
- Result
- Accreditation and sales-partner structures established and approximately 20 hotels certified.
HRS Russia
- Challenge
- Establish the organisation and relationships needed for HRS to operate successfully in Russia.
- My role
- Formal adviser and interim manager: organisation build-up, management recruitment and access to hotels, travel agencies and other local partners.
- Result
- A broadly connected and operationally established Russian organisation.
More than 40 years across travel
A career of building, leading and integrating
Across every stage, the recurring role has been the same: building organisations, integrating acquisitions and turning international strategy into local operations.
- 1978–1984
Schenker, Bonn
Office Manager and specialist for meetings, incentives, congresses and events.
- 1985–1994
Thomas Cook, Germany
Regional Manager and Managing Director Business Travel. Built B2C and B2B agency operations in eastern Germany through openings and acquisitions.
- 1995–2001
American Express Business Travel
Senior German and European business-travel leadership roles.
- 2002–2003
KarstadtQuelle AG
Managing Director Travel Division.
- 2003–2008
American Express Business Travel
Led Central Europe and served on the European Board. Responsible for the European integration of Rosenbluth International.
- Since 2009
W&B Barczaitis GbR
Independent travel-management, market-access, representation and M&A assignments for international and German clients.
Additional senior support
Market entry through acquisition
Sometimes buying a local business is more realistic than building from scratch. I bring travel-sector knowledge, target-search experience and a practical integration perspective. Legal, tax and financial diligence remain with the relevant specialists.
Discuss an M&A questionInvolved in the acquisition and integration of approximately 200 owner-managed travel agencies and small regional chains.
Responsible for integrating Rosenbluth International across Europe, including Russia through to Sakhalin.
Steered the acquisition of CWT Russia for a Russian client and researched acquisition candidates for CWT in Germany.
Working together
A practical start, sized to the question
Talk
A confidential 30–60 minute conversation about your offer, ambition and current German market position.
Define
We agree the immediate question, scope, timing, responsibilities and fee — without forcing a standard programme.
Act
I research, advise, approach, represent or negotiate as agreed, with regular direct feedback to management.
About introductions
Introductions are made selectively once there is a credible commercial fit and a realistic reason for both sides to engage. This protects all parties — and does not automatically require a large consulting project.
A first conversation
Could I help you build the right presence in Germany?
Tell me what you offer, where you are today and what a successful German market entry would mean for your business.