Travel Risk Academy

🤝 NEW PARTNER | Third Rail Systems

We’re delighted to welcome Third Rail Systems as the latest partner of the Travel Risk Academy.

Third Rail Systems is tackling an important challenge in modern travel risk management: helping organisations better understand whether an individual is ready for a specific trip, while protecting the sensitive personal information that may shape their risk.

It’s great to be working with Levi Hankins and the Third Rail Systems team, bringing another valuable perspective and area of expertise to the Travel Risk Academy community.

We’re also delighted that the team will be joining us at TOMS27 in London this coming January, where they’ll be part of the conversations shaping the future of travel risk management.

We’re looking forward to working together, sharing knowledge and continuing to strengthen the conversation around smarter, more responsible travel risk management.

Welcome to the TRA partner network! 🌍

🌍 TOMS27 HEADLINE SPONSOR: Compass Point Assist

We’re delighted to have Compass Point Assist joining us as the Headline Sponsor of Travel Optimisation Management Summit (TOMS) 2027.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be introducing the organisations and individuals supporting TOMS27 and sharing why they believe bringing the Travel Risk Management community together matters.

So, where better to start than with our Headline Sponsor?

Compass Point Assist works across medical and travel assistance, medical risk and claims, and operational risk – areas that sit right at the heart of many of the challenges faced by organisations managing people travelling around the world.

For them, supporting TOMS27 is about much more than sponsorship. It’s about collaboration.

💬 Why TOMS27?
“Compass Point Assist sponsoring TOMS27 is an opportunity to support an event that brings together people who are actively shaping the future of travel risk management.

Our work sits across medical and travel assistance, medical risk and claims, and operational risk, so the conversations taking place at TOMS are very relevant to what we do every day.

We also believe strongly in collaboration across the industry. Sponsoring TOMS27 gives us the opportunity to contribute to that wider conversation, share our experience and, just as importantly, learn from others.”

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗦𝟮𝟳 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁. Travel risk continues to evolve, from geopolitical uncertainty and extreme weather to medical events, security incidents and increasingly complex travel patterns. No single organisation has all the answers.

TOMS27 creates a space to bring different perspectives and expertise together, share real experiences and turn those conversations into better preparation, better decision-making and ultimately better outcomes for travellers.

A huge thank you to the team at Compass Point Assist for supporting TOMS27 and the wider Travel Risk Academy community. We’re looking forward to having you in the room.

📅 14 January 2027
📍 Grand Connaught Rooms, London
🎟️ Early Bird ends 30 September – save £50 on your ticket.

Get your ticket here: https://travelriskacademy.com/travel-risk-event-travel-conference-2027/

With thanks to all our sponsors: Terrain 9, mysa, SureSIM, Callida Freemont, McIndoe Risk Advisory LLC, Voyage Manager, Valpas, Third Rail Systems and to our mentors, experts and partners Alexandra Delgado, Bruce McIndoe, Martijn van der Voort, Alex Craxton, Gary Hurst, Matt Atkinson, Patience O., Darren Kelly, John Scott, Sarah Mason and many more.

Meet our first Autumn Level 4 Scholarship recipient: Vaishnavi Karle 👏

We are delighted to introduce Vaishnavi as one of two successful recipients of the Travel Risk Academy Autumn Scholarship, joining the Level 4 ATHE Award in Travel Risk Management cohort.

Vaishnavi is a travel and tourism professional with over five years’ experience across business development, operations and on-ground trip leadership.

Beginning her career with an apprenticeship at India’s national tourism board, she went on to work in adventure and luxury travel, managing operations across challenging destinations including Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp and Leh, always with safety as a non-negotiable priority.

She has also led experiential travel programmes for international schools across India, conducting site recces, risk assessments and safety planning for large student groups.

Her commitment to safety is backed by UNICEF training in Programme Criticality and Acceptable Security Risk and Child Protection & Safeguarding, alongside certifications in Risk Management in Tourism and Hospitality and First Aid. She also holds the European Training Certificate in Accessible Tourism and graduated top of her Bachelor’s cohort in Tourism & Travel Management.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗩𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽
For Vaishnavi, the scholarship is an opportunity to turn her instinct for analysing risks, planning for the unexpected and prioritising safety into structured knowledge built around global standards.

She is excited to learn from industry experts, join a global TRM community and apply her learning directly to the students, groups and travel programmes she leads.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿
For Vaishnavi, safety is the foundation that allows travel, education and adventure to happen. Her experience in remote destinations taught her to build contingency routes and backup plans into every itinerary, while working with young people reinforced the importance of both physical safety and emotional wellbeing.

Through the Level 4 qualification, she hopes to turn this experience into formal TRM expertise and help make high standards of travel safety something every traveller can rely on.

We are incredibly proud to support Vaishnavi as she takes this next step. Please join us in congratulating her! 👏

🎓 Ready to take the next step in your Travel Risk Management career?

Our Level 4 and Level 5 Travel Risk Management Qualifications are designed to turn knowledge into practical capability, giving professionals the skills, confidence and recognised qualifications to strengthen TRM within their organisations.

And with Travel Optimisation Management Summit (TOMS) on the horizon, now is the perfect time to get started.

📘 Level 4 Travel Risk Management Qualification - £699.99 + VAT
Upcoming cohorts:
📅 2 September 2026 - limited spaces remaining
📅 27 October 2026
📅 20 January 2027

Join one of our first two cohorts, complete your assessments, and you could qualify in time to be recognised as part of the TRA Hall of Fame at TOMS27 - celebrating the professionals achieving formal qualifications in Travel Risk Management.

📗 Level 5 Travel Risk Management Qualification - £999.99 + VAT
Our standard Level 5 programme runs over 8 weeks, with upcoming cohorts starting:
📅 8 October 2026
📅 21 January 2027

⚡ NEW: Level 5 Fast Track: 1–10 December 2026

For one time only, we're offering an intensive online Level 5 programme, taking the sessions normally delivered across eight weeks and fast-tracking them into just two weeks. Complete the programme and your assessments successfully and you'll also have the opportunity to be included in the TRA Hall of Fame.

Whether you're developing your TRM expertise, looking to formalise years of industry experience, or ready to take your professional development to the next level, there's a route for you.

👉 Want to join an upcoming cohort? Book your place: https://travelriskacademy.com/qualify/

🤝 New Travel Risk Academy Partner | Welcome Trvlher

We're delighted to welcome Trvlher AI as the latest partner of the Travel Risk Academy.

Trvlher AI helps Travel, Security and Risk teams make better-informed hotel decisions and scale due diligence without changing how employees book. By combining booking activity with independent, on-site hotel intelligence, Trvlher surfaces the hotels that warrant additional review - so teams can focus their resources where they matter most.

We asked Trvlher AI:

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙍𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝘼𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙮?
"What excites us most is the Travel Risk Academy’s ambition to give Travel Risk and Travel Optimisation Management a permanent professional home and bring the full ecosystem into one conversation.

TRA is uniquely positioned to connect the people shaping travel risk strategy with those responsible for implementing it. Together, we can help make accommodation due diligence a recognised and practical component of a holistic travel programme."

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮?
"Security and Risk teams cannot physically review every property employees use, particularly across complex global travel programmes and off-platform bookings.

The opportunity is to make that manageable: apply an organisation’s own accommodation requirements consistently, surface the properties that warrant additional review, and help teams focus limited resources where they matter most.

For the wider travel programme, that means stronger property-level visibility and better alignment across Travel, Security and Risk."

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣?
"We’re looking forward to developing practical guidance around what reasonable and proportionate accommodation due diligence looks like at scale, from defining requirements and improving property-level visibility to determining when additional review is warranted.

Our shared goal is to help organisations move from fragmented, manual reviews towards a more consistent and scalable approach, and to provide practical guidance for incorporating accommodation due diligence into travel risk programmes aligned with ISO 31030 and, where relevant, ISO 31031.

We’re excited to work with the Travel Risk Academy and contribute practical insights and guidance to the community."

Please join us in welcoming Trvlher AI to the Travel Risk Academy.

We’re pleased to announce that Ceri McQueen has joined the Travel Risk Academy as a .

Ceri is an experienced risk professional who has built travel risk management programmes from the ground up, creating sustainable frameworks that continue to support travellers long after implementation. While her career has since evolved into cyber security and human risk, her passion for Travel Risk Management remains as strong as ever. A passionate advocate for people-centred travel, Ceri believes effective TRM is built on duty of care, inclusion, and recognising that travel is never a one-size-fits-all experience.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿?
"Although my career has moved into cyber security and human risk, travel risk management remains a subject I care deeply about. TRM is fundamentally about people, their safety, wellbeing and ability to travel confidently. I value the opportunity to stay connected to the profession, share experiences with peers, and support the continued development of a strong travel risk community."

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲?
"I’m keen to share my experience of building and maturing travel risk management programmes, embedding TRM into organisational culture, and demonstrating its value beyond compliance. I’m passionate about people-centred risk management, recognising that different travellers face different challenges. My work in cyber security has also reinforced the importance of behaviour, awareness and communication in managing travel risk."

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆?
"I’d like to see travel risk management become more personalised, inclusive and proactive. Travellers aren’t all the same, and neither are the risks they face. I’d also like to see organisations take travel risk more seriously, recognising duty of care as a genuine responsibility rather than a tick-box exercise. The Travel Risk Academy has an important role to play in championing that message and keeping people at the centre of travel risk management."

Please join us in welcoming Ceri to the TRA community.

Join our community: travelriskacademy.com/membership-levels/

🚨 TOMS 2027 is here ...and we've listened.

Following feedback from our community, we've moved The Travel Optimisation Management Summit (TOMS) to 14 January 2027, giving travel risk professionals the chance to attend outside the busy autumn conference season.

TOMS isn't about sales pitches, it's about collaboration. It's where travel, security, HR, mobility and risk professionals come together to challenge ideas, share experiences and shape the future of Travel Risk Management.

🎟️ Tickets are now on sale: travelriskacademy.com/travel-risk-event-travel-conference-2027
💷 Early Bird: £250 (available until 30 September)
🎓 Students receive 50% off (until 30 September)

If you're passionate about the future of Travel Risk Management, we hope you'll join the conversation.

Book your place today and be part of shaping what's next: travelriskacademy.com/travel-risk-event-travel-conference-2027

With thanks to our sponsors: Compass Point Assist, SureSIM, Terrain 9, Callida Freemont, McIndoe Risk Advisory LLC, mysa, Voyage Manager, 8 Phase Consulting Ltd.

We're also delighted to be joined by an exceptional group of TRA Mentors including: Alexandra Delgado, Bruce McIndoe, Martijn van der Voort, Alex Craxton, Matt Atkinson, Patience O., John Scott, Darren Kelly, Gary Hurst, Sarah Mason and many more.

⚠️ Wildfire Alert: France and Spain

With severe wildfires affecting parts of France and Spain, organisations should ensure travelling employees remain informed, supported and prepared.

In line with ISO 31030 travel risk management guidance, organisations should:

▪️ Identify whether travellers are in or passing through affected areas
▪️ Maintain contact and confirm their location and wellbeing
▪️ Share verified updates from official sources
▪️ Review routes, accommodation and transport arrangements
▪️ Ensure travellers know the European emergency number: 112
▪️ Prepare contingency plans for evacuation, relocation or disrupted trave

Stay informed through:

▪️ UK Government Foreign Travel Advice for France and Spain
▪️ Local authorities, emergency services and regional government channels
▪️ Météo-France’s Météo des forêts wildfire danger updates
▪️ Spain’s AEMET fire-risk forecasts and Protección Civil alerts
▪️ The European Forest Fire Information System for current fire mapping
▪️ Airlines, rail operators, accommodation providers and travel management companies

Travellers in France should also keep emergency alerts enabled on their phones to receive FR-Alert notifications.

Follow evacuation instructions immediately, avoid affected areas and never attempt to travel through smoke, flames or closed roads.

Travel risks can change quickly. Effective travel risk management means monitoring developments, communicating clearly and being ready to adapt plans.

Stay informed, stay prepared, stay safe - if you need any support contact us on [email protected]

We're delighted to welcome Stuart Donnelly as a .

With more than 25 years' experience in business travel, mobility and expense management, Stuart is President of Mobility iQ, the enterprise ground transportation platform from The Miles Consultancy (TMC). He works with global organisations to improve traveller safety, increase programme visibility and reduce the cost and environmental impact of ground transportation. He is also Ground Transportation Lead for the GBTA Europe Transportation Committee and a member of the GBTA Sustainability Committee.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿?
"Ground transportation has been the forgotten part of managed travel for too long, despite often being where travellers are most exposed to risk and where organisations have the least visibility.

The Travel Risk Academy is bringing together people who genuinely want to improve traveller safety. If I can help organisations think differently about ground transportation, share practical experience and encourage collaboration across buyers, TMCs, technology providers and risk specialists, then it's an opportunity I'm delighted to support."

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲?
"Managing ground transportation isn't simply about booking taxis. It's about connecting policy, traveller behaviour, technology, sustainability and risk into a single managed programme.

I'm looking forward to sharing practical insights on traveller visibility, duty of care, supplier management, rail, ride-hail, chauffeur services, AI, data, sustainability and making smarter commercial decisions without compromising traveller safety. Most importantly, I hope to help bridge the gap between procurement, travel management, security and risk teams."

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?
"I'd like to see travel risk evolve from a compliance exercise into a strategic business capability. Whilst organisations often have sophisticated processes around flights and hotels, most journeys begin and end on the ground, and those journeys deserve the same level of visibility and governance.

Technology, AI and better data give us the opportunity to help travellers make safer, smarter decisions before they travel, whilst giving organisations better insight into cost, carbon and risk. If the Travel Risk Academy can help establish best practice and raise awareness that ground transportation is an integral part of travel risk, we'll have made a meaningful contribution."

We're delighted to have Stuart join our growing mentor community and look forward to the insight and expertise he'll bring.

Welcome Stuart!

Become a member and join our community: https://travelriskacademy.com/membership-levels/