Kurt Knackstedt has been appointed as Chief Growth Officer at HRS - Hotel Reservation Service
HRS, the leading global corporate lodging platform, named internationally-renowned travel and payment executive Kurt Knackstedt to the new role of Chief Growth Officer, leading the company's expanding payment solutions business. An established payment innovator who led Troovo's growth from start-up to global prominence, Knackstedt is known worldwide in B2B payment and managed travel circles for his pioneering approach to the deployment of virtual credit cards and automated payment technologies.
Knackstedt, a Chicago native now residing in Sydney, heads the commercial, marketing and strategy functions for HRS' payment solutions unit. HRS has more than 100 staff members solely dedicated to the development of B2B automation that streamlines payment to suppliers, reimbursement to travelers, and VAT reclaim for corporations. He will report directly to HRS CEO Tobias Ragge.
Mr. Knackstedt joins HRS after six years as CEO of Troovo, an Australia-based start-up he co-founded in 2015. The company's groundbreaking payment automation quickly drew international acclaim across the B2B travel ecosystem, highlighted by Business Travel News awarding its "Innovator of the Year" honor to Troovo in 2018. Before that, he led the global travel and expense category for Rio Tinto, a prominent mining industry company. Mr. Knackstedt served on the Executive Board of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) for eight years, including a term as President from 2014-17. He also held executive roles with American Express and Travelport.