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Brent Gleeson
As hard as it is to believe, we’re just under two weeks away from the CD/NLA Show at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand from March 3-6. With the 2024 show expected to be our biggest ever, we have an incredible slate of sessions, seminars, and roundtables designed to bring instant ROI to operations of all sizes. But education isn’t just what happens in the classroom.
Once again, Chauffeur Driven and the National Limousine Association are thrilled to offer a renowned Keynote Speaker to the CD/NLA Show, courtesy of sponsors Grech Motors and Onroute. In the past speakers have included experts from travel, sales, and finance, but fresh for 2024, we’re thrilled to present leadership expert Brent Gleeson as our esteemed Keynote.
In today’s volatile, unpredictable, and complex business environment, organizations can find themselves in an almost constant state of change. But more change initiatives fall short or fail due to a lack of leadership alignment and discipline, and the proper culture founded on accountability and trust.
In his highly engaging presentation—How High-Performance Teams Navigate Change with Passion & Resilience—Gleeson will show operators how to apply the same leadership and culture principles that forge the most elite special operations units in the world for building high-performance teams that lead change with passion, grit, and resilience. You will leave inspired and motivated—but more importantly, with actionable insight to apply immediately.
Gleeson is a Navy SEAL combat veteran, an award-winning entrepreneur, two-time bestselling author, and an acclaimed speaker on topics ranging from change leadership, building high-performance teams, and organizational transformation to resilience, mental toughness, and building a culture of accountability and operational excellence. Gleeson has built some of the fastest growing companies in the US and was named an Inc. 500 founder five years in a row and a Top 10 CEO by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2013.
Gleeson is the Founder and CEO of TakingPoint Leadership, a management consulting firm whose mission is to equip committed teams with the leadership tools and professional development necessary for navigating change and growth with accuracy and precision.
He is also the bestselling author of TakingPoint: A Navy SEAL’s 10 Fail-Safe Principles for Leading Through Change, which was a #1 New Release on Amazon in Organizational Change and Business Structural Adjustment. Gleeson’s latest book, Embrace the Suck: The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life was #1 bestseller in the self-help, self-esteem, and military leadership categories.
Don’t forget, there’s still plenty of time to take part in the CD/NLA Show. Simply click this link to register for the luxury ground transportation event of the year!
Visit.cdnlavegas.com for more information.
[02.20.24]
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George (left) and Jack Rains in the ’90s
Extraordinar Luxury Transportation (ELT) is excited to announce that co-founder George Rains has once again returned to the team as executive vice president of global operations, joining his brother Jack, who also co-founded the company and is the current president. Now that the team is back together, they will be working side by side and are positioned to grow the DC-area company into a powerhouse global business.
Jack (left) and George Rains today
The Rains brothers started as chauffeurs in 1990. They both gained a strong understanding of the transportation industry and went on to jointly own and operate An Extraordinar Limousine until 1995. George then pursued other business opportunities to build ZBest Worldwide, while Jack continued to build the company now known as ELT.
“My brother and I started together and remain committed to the same ideals and goals this industry demands: quality service to create memorable experiences. George’s insightful understanding of the luxury transportation industry and his commitment to excellence is like no other. I’m grateful he is back where he belongs!” says President Jack Rains.
George has more than three decades of industry experience and vast expertise in business development and building relationships. His forward-thinking marketing concepts and strategies will position the company to be well set in the competitive marketplace.
“I am very eager to take the reins of this new brand and work side by side with my brother Jack. ELT is dedicated to the very best; our commitment to customer satisfaction will redefine luxury transportation,” says Executive Vice President of Global Operations George Rains.
Visit eltlimo.com for more information.
[02.20.24]
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FourthStreet Founder Colin Devine
Luxury ground transportation industry veteran Colin Devine is pleased to announce his FourthStreet venture is setting its sights on keeping international trade at home to create Irish jobs and opportunities.
Knowing that the responsibilities for a transportation company typically ended at the Dublin Airport, Devine opened FourthStreet in 2021 to capture the international travel needs for his Irish- and UK-based clients, combining logistical expertise and his extensive global affiliate partner network. He developed plans for international growth while taking an MBA at Trinity College, Dublin, in 2019. This new undertaking was launched with key anchor clients, serving prominent Irish export companies and entertainment clients, for high-level board meeting and events across the United States, London, and other European cities with one seamless point of contact.
“Irish exports have reached a record of EUR 197 billion in 2023. We have clients who spend more than twenty times their Irish transport budget with international network companies located outside of Ireland,” says Devine. With that in mind, he set out to ensure that his clients trusted his company while traveling outside of Ireland.
The outlook for growth looks promising as business travel reached 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, according to the Global Business Travel Association, with a full recovery expected by 2024. The value of the luxury taxi and chauffeured transportation is expected to reach USD 102 billion by 2025 globally.
“For international, it’s a very different business model,” Devine continues. “Our overseas revenue was less than 5 percent of sales. With this new venture, 90 percent of our revenue comes from outside of Ireland. It’s about fine-tuning the offering to meet client expectations across different time zones. We serve a small niche of complex high-level transportation programs; we source, negotiate, and manage the local supplier relationships for our clients who put their trust in us. It’s much more about transportation management and removing those pain points for high-level guests and travel managers in markets that they may not be familiar with.”
Since its 2021 debut, FourthStreet today employs nine people between Dublin and the US. The company’s international bookings increased 150 percent in 2023, serving high-touch clients and guests for corporate travel and entertainment industry events, in the US, the UK, and major cities across Europe and the Middle East.
“We treat stars like they are ordinary people and ordinary people like they are stars,” says Devine. “The back seat experience for the guests should be consistent when you are working with the elite companies. At the centre of everything we do is the booking client, the executive assistant, travel managers, and the event planners. We are really focused on the booker experience and touch points that make their lives easier when booking in multiple markets,” says Devine.
Visit 4stchauffeurs.com for more information.
[02.20.24]