Chicke Fitzgerald
Founder & CEO,
Solutionz Group
International Inc.

Chicke J. Fitzgerald has nearly thirty years experience in the electronic distribution and marketing fields, with a focus on the travel, transportation and telecommunications industries. Her expertise includes strategic planning, joint venture partnerships, marketing plan development and execution, multi-channel distribution, outsourcing and business process re-engineering. The firm has expertise in all sectors of the travel distribution value chain, including offline/online agencies, corporate travel, travel suppliers, GDS companies, travel technology and service providers.

Mrs. Fitzgerald founded MTech Strategies, Inc. in April of 1995 and incorporated the business in January of 1996. In 2004, MTech was rebranded as the Solutionz Group International, Inc. The Solutionz Group provides consulting, executive level support and project management to its clients. Our clients include AAA/CAA, Amadeus, American Express, Cendant Travel Distribution Services, Galileo, Gerson Lehman, Intel, Ericsson, Perot Systems, Carlson Companies, Ernst & Young/Cap Gemini, lasvegas.com, Sabre, Worldspan, Amadeus, TRX, World Access, Bowstreet, Hedna, Innpoints Loews Hotels and Larkspur Hospitality.

She has published a book on the Global Distribution Systems, titled Outlook for the 21st Century and released three new books on travel distribution in 2003, known as the Travel Distribution Library. She is currently working on a book titled “The Travel Distribution Ecosystem”, due out in the fall of 2006. She is recognized in the travel industry as an expert on the GDS companies and travel distribution across the supplier, consumer and corporate channels. She is also an expert on destination marketing technology.

Prior to forming her own consulting firm, Mrs. Fitzgerald served as Senior Director of Sales and Marketing with SITA, a billion dollar telecommunications company based in Paris, France. In this position, she was responsible for launching a new line of business to market an IBM based reservations service to airlines worldwide. Additionally, she led a global task force to develop a plan to re-engineer the company. In September of 1995, following Morgan Stanley’s investment into SITA, Mrs. Fitzgerald was part of a four-person start up team to spin off the Equant group. In that role, she reported to the CEO and President. In that role she was responsible for the successful proposal to American Airlines to outsource its North American network, a transaction valued at $400 million. Prior to deciding to leave to form her own firm, she was offered the role of Chief Information Officer of Equant.

From 1992 to 1994 she held the positions of Director of Marketing Programs and Staff Director of Strategic Planning with WORLDSPAN, an Atlanta based provider of computerized reservations systems (CRS) for travel agencies and airlines. Her responsibilities included the launch of a new business unit, Transportation Solutions, management of the migration of one fourth of their subscriber base to a new system and international business development. She also acted as business liaison with WORLDSPAN’s owners, Delta, Northwest, TWA and Abacus, a CRS in the Pacific Rim. In her role in Strategic Planning she was responsible for joint venture negotiations with Abacus and Amadeus and as a part of her role, she led the completion of a technical agreement with Abacus and Amadeus, which resulted in the launch of a unique travel agency connectivity product, known as Global Serve.

From 1982 to 1992, Mrs. Fitzgerald held a variety of management positions at AMR American Airlines in their SABRE Travel Information Network division, culminating in a position reporting to the President. Significant accomplishments included the endorsement by the AMR Board of the plan to form a new Latin American division. This followed American Airlines’ acquisition of the Eastern Airlines route structure, for which she was a part of the due diligence team. She was also responsible for the acquisition of the assets of the Capture company, which resulted in the formation of a new division to market a travel and entertainment tracking system for corporations. Mrs. Fitzgerald was responsible for building this division and held the position of Vice President of Technical Services and Client Support, and later Acting President of the division. In her last position as Managing Director of Joint Ventures, she was responsible for all business activities in Central and South America.

Mrs. Fitzgerald studied at Oral Roberts University and the University of Michigan. She is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants and the Women Presidents Organization. She and her husband Michael presently reside in Tampa, Florida with their son and daughter. She may be contacted at chicke@solutionz.com or by calling +1-813-925-0789.