PRESS RELEASE

FCM fortifies technology expertise through Shep acquisition

DECEMBER 23, 2021

FCM announced that parent company Flight Centre Travel Group has fully acquired Shep, the Texas-based software company that provides a browser-extension based communication platform for multi-national corporations. This acquisition builds on last year’s initial investment in the firm, and boosts FCM’s already robust technology offering.

At FCM, we strive to offer a best-in-class traveller experience at every touchpoint of the customer journey. The Shep software has allowed us to extend that experience on third party websites, further building on the flexibility we offer customers that we’ve become known for.

- Marcus Eklund, Global Managing Director, FCM

Shep’s integration into the FCM customer offering comes at a pivotal time as the company gears up for the global rollout of its highly anticipated new omni-channel platform to service a multi-national client base that stretches over 100 countries.

Daniel Senyard, co-founder and CEO of Shep, commented:

FCM shares our passion for intelligent and ground-breaking technology that addresses pain points and vastly improves the user experience. We are thrilled and excited to play our part in supporting their vision for the new FCM Platform.

Built inhouse and fully proprietary, FCM’s new platform provides a comprehensive, globally consistent experience that delivers a superior level of choice and that all-important flexibility and ability to choose from a number of integrations to deliver on multi-national and local needs.

The Shep browser tool will enable FCM to customise content and enhance the user experience on third party websites and online booking tools that corporate customers use, either as part of the FCM platform’s flexible offering or when booking or searching outside of a company’s recommended booking tools. There are also tangible benefits for customers in the important areas of health, safety, sustainability and policy guidance, which the Shep product will enable FCM to integrate into these systems when the products don’t offer them themselves. As a result, customers can expect greater consistency across the globe, while also delivering better control, duty of care, sustainability and communications benefits – a critical priority in today’s evolving travel landscape.

This latest acquisition reflects FCM’s reputation as an leader in the tech travel space, borne through a strategy of continuous development and complementary acquisitions, working closely with our partner Plug and Play – a leading silicon valley start-up accelerator and investor – to encourage start-ups and innovative ideas in the travel industry.

Alongside Shep, FCM will continue to leverage the significant technology investments its parent company has made in recent years to improve customer experience. These include the acquisitions of booking technology specialist WhereTo, mobile chatbot platform Sam, and equity investment in air content aggregator TPConnects.

Our continued focus in game-changing technology provides our corporate clients with superior tools and services to help them stay ahead of the rapidly evolving corporate travel landscape. This will allow us to emerge from the pandemic in an incredibly powerful way. - Marcus Eklund

About FCM:

FCM is one of the largest global business travel management companies with a 24/7 worldwide reach in almost 100 countries – so when we say global network, we mean it. The flagship business division of the ASX-listed Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), FCM has the leverage to deliver access to the widest worldwide network of airfares, hotels and ground transport for unique and best-value travel solutions. Thousands of national and multi-national organisations around the world, including many household brands, Fortune and FTSE 100 companies, rely on FCM’s intuitive technology and expert teams to move their business travellers effortlessly and maximise their return on investment.

FCM’s agile and flexible travel technology platform anticipates and solves the needs of each business. Our flexible, globally connected teams are experts in negotiating the best deals for their clients, and offer in-depth local knowledge and duty of care support to provide the ultimate personalised business travel experience. FCM is a trusted travel partner for businesses that have regular international travel needs, take single trips at the last-minute, or have centralised their business travel across multiple markets. 

About Shep:

Founded in 2016, Shep is an award-winning travel data, communication and digital adoption platform (DAP) that helps enterprises manage and measure travel behaviour both inside corporate booking environments, like Concur, as well as on consumer travel sites, like Expedia and Airbnb. Shep uses browser extension technology to overlay messaging and user interaction elements on top of corporate and consumer travel sites. Shep also collects cross-site booking and behavioural data so that travel managers and travel management companies can understand what, where, and why employees are choosing to book their business travel. More at www.sheptravel.com