About Accelya

Sam Gilliland is the Chief Executive Officer of Accelya, leading the company’s mission to transform airline retailing. A visionary executive with over three decades of experience, he is dedicated to driving innovation, collaboration, and business transformation.

Sam spent 25 years at Sabre Corporation, rising from software engineer to Chairman and CEO. He led Travelocity’s turnaround into a global leader and oversaw Sabre’s growth across 60 countries. Beyond the airline sector, he served as CEO of Cherwell Software, spearheading digital transformation and automation solutions.

A recognized leader in travel technology, Sam has advised the U.S. government on industry strategy, serving on the U.S. President’s Management Advisory Board and as Chair of the U.S. Commerce Department’s Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

José María Hurtado is Accelya’s Chief Financial Officer, responsible for steering the company’s financial strategy and ensuring sustainable growth. A proven leader with nearly 30 years of experience, he plays a pivotal role in driving strong business performance and executing Accelya’s strategic vision.

Since joining Accelya in 2007, José María has been instrumental in financial planning, mergers and acquisitions, and securing key financing transactions. Previously, he led finance for Siemens VDO in Spain and France for over a decade, after beginning his career at KPMG.

With deep expertise in financial excellence and strategic transformation, José María continues to shape Accelya’s success, ensuring the company delivers long-term value to its airline customers.

Lesley Harris is Accelya’s Chief Operations Officer, overseeing global operations to ensure seamless service delivery and customer success. With over 20 years of experience in travel technology, she is dedicated to driving operational efficiency and enabling airlines to unlock the full potential of digital transformation.

Prior to Accelya, Lesley held leadership roles at Honeywell Connected Enterprise, Sabre, and Travelocity, specializing in professional services, system implementations, and business process optimization. Her expertise spans e-commerce, digital operations, and strategic planning.

Lesley collaborates closely with Accelya’s teams worldwide, including its Centre of Excellence in Pune, India, ensuring best-in-class execution for airline partners.

Tim Reiz, Accelya’s Chief Product & Technology Officer, is the visionary behind FLX ONE, the company’s next-generation airline retailing platform. A pioneer in airline technology, he is redefining how airlines operate with greater flexibility, efficiency, and customer-centricity.

Before joining Accelya in 2020, Tim was Chief Technology Officer at Farelogix, where he led groundbreaking innovations in NDC and airline retailing. His visionary approach secured one of the fastest patents in U.S. history and established Farelogix as a leader in open, API-driven solutions.

Earlier in his career, Tim played a key role at Amadeus and led PASS Consulting in North America. His passion for innovation continues to shape Accelya’s product strategy, ensuring airlines stay ahead in an evolving digital marketplace.

As Chief Revenue Officer, Andrew Wilcock leads Accelya’s go-to-market strategy, overseeing sales, marketing, and customer success to drive business growth and customer impact. With over 24 years of experience in high-performance organizations, he has a proven track record of scaling revenue streams and optimizing sales operations.

Prior to Accelya, Andrew spent over 20 years at IBM in senior leadership roles, specializing in technology solutions across multiple industries. He is known for fostering cross-functional collaboration and building high-performing teams, ensuring a strong alignment between Accelya’s strategic vision and customer success.

Andrew is committed to delivering long-term value to airlines through transformative technology solutions while also driving business growth. His ability to balance strategic vision with commercial execution makes him a key force in accelerating Accelya’s success.

As Chief Human Resources Officer at Accelya, Funda Saltuk leads the company’s people strategy, fostering a high-performance, inclusive culture that aligns with Accelya’s growth ambitions. With over 30 years of experience in HR leadership, she is dedicated to empowering talent, driving digital transformation, and enhancing employee engagement.

Funda has held leadership roles at Veeam and Alcatel Lucent, where she spearheaded workforce planning, leadership development, and diversity initiatives.

A passionate advocate for building thriving workplaces, Funda is committed to shaping Accelya’s future by attracting, developing, and inspiring top talent.

As Accelya’s Chief Information Officer, Alastair Pooley leads the company’s global technology infrastructure, ensuring a secure, scalable, and innovative digital ecosystem. A technology strategist with a track record of leading large-scale transformation programs, he is focused on delivering continuous innovation.

Alastair has held senior leadership roles at Snow Software and Sophos, where he successfully drove cloud migrations, product launches, and digital acceleration initiatives. His leadership has contributed to significant business growth, including preparing Sophos for a successful IPO.

Alastair is driven to harness technology to enhance Accelya’s airline solutions.

Matt Lunkes is Accelya’s Chief of Staff, supporting the CEO by leading strategic initiatives that drive business value and organizational excellence. 

Before joining Accelya, Matt worked with Vista Equity Partners, spearheading process and system optimization for portfolio companies. Earlier in his career, he held roles in SalesOps and technical CRM development, gaining hands-on experience in operational efficiencies. 

Matt is dedicated to aligning business strategy and execution, ensuring Accelya continues to lead the airline industry in digital transformation. 

As Chief of Global Programs, Mike Douglas leads Accelya’s large-scale customer implementations and corporate strategic initiatives. With a diverse background spanning sales, product management, marketing, and finance, he brings a holistic perspective to delivering impactful transformation.

Before joining Accelya, Mike held leadership roles at CWT, Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport, and Global Eagle, gaining deep expertise in airline technology and customer-centric innovation.

Mike thrives on aligning strategy, execution, and technology to drive Accelya’s continued success.

Robert Wilson is Accelya’s General Counsel, responsible for legal strategy, regulatory compliance, and the execution of the company’s ESG program. With over 30 years of experience in IT and telecoms, he has spent more than two decades shaping legal frameworks in the airline and travel industry.

Prior to joining Accelya, Robert held legal and commercial leadership roles at SITA and Orange Business Services, working across the United States, Switzerland, and the UK. A qualified Solicitor (England & Wales).

Robert plays a critical role in ensuring Accelya remains a trusted and compliant partner in the airline industry.

Jim Davidson serves as Vice Chairman at Accelya, bringing a wealth of experience in airline technology and travel distribution.A visionary in the industry, he has been at the forefront of driving transformation in airline retailing.

Before Accelya’s acquisition of Farelogix, Jim was the CEO of Farelogix, pioneering innovations in NDC and airline commerce. His leadership reshaped how airlines distribute and sell their products. Earlier, he held executive roles at Amadeus, NTE, and System One.

Jim’s deep industry expertise and passion for modernizing airline retailing continue to influence Accelya’s vision and market leadership.

As Chief Marketing Officer, Tom Erskine leads Accelya’s global marketing strategy, shaping the company’s brand, digital presence, and customer engagement. With over 20 years of experience in technology marketing, he is passionate about positioning Accelya as the leader in airline retailing.

Tom has held senior roles at Microsoft, AWS, and Cloudways, where he played a key role in its acquisition by DigitalOcean. His global perspective, shaped by professional experience in the United States, UAE, and UK, allows him to drive impactful marketing strategies.

Tom is committed to accelerating Accelya’s growth through compelling storytelling and customer-centric marketing.

Tye Radcliffe is Accelya’s Chief Customer Success Officer, dedicated to ensuring airlines have the tools and support they need to succeed in modern retailing. A recognized leader in airline distribution and retailing, he brings deep industry expertise from leadership roles at United Airlines, Orbitz.com, and Travelport. 

Tye has played a pivotal role in shaping industry standards as a founding member of IATA’s NDC Taskforce. He chaired the steering group for several years and served as Chairman of the IATA Passenger Standards Conference from 2017 to 2021, driving innovation in passenger retailing. 

Tye is passionate about helping airlines navigate the complexities of retailing transformation and enhancing their commercial success. 

As Accelya’s Chief Sales Officer, Andy Spence brings over 25 years of experience leading global technology organizations, including Microsoft, HP, Adobe, and Qlik. His leadership is centered on deeply understanding customer needs and driving measurable business outcomes for airlines worldwide. 

At Accelya, Andy leads a high-performing team of Client Directors, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and customer excellence. His approach empowers airlines to harness Accelya’s open and trusted software platform to accelerate growth and enhance retailing capabilities. 

Andy is dedicated to transforming how airlines engage with customers and unlocking new revenue opportunities in an ever-changing industry landscape.

As Chief Product Officer, Gianni Cataldo leads Accelya’s product strategy and development, ensuring the company delivers next-generation solutions for airline retailing, settlement, and financial management. With over 25 years of experience in digital innovation and scalable API platforms, he is a recognized leader in transforming airline commerce. 

Gianni has been instrumental in advancing digital retailing, eCommerce, and disruptive technologies, earning industry recognition, including the Travel Innovators Rising Star and the Mega Award for Best New Ancillary Revenue Project. 

Gianni excels at integrating business and technology to create breakthrough solutions that empower airlines to succeed in the evolving digital economy.

As Accelya’s Chief Technology Officer for Retailing, Gaurav Roy leads the development of the company’s cloud-native airline retailing platform. With a strong background in software engineering and product innovation, he is focused on delivering transformative solutions that empower airlines to thrive in a dynamic digital landscape. 

Gaurav has held leadership roles at Fortune 50 companies, including HP, Vodafone, and Motorola/Google, as well as high-growth startups such as Azingo and MobiliYa. His notable achievements include spearheading the development of HP Workforce Experience, Tizen OS, and Samsung Knox. 

Gaurav is passionate about redefining the future of airline retailing through technology and innovation. 

Joshi Anthony is Accelya’s Chief Technology Officer for Settlement, leading the development and engineering of the company’s Settle and Cargo portfolios. With over 30 years of experience—29 of them at Accelya—he is a driving force behind product innovation and customer delivery in airline financial solutions. 

Joshi’s career began in chemistry before transitioning to technology, where he has been instrumental in evolving Accelya’s global solutions. His expertise in settlement and revenue management has helped airlines streamline financial operations and enhance operational efficiency. 

Joshi strives to ensure Accelya continues to lead the industry with cutting-edge settlement solutions. 

Nadesha Ranasinghe is Accelya’s Chief Architecture and Cloud Officer, responsible for defining the company’s cloud strategy and software architecture. A leader in AWS cloud hosting, CI/CD pipelines, and enterprise architecture, he ensures Accelya’s technology infrastructure is scalable, secure, and future-ready. 

With a leadership style rooted in collaboration and continuous improvement, Nadesha has successfully led teams through complex technology transformations, helping Accelya maintain its leadership in the airline technology space. 

Nadesha focuses on leveraging the latest advancements in cloud and architecture to drive innovation and operational excellence for Accelya’s airline customers. 

Sam Butler is Accelya’s Chief Information Security Officer, responsible for safeguarding the company’s infrastructure, data, and customer assets. With over 30 years of experience in cybersecurity and financial services, he specializes in risk management, compliance, and IT security.

Sam has held key leadership roles at Microsoft, First Data, and Worldpay, developing expertise in IT service management, enterprise architecture, and regulatory auditing.

Sam is committed to ensuring Accelya remains at the forefront of cybersecurity and resilience in the airline industry.