Wellington-based corporate travel trailblazer Paul Rennie is selling up—as Orbit World Travel announces the acquisition of Rennie’s Orbit Wellington business, officially Mystro Management Limited.
Orbit says the move further strengthens its presence as a leading corporate travel provider and expands its national footprint. It also brings the agency’s people, clients and supplier relationships under Orbit.
“Anyone who knows me knows I’ve never believed in hanging around longer than I should,” says Rennie.
“We’ve had a good run but the time felt right.”
Rennie says he has confidence in the direction Orbit is taking nationally and the growth opportunities ahead of it. “It needs new energy and investment to take it to the next level, and we believe Anita [Hawthorne, Orbit ceo] and the new board, together with the team, are the right people to do that,” he adds.
Opened as a leisure travel business in 1987, by 1995 the business was the biggest Concorde booker in the Southern Hemisphere with 18 staff.
When House of Travel bought AA Travel, Rennie took over the AA Travel corporate arm in WLG.
Over the years Orbit Wellington grew to become a key corporate player nationally. “You’re only ever as successful as the people you surround yourself with, and we’ve had a good team behind us over the years. Whatever success we’ve had is down to them,” says Rennie.
Hawthorne says Rennie and his wife Adrienne (pictured) and their team have spent years earning the trust of their clients and suppliers, and there’s a responsibility that comes with taking custodianship of that.
“We’re proud to have been given that opportunity,” she says.
“This is a strong signal of our intent in market. We’re not interested in growth for growth’s sake. We saw a business that shares our values and has built something worth backing for the long term.”
