Travel Risk Academy

Meet our Level 4 Scholarship recipient: Jinal Solanki

We are delighted to introduce Jinal as one of our successful recipients of the Travel Risk Academy Scholarship.

Jinal is a Travel Security & Safety Program Manager within Global Security - Protective Services at OpenText, with nearly six years of experience in corporate security and risk management.

Jinal Deigns and manages comprehensive travel risk policies, delivers pre-travel security briefings, monitors real-time global threats and coordinates emergency response procedures for travelling employees. Working closely with senior leadership, HR teams and external intelligence providers, Jinal plays a critical role in ensuring organisational duty of care obligations are met.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗝𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽
Jinal describes receiving the scholarship as both an honour and an important professional opportunity. She believes that in a field where the stakes involve human safety, formalised education is not simply academic achievement, but a professional responsibility.

The scholarship represents an opportunity to deepen her expertise, strengthen the programme she manages, and contribute to raising standards across the travel risk industry.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿
For Jinal, Travel Risk Management is about preparedness, accountability and continuous improvement. Managing the travel safety of more than 350 employees globally, she understands the importance of precision and proactive decision-making in high-pressure situations.

During the escalation of instability across the Middle East, Jinal successfully activated emergency protocols to support travelling employees in the affected region; coordinating communications, rerouting options and consular guidance to ensure every employee remained safe and accounted for.

Rather than viewing the successful response as the endpoint, the experience reinforced her drive to continuously strengthen her knowledge, frameworks, and approach to travel risk management.

Looking ahead, Jinal aims to further enhance travel risk frameworks, strengthen pre-travel risk assessment processes, improve threat monitoring capabilities, and advocate for the resources required to build mature and effective travel risk programmes. She also hopes to contribute to the wider advancement of professional standards within the industry.

We are incredibly proud to support Jinal as she takes this next step. Please join us in congratulating Jinal! 👏

Our thanks to SureSIM for sponsoring Jinal through the Travel Risk Academy ATHE Level 4 Travel Risk Management Scholarship.

We’re pleased to welcome as a new Travel Risk Academy partner.

One of the themes that came up repeatedly in our Bridging Silos session in March was that location data and traveller welfare too often live in different systems - and neither gives programme leaders the visibility they actually need.

We're pleased to share that Travel Risk Academy is now partnering with SureSIM to help close that gap.

Reliable connectivity and meaningful location awareness are critical to modern travel risk management, particularly when teams are operating across borders and time zones.

Through our partnership with SureSIM, Travel Risk Academy members can now access additional resources and benefits designed to support safer, smarter global travel, including:

🔍 Location awareness that supports duty of care - without intrusive tracking
🌍 Rapid global connectivity across 187 destinations
📱 Easy-to-deploy eSIM technology
⚡ Quick activation on any eSIM-enabled device
🎁 An exclusive 30-day trial, free for qualifying TRA members

This partnership strengthens our growing ecosystem of organisations focused on practical solutions for people responsible for traveller safety and programme resilience.

Explore the partnership and learn how to access member benefits, visit: https://travelriskacademy.com/login/

Not a member yet? Learn more about joining Travel Risk Academy here: travelriskacademy.com/membership-levels/

We’re pleased to announce that Matt Atkinson has joined Travel Risk Academy as a

Matt Atkinson is the Founder and Managing Director of Utelize Mobile and creator of the SureSIM platform, helping organisations take control of mobile costs, connectivity and risk.

Working with UK and global enterprises, he enables smarter management of mobile estates, strengthening Travel Risk Management through secure, reliable global connectivity.

By combining multi-carrier eSIM technology, real-time visibility, and integration with platforms like Microsoft Intune, Matt ensures employees stay connected, compliant, and protected wherever they are, giving organisations greater control, resilience and peace of mind.

On becoming a TRA Mentor:
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿?
“TRM is at an inflection point. The data infrastructure to genuinely protect travelling employees exists - but most organisations don't know it yet, and the industry is still having conversations built around legacy tools and legacy thinking. I joined as a TRA Mentor because this is the right community to have that conversation with. The practitioners here are serious, they're open to new thinking, and they're the ones who will actually drive change inside their organisations.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 / 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆?
“My background is in managed mobile connectivity and network infrastructure. What I bring to TRM is a different lens - specifically, how mobile network event data can give organisations real-time location awareness of their travelling workforce without GPS tracking, app installs, or employee opt-in. This is a data layer the TRM industry has just started to explore, and I'm keen to share what we've learned - practically and technically - about how it works, what it enables, and where the genuine limitations are.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁?
“I'd like to see TRM stop being a single-function problem. The same duty of care challenge sits across TRM, HR, IT and compliance - and right now those four functions are solving it in parallel, with different tools, without a shared data layer. The opportunity is a unified approach. TRA is uniquely placed to drive that because it sits across all four audiences. The conversations that need to happen aren't happening yet - TRA can be the room where they start.”

Join our community: https://travelriskacademy.com/membership-levels/

⚠️ The reported hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius expedition cruise ship is a stark reminder that infectious disease threats remain a critical component of travel risk management.

Authorities across multiple countries are now tracing passengers after confirmed and suspected cases of the rare Andes hantavirus strain were identified onboard, with several fatalities reported. Public health agencies, including the WHO and UKHSA, continue to assess the situation and monitor potential exposures.

For organisations operating in remote environments, expedition travel, maritime operations, or international assignments, this incident reinforces several key lessons:

• Health intelligence and outbreak monitoring are essential
• Medical evacuation and isolation planning must be operationally ready
• Traveller awareness and pre-departure briefings matter
• Crisis communication protocols should be tested before incidents occur
• Remote and expedition travel carry unique infectious disease risks

While health authorities continue to state that the public risk remains low, the situation aboard the MV Hondius demonstrates how quickly a localised health event can evolve into a multinational travel risk challenge.

At Travel Risk Academy, we continue to monitor developments and support organisations in strengthening their travel risk management and crisis preparedness capabilities.

If you need support contact us: [email protected]

We’re pleased to announce that Jason Helm has joined Travel Risk Academy as a .

Jason brings extensive experience across the travel risk management spectrum, having worked as a consultant, trainer, regional specialist, planner and programme manager. Throughout his career, he has developed practical strategies, methods and perspectives shaped by real-world operational experience and collaboration across the TRM community.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿?
“TRA’s Ambassador & Mentor Program is an exciting opportunity to engage across the spectrum of TRM contributors from novice to veteran. Regardless of our level of experience, we each have things to share and things to learn if we are open to collaboration. TRA offers exactly that opportunity.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆?
“I have started into the TRM mainstream from various vantage points: counsellor, trainer, regional specialist, planner, and program manager. Along the way I’ve developed strategies, methods, and perspectives that may be helpful to others in the community. I offer those for anyone in the TRM community to incorporate or challenge.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆?
“My hopes are tied to fostering greater awareness and understanding across the TRM community. A forum like TRA offers the space to expand our collective awareness, uncover risks, and develop solutions for shared challenges. Through collaboration we can better understand the wider workings of TRM and how each part fits together. Striving for greater cultural understanding through curiosity, acceptance, understanding, and empathy helps us collaborate more effectively and better support travellers through uncertain environments.”

“TRA is that community space for us to share openly, innovate boldly, and reach ambitiously.”

Welcome Jason!

Join our community: travelriskacademy.com/membership-levels/

📢 Introducing the Travel Risk Academy Digital Shop!

Whether you’re building or refining a travel risk programme, TRA’s digital products give you tools you can use today - from deep policy guides to practical workbooks and internationally recognised qualifications.

🔗 Explore now: https://travelriskacademy.com/tra-digital-shop/

Top Sellers:

✔ ATHE Level 5 Award in Travel Risk Management - for senior leaders
✔ ATHE Level 4 Award in Travel Risk Management - for practitioners
✔ TRM Program Readiness Self-Assessment Toolkit
✔ Travel Risk Management Policy Guide
✔ TRM Workbooks (SME & Enterprise)

Perfect for organisations and professionals aiming to reduce risk, build confidence and embed best practice into travel management.

Elevate your leadership with the ATHE Level 5 Award in Travel Risk Management.

Built for senior professionals and programme leaders, this qualification goes beyond theory; focusing on strategic oversight, accountability and the continuous evolution of resilient TRM frameworks - this is where TRM shifts from operational delivery to strategic leadership.

📅 Upcoming Level 5 Cohorts:
• 11 June
• 6 August

More than a qualification, Level 5 connects you to a global network of TRM professionals, along with exclusive membership to the Travel Risk Academy.

If you're ready to lead, influence and shape the future of TRM, this is your next step.

🔗 Book your place for £999.00: https://travelriskacademy.com/tra-digital/athe-level-5-award-in-travel-risk-management/

We’re pleased to announce that Tom Richardson has joined Travel Risk Academy as a .

Tom is a risk management professional with over seventeen years of international experience across four continents, including complex and high-risk environments. His background spans humanitarian assistance, travel risk and incident management, geopolitical analysis, and technology-enabled risk solutions.

At Aon, he led global risk intelligence, crisis response, and travel risk programmes, overseeing large-scale operations and managing critical incidents. More recently, he has worked at the intersection of risk analysis and frontier technology, leading the development of AI-powered strategic intelligence platforms.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿?
“I believe strongly in advancing travel risk management as a recognised professional discipline grounded in shared standards, practical experience, and continuous learning. Mentorship has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career, helping others build confidence and judgement in complex environments. Much of my own journey was shaped by generous mentors, and I value paying that forward. Mentoring is also reciprocal - it exposes me to new perspectives and ways of thinking.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 / 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆?
“I bring a multi-perspective approach shaped by experience as both provider and client, as well as a traveller in high-risk locations. I’ve worked across the private sector, humanitarian organisations, and academia, combining operational, analytical, and technology expertise. I’m particularly keen to share practical approaches to developing intelligence-led decision-making, managing uncertainty during crises, and designing user-centred travel risk programmes that genuinely support travellers.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁?

“I’d like to see travel risk management recognised as a strategic profession at the intersection of people, operations, and organisational resilience. Too often it is fragmented or treated as an afterthought. Through high-quality training and shared best practice, TRA can help elevate TRM professionals into empowered, strategic leaders. Using recognised frameworks like ISO 31030, the industry can better position itself as a value-add that optimises travel.”

Join our community: travelriskacademy.com/membership-levels/

🌍 World Day for Safety & Health at Work – 28 April

Safety doesn’t stop at the workplace office door.

For organisations with travelling employees, health, safety and wellbeing extend across borders, environments and risks - many of which are unpredictable and constantly evolving.

At Travel Risk Academy, we believe that effective travel risk management is a critical part of protecting your people and fulfilling your Duty of Care.

✔️ Preparing employees before they travel
✔️ Supporting them while they’re on the move
✔️ Responding effectively when things don’t go to plan

Aligning your programme with ISO 31030 provides a clear, structured framework to do exactly that.

The benefits of ISO 31030 alignment include:
• A consistent, globally recognised approach to managing travel risk
• Stronger Duty of Care and governance
• Improved risk assessment, mitigation and response processes
• Greater organisational resilience and confidence in decision-making

Days like today are a reminder that safety is not just a policy; it’s a responsibility, a culture and a continuous commitment.

As global mobility continues to grow, so does the need to equip organisations and individuals with the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage travel risk effectively.

Let’s use this moment to reflect, review and strengthen how we keep our people safe - wherever work takes them.

If you need some support, get in touch [email protected] to see how we can help.

We’re pleased to announce that Sarah Mason, Founder of Orata Communications, has joined Travel Risk Academy as a .

Sarah is a reputation and executive communications adviser, working with organisations and senior leaders to protect and manage reputation during high-pressure situations. She brings extensive experience supporting organisations through complex incidents where employee safety, operational disruption and external scrutiny intersect; combining strategic communications with executive coaching to help leaders respond with clarity and confidence.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿?
“I was delighted to be invited to join TRA. Travel risk is critical work that isn’t always fully understood or prioritised at a senior level and that gap really matters. TRA is playing an important role in bringing this community together and raising the profile of travel risk. I’m looking forward to helping members think more broadly about how risk is understood and communicated, particularly when situations escalate and clear judgement is essential.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 / 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆?
“I bring a communications perspective to risk - focusing on how organisations and leaders communicate when something goes wrong. I’m keen to share insights into how incidents escalate, how they play out with media and stakeholders and what makes the difference between a contained situation and one that isn’t. I hope to help members navigate external scrutiny and communicate clearly within their organisations.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁?
“I’d like to see travel risk better understood at a senior level, not just as an operational necessity, but as something that directly impacts performance, decision-making, and reputation. Too often its value is only recognised when something goes wrong. TRA can help change that by building capability, sharing experience, and helping members demonstrate the value of their work.”

Join our community: travelriskacademy.com/membership-levels/

We launched our Travel Risk Management Global Benchmark report last month, now it’s time to have your say!

If we are going to continue to professionalise the discipline of TRM, we need to constantly report changes and updates. This is where you come in!

We created the first benchmark report in 2025/26, you can find it in our resources area when you sign up to become a member. Next year, we want to extend the reach to understand TRM across organisations of all sizes and around the world - you can have your say here!

All findings are anonymised. If your role changes and you would like to submit more than once, please fill it in again. We will issue periodic updates using this and other data from our sessions, workshops and the wider industry.

Become a TRA member (guest membership is free) and have access to the report, webinars, useful resources and take the TRM quiz.

Sign up here: https://travelriskacademy.com/membership-levels/