Travelport Limited, the parent company of the Travelport group of businesses, revealed that Steve Barnhart would be named CEO and president of the Orbitz Worldwide division. “I am pleased to announce that after seven months as president and CFO, Steve Barnhart will continue to lead the Orbitz Worldwide organization as CEO and president,” said Jeff Clarke, CEO and president of Travelport.
“I have worked closely with Steve since he took over Orbitz Worldwide in September 2006, and have come to trust his solid judgment, his innovative thinking, and his strong commitment to the people and growth of the Orbitz Worldwide business.”

Orbitz Worldwide includes a global portfolio of brands, notably: Orbitz and CheapTickets in the Americas;
ebookers and Travelbag in Europe; and HotelClub and RatestoGo based in Sydney, Australia, with operations globally.

“I’m pleased to have been asked by Jeff Clarke and Travelport’s board of directors to continue serving our customers, suppliers and employees, now as CEO and president of Orbitz Worldwide,” said Steve Barnhart, CEO and president of Orbitz Worldwide, a division of Travelport. “The success of Orbitz Worldwide is a direct result of the company’s ability to attract, empower, and retain great people and brilliant technologists. I’m honored to continue to lead such an innovative and talented organization.”

Steve Barnhart, 45, joined Orbitz LLC in 2003 and was a key member of the finance team that took the start-up company public. He was promoted to CFO at the time of the Cendant acquisition in November 2004, and was named president and CFO of Orbitz Worldwide, a division of Travelport, in September 2006.

Prior to joining Orbitz LLC, Barnhart was director of finance for a division of the Pepsi Bottling Group, an organization with over $1B in revenue and 5000+ employees.

Orbitz Worldwide will appoint a new chief financial officer following Steve Barnhart’s promotion and is hoping to complete the search within the second quarter 2007.

The new CFO will join a senior leadership team that includes: Mike Nelson - Chief Operating Officer for Consumer Travel, Randy Wagner - Chief Marketing Officer, Bahman Koohestani - Chief Technology Officer, Dean Sivley – Chief Operating Officer for Corporate Travel, Kathy Andreasen - Chief Human Resources Officer, Karen Klein – Group Vice President, Legal, Frank Petito - Corporate Development Officer.