CWT lifts Andersen from president to chief executive

Business travel company CWT is promoting Patrick Andersen to be its next chief executive.

He will succeed Michelle McKinney Frymire, who led CWT as it went through bankruptcy proceedings after the pandemic disrupted business travel.

Andersen, who is currently president and chief commercial officer of the Minnetonka-based company, also will serve on the company's board of directors after he takes the top job on May 1.

"As travel demand increases, CWT is well positioned to invest in and expand its industry leadership and global relationships," Andersen said in a statement.

Prior to Andersen's roles as president and chief commercial officer, he served as chief strategy officer and, before that, president of the Americas. Since joining the company in 2008, Andersen managed major global initiatives and technology partnership.

His experience includes leadership roles at Deutsche Post and DHL. Andersen also serves on the boards of Global Minnesota, MN SNAP and the U of M's Carlson School of Management. He studied management at the London Business School.

CWT, formerly Carlson Wagonlit Travel, a global travel services company that employed thousands in 45 countries, was the primary business of Carlson Travel that went through bankruptcy last year.

That action pushed the billionaire Carlson family, one of the wealthiest in Minnesota, out of the namesake business where they made their fortune.

As the firms restructured $1.6 billion in debt, members of the founding family last year traded their ownership interest in the firms for debt forgiveness, and a group of financial institutions and bondholders became owners.