Interview with Christian Møller-Holst

Interview by Alecka Micklewright

AM: First of all, thanks for taking the time to chat - I know it’s been a busy time for you!

CMH: Yes! There’s been so much going on. Since the investment round we closed back in July, it’s been quite a journey. But what’s been amazing is to see the team effort that’s brought all the new product features together. We’ve also expanded the team quite considerably, so we’re now firing on all cylinders across tech, sales, marketing and customer service! 

AM: What does this investment mean for Goodwings?

CMH: It really just takes Goodwings to the next level. When it comes to anything travel related, convenience is key, so giving businesses a platform to book everything in one place, including flights, hotels, trains and rental cars, is amazing. Having JTB USA as a strategic partner also means that we can really benefit from their pedigree in this space and offer services like multilingual offline customer support around the clock. In today’s competitive market, proactive service from experienced travel agents, coupled with a competitive travel inventory elevates a company like ours from competitive to best-in-class. From a sustainability perspective, which is what really sets us apart from our competitors, we can go even further with tools and services that support ESG and sustainability managers, and provide them with even more emissions transparency across their teams. 

AM: How do you think the market has shifted in the last 12 months?

CMH: We’re witnessing a huge mindset shift among senior leaders across the board. A year ago, the approach seemed to be a combination of fear and resignation around new climate legislation and the impact it would have on business operations. But the needle has shifted to a more positive outlook. Businesses are seeing ESG less as an additional headache and more as something that can be woven into the fabric of an organization, delivering healthy growth and profitability. In that respect, we’re pleased to occupy a space that can deliver on both sustainability and profitability with our cashback model, where funds are deposited in the client's Carbon Account and then used to subsidize the decarbonization of travel.

AM: Speaking of a mindset shift, why was it important for you to partner with investors and partners that share the same values as Goodwings? 

CMH: It matters to me that our partners understand the challenges that our industry faces. Paul (Kloppenborg) from GCC intuitively understood the funding and accessibility gap. After all, SAF has been around since 2008, and yet it only accounted for 0.1% of the world’s total jet fuel consumption in 2022. Those are shocking statistics when you consider the negative impact that the travel industry has on the environment. Geert (de Boo) from JTB brought a different perspective because, as a senior figure at a leading travel business, he can see first-hand the trends that are shaping the market, which made it easier for him to see the value in a solution like Goodwings. There is strong mission-alignment between our brands which, in my opinion, is a prerequisite for any good relationship.

AM: What does the future look like for Goodwings?

CMH: I’m so excited for the future. With this funding and all the new product development in the pipeline, we’re poised to dominate the responsible travel market. The timing also feels right. Two years ago, there just wasn’t the awareness that there is today among business leaders. So, we’re optimistic about what lies ahead, and that we can continue to expand our global footprint, provide excellent customer service and do even more to decarbonize the travel industry. 

AM: What does it mean to scale a business responsibly?

CMH: As a business community, we need to get away from seeing profitability as something that undermines sustainability. In my mind, the two can, and in fact must, coexist if we are going to scale solutions in time to meet 2050 goals. This means there’s even more pressure on senior leaders to incorporate responsible decision making at every level, so that they can establish sustainable industry benchmarks.

AM: How does the Goodwings business model follow through on this?

CMH: At Goodwings, we've built our business model so that it doesn't rely on travel commissions to be profitable, which is the total opposite to most of our competitors in the travel industry. This is also an unusual position to be in because there are a lot of CEOs right now that need to make huge changes to the way they run their businesses, but the problem is that their growth is inherently dependent on goods or services that are damaging to the planet. By decoupling revenue growth and emissions from the start, we have removed ourselves from this race altogether and can concentrate on what matters most, which is to fund climate solutions like green aviation fuel and reduce emissions.

AM: Thanks for taking the time - we're looking forward to seeing the results of all your hard work...