Industry data veteran and former EY global supplier leader for travel, meetings and events Tim Nichols has joined Tripbam to develop and lead a new air solutions practice, the company has announced. Now Tripbam vice president of air solutions, Nichols was instrumental in making Tripbam an integral piece of EY’s hotel sourcing process and, as a result, transforming one of the largest hotel programs in the world. The initiative was recognised by Business Travel News, which named global head of travel, meetings and events Karen Hutchings the 2018 Travel Manager of the Year. Nichols and the EY team have also earned awards from the Institute of Travel Management. His previous roles included senior positions at data consultancies TRX and Travel Analytics. According to Tripbam, the air solutions product will launch in the third quarter.