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Our History

Hogg Robinson was established in 1845 introducing its first business travel company in 1945. It has grown organically and through acquisition purchasing its first overseas business (Bennett Travel in the Nordic countries) in 1995. It has proven expertise in the international environment, and understands the dynamic market in which it operates.

1845 Hogg Robinson is formed by Francis Hogg, a young wine merchant and his brother in-law, Augustus Robinson, an insurance broker and trader.
1945 The Company makes its first foray into business travel, providing travel services for its insurance clients.
1963 The Company is floated on the London Stock Exchange.
1972 The Company buys the travel and transport operations of Grays International Group and grows to become a sizeable force in the leisure and business travel markets.
1983 Wakefield Fortune is acquired, doubling the size of the business.
1986 Acquisition of the retail travel business of Exchange Travel (some 50 shops).
1990 Hogg Robinson becomes the founder partner and shareholder of Business Travel International (BTI), to meet the global requirements of major corporations. The organisation was formally unveiled in a ceremony at the Berlin Wall in March.
1993 The leisure travel business (over 200 high street retail outlets) is sold to Airtours enabling Hogg Robinson to focus on corporate related businesses.
1995 Hogg Robinson makes its first international acquisition with the purchase of Bennett Travel Group AB in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden – now trading as HRG Nordic.
1997 David Radcliffe appointed Chief Executive of Hogg Robinson plc
The company also acquires Kuoni's business travel interests in France - now trading as HRG France.
1998 Continuing its programme of development, Hogg Robinson acquires Kuoni's Italian travel operation - now trading as HRG Italia
Hogg Robinson acquires Destination Services Russia (DSR) - now trading as HRG Russia.
1999 Hogg Robinson acquires HRG Australia.
2000 Hogg Robinson undergoes a Management Buy-Out (MBO) by the Hogg Robinson management team and backed by Permira Advisers Limited
The company acquires Rider Travel in Canada.
2001 Hogg Robinson buys the leading Singaporean travel management organisation, ASL - now trading as HRG Singapore.
2002 Hogg Robinson is recognised by The Sunday Times as being one of the top five privately owned companies in the UK.
2003 Hogg Robinson enters into agreements with Jin Jiang International and Westminster Travel to form majority controlled joint ventures covering mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. This is the first time that such an agreement has been sanctioned by the Chinese Government
Hogg Robinson is once again listed as one of the top five privately owned UK companies.
2004 Hogg Robinson is named as Britain’s fourth largest private company – the third time the company has been ranked in the top five of the prestigious Sunday Times Top Track 100 survey
The company acquires the business travel interests of Kuoni to expand the business into Austria, Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
2005 In line with Hogg Robinson’s declared focus on corporate services related to corporate travel, and its desire to develop and expand its service offering to clients, Hogg Robinson invests in automated expense management experts Spendvision
Hogg Robinson also acquires Sea Gate Travel Group, the US-based travel management company whose additional capabilities include sports and events management and aircraft charter management.
2006 Hogg Robinson announces that it is to pursue an independent strategy, allowing the company to focus on its position as an international rounded corporate services company
The Hogg Robinson worldwide network, covering almost 100 countries, re-brands to trade as HRG (Hogg Robinson Group)
Hogg Robinson Group acquires US travel management company Robustelli, merging its interests with those of Sea Gate and the company’s existing Canadian operation to trade as HRG North America
The Company also acquires Partnership Travel Consulting in the USA and Ian Flint & Associates in the UK, strengthening Hogg Robinson Groups’s consulting expertise
In August, Hogg Robinson Group acquires corporate travel operations in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, further strengthening its Eastern European expertise
Hogg Robinson Group re-lists on the London Stock Exchange in October 2006.
2007 In February, Hogg Robinson Group acquires Executive Travel Associates (ETA), the US corporate travel specialist based in Washington DC
At the same time as posting its annual results for FY 06/07 (28th June 2007), Hogg Robinson Group announces the acquisition of Belgium-based Weinberg Travel.
2008 Hogg Robinson increases its investment in Spendvision and further develops its worldwide network especially in Africa