Travel management begins Upstream

With Cornerstone’s data engine behind her, Pretium’s Maria Chevalier is transforming how midsize enterprises negotiate with suppliers. BTN has named her one of 2025’s Best Practitioners for redefining what’s possible in SME travel management.

Upstream isn’t just another dashboard or automation tool. It’s a foundational shift—bringing together fragmented data, siloed systems, and disconnected workflows into one streamlined platform, built for speed, scale, and savings.

As we step into the new year, we’re excited to share some of the most significant developments happening at Cornerstone. Our CEO, Mat Orrego, has outlined our ambitious plans for the year ahead, focusing on two main areas: strengthening our core products and preparing for the future through innovation.

See how automation helped Navan grow faster, cut costs, and deliver smoother traveler experiences without increasing staff.

A new quality control system for vendor management was implemented, automating online bookings and boosting efficiency. It enabled easy matching of tickets with customer names and allowed agents to focus on personalized service. The system provided pricing flexibility and streamlined communication with hotels and managers.

At Cornerstone, innovation and transformation have been at the heart of our journey since our founding 30 years ago. As we reflect on the path we’ve traveled, we are excited to share the launch of our new series, View from the Corner. In this premiere episode, Mat Orrego, our CEO and Co-Founder, shares insights from his career and discusses the evolving landscape of the travel and technology industries with thought-provoking clarity.

In this episode, we are joined by Bobbi Huber, our Vice President of Client Engagement. With over 15 years at Cornerstone, Bobbi has been pivotal in enhancing operational efficiency, streamlining workflows, and strengthening client relationships. In this conversation, she reflects on key industry shifts, from the increasing demand for integrated data solutions to the evolving role of technology in improving decision-making and business outcomes.

Read about the future of travel and expense data management in the white paper.

Here’s some helpful guidance to make sense of the NDC landscape and get your travel program ready for what’s coming next. These are some of the most common questions travel managers are asking and how modern technology can help you stay ahead. Here’s a breakdown of the most common questions we hear, along with how our technology is designed to support your success.

At the GBTA 2025 Broadcast Studio in Denver, Cornerstone CEO Mat Orrego sat down with host Katie McGee to discuss the rapidly evolving role of data and AI in the travel industry and how businesses can unlock new value by rethinking their approach to travel.

We’re proud to officially announce the commercial release of Upstream™, Cornerstone’s next-generation data management platform, available worldwide starting October 22, 2025.

Expense management has moved beyond manual processes, with automation, AI, and API-driven integrations enabling real-time visibility, stronger compliance, and smarter spend control across finance, HR, and travel systems. Modern platforms not only reduce fraud and costs but also deliver faster reimbursements, better employee experiences, and measurable ROI through paperless, intelligent workflows.

At GBTA 2025, we explored how organizations can uncover hidden value in their Travel and Expense (T&E) programs by connecting the dots between booking data and expense data. Our session, Show Me the Data: Find the Hidden Value in Your T&E Spend, focused on breaking down data silos, surfacing hidden cost drivers, and turning fragmented information into actionable insights.

At GBTA 2025, Cornerstone had the pleasure of facilitating a panel with Jennifer Steinke and Jay Richmond where we dug into one of the most urgent topics facing the travel industry today, how to manage the risks of AI in supplier relationships. Our session, 10 Questions You Need to Ask Your Suppliers About AI (and Vice Versa), explored real-world examples of data exposure, transparency challenges, and governance gaps, along with a practical question framework travel buyers can use immediately.