An interview with Mat Orrego, CEO of Cornerstone, at GBTA Convention 2025
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.
From “Plumbers” of the Industry to Strategic Partners
Cornerstone has long been known for connecting the systems that power travel from global distribution systems and reservation platforms to CRM, expense, and ERP tools. As Mat described, “We’re the plumbers of the industry,” quietly and vigilantly ensuring that bookings are captured, tickets are issued, itineraries are delivered, and reservations are monitored from start to finish, including post-trip expense reporting.
Today, Cornerstone connects with more than 40 different systems, aggregating and automating data flows so travel programs can see the complete story behind every trip.
Why Data Quality Matters for AI
When asked about trends, Mat was quick to point to the industry’s obsession with AI and the need for quality, centralized data to make it work.
“AI needs to be trained. It doesn’t automatically start smart, just like people don’t. You need to gather your data, put it in a place where it’s accessible, and make sure it’s high quality.”
Centralizing travel, expense, and CRM data is becoming critical not only for reporting but also for preparing organizations to take full advantage of AI and machine learning.
From “How” to “Why” We Travel
One of the biggest challenges in the travel industry? Change. Mat noted that transformation often comes slowly, but AI, automation, and data science could finally help remove silos and simplify the complex. That opens the door to a more important conversation:
“When you get stuck in the how, you never get to the why.”
Instead of focusing solely on how travel happens, businesses can start asking why they travel, whether it’s to drive revenue, deepen customer relationships, or strengthen internal collaboration. By reframing travel as a strategic asset, organizations can align it directly with their broader business objectives.
Looking Ahead
With AI and distribution models evolving quickly, the next year, or even the next few weeks, could bring dramatic changes. But one thing is certain: the companies that succeed will be the ones that understand their data, connect their systems, and never lose sight of the “why.”
📍 Recorded live at GBTA 2025, Denver, CO.
Transcript:
Katie: Hi, I’m Katie McGee. We’re in Denver at the broadcast studio at GBTA Convention 2025, and it is my absolute honor to introduce Matt Orrego, CEO of Cornerstone. Matt, welcome.
Mat: Thank you, Katie. Thanks for having me.
0:19
Katie: It’s nice to have you. So, tell us a little more about Cornerstone. What does the company do?
Mat: Oh my gosh, we do a lot of things, and sometimes people refer to us as the plumbers of the industry. We’re an IT services and managed services company that focuses on the automation, aggregation, and analysis of data from the very start of the reservation process all the way through to expense and financial processes within the industry.
We start right at the genesis of a reservation, acquiring it from the global distribution systems and reservation systems that our customers use. Then we automate the entire fulfillment, issuing tickets, sending itineraries, and monitoring the reservation through travel to its very end, when people return home and file their expense reports, especially in business travel.
Katie: Yes, we do [file expense reports].
Mat: We’re constantly evolving in the travel industry ecosystem, connecting to 40+ systems. That includes not only reservation and booking processes but also CRM systems like Salesforce, expense systems, and ERP systems. We connect it all to create a complete story of what happened with a reservation. In business travel, a lot can happen along the way—things get added or changed.
Ultimately, we provide great insights from that data for our customers, whether they’re sellers or buyers of travel.
2:10
Katie: Interesting. What trends and news are you observing in your industry right now?
Mat: Well, I’m sure you’ve heard of AI.
Katie: Just a little bit, yeah.
Mat: I think AI has tremendous potential for transformation. We’re all figuring out how to interact with it. It’s allowing the travel industry, not just business travel, to dream about new possibilities.
One major trend I’m seeing is around data aggregation and the centralization of data. AI needs to be trained; it doesn’t automatically start smart, just like people don’t. You need to gather your data, put it in a place where it’s accessible, and make sure it’s high-quality.
In our business, we’re seeing a stronger push for centralizing and preparing data for intelligent interactions. Another area of change is in distribution, how suppliers want to do things differently, leading to shifts in business models. It’s still uncertain exactly how it will all play out, but making sense of it is what we do. We hang out right in the middle.
Katie: And there’s so much happening so quickly, it’ll be interesting to have this conversation even a year from now.
Mat: Exactly, or even three weeks from now.
4:00
Katie: Right? It’s crazy. I don’t know how we’re keeping up. What do you think are the biggest challenges and opportunities in business travel today?
Mat: The biggest challenge has always been change. In the travel industry, change comes as slowly as the pace of weight loss. But AI gives us hope for addressing the fragmentation we have. It’s a very siloed industry: suppliers have their systems, buyers have their systems, and all these systems need to connect.
AI, machine learning, data science, and automation can help level out those complexities. That opens the door for us to think about travel as a strategic asset within businesses, instead of just focusing on the logistics of how to travel.
If we can solve the “how” using technology, we can focus on the “why”: why are we traveling, why is it important, and how does it align with my company’s strategic objectives? Is it about driving revenue, engaging customers, or building stronger connections with our own teams? These are opportunities to create real strategic value around travel.
Katie: I love that, and I think you nailed it. The “why” is always important.
Mat: Yeah, but when you get stuck in the “how,” you never get to the “why.”
Katie: Exactly.
Mat: A lot of people ask, “How is this happening?” But the “why” is the more important question.
Katie: You nailed it. Love it, Mat. This was so enlightening. Thank you so much for coming by.
Mat: Thank you, Katie. I enjoyed it.
Katie: A pleasure to meet you.
Mat: All right, see you next year.
Katie: Yes, next year we’ll be talking about all new things.
Mat: AI might have completely changed the game by then.
Katie: We’ll see about that.
Mat: Not a prediction, just a thought.
Katie: Thank you for joining us. My name is Katie McGee. We are here in Denver at GBTA’s broadcast studio at GBTA Convention 2025. Thanks for watching.