Listed online travel company CNG has recruited two US businessmen to its board.

The Irish-based company announced yesterday that Mr Ralph Manaker, president of corporate travel agent Worldtravel BTI, and Mr Brian Rafferty, head of investor relations specialist Taylor Rafferty, have joined the board as non-executive directors.

Mr Manaker has substantial experience of mergers and acquisitions in the travel agency business. In 1998, he merged Worldtravel Partners and BTI. The joint entity had sales of $3.6 billion (€2.8 billion) last year.

Before he joined Worldtravel he headed US Travel Systems, a travel agency network that made over 50 acquisitions between 1986 and 1994, before it was sold to Electronic Data Systems.

CNG chief executive Mr Finbarr Power told The Irish Times yesterday that the appointments would bring market expertise to the board.

"We are very much focused on the corporate travel industry and Ralph Manaker has a lot of experience in that, and he already would have a great relationship with ourselves," he said.

Mr Power said that Mr Rafferty's expertise was in US capital markets. His firm, Taylor Rafferty Associates, is an investor relations specialist that advises non-US companies on raising capital.

CNG is based in Tralee, Co Kerry and specialises in providing online accommodation reservations for corporate travellers and tourists.

It floated on London's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) earlier this year.