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Travel Tech Q&A: Alcatel-Lucent's Maud Holvast

Ubiquitous high-speed internet is what Alcatel-Lucent's Maud Holvast misses most from her home country, the Netherlands.
Written by Spandas Lui, Contributor

In this week's ZDNet Travel Tech Q&A, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise's newly minted vice-president for Australia and New Zealand, Maud Holvast, talks about missing high-speed internet from back home in the Netherlands, her love of Changi Airport in Singapore, and a simple way to get over jet lag.

What tech do you travel with and why?

travel-tech-q-and-a-alcatel-lucents-maud-holvast
Alcatel-Lucent's Maud Holvast
Image: Alcatel-Lucent

I always travel with multiple devices, including my iPhone, iPad, and HP laptop.

What tech do you miss from home?

I'm from the Netherlands, and have just made the move to Sydney for my new role at Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise. Back in the Netherlands, we have one of the fastest internet connections in the world, and I really miss being able to access high-bandwidth internet almost everywhere.

Personal travel advice/tip?

Take your time, be well prepared beforehand, and make sure you don't have to rush.

How do you deal with jet lag?

You just have to get over it and get on with your work or whatever it is that's on your itinerary.

What travel websites do you use?

I like flying with Singapore Airlines, so I would often use Carlson Wagonlit Travel and Krisflyer.

What tech is in your briefcase?

I always carry around a power adapter in my briefcase to make sure I can recharge the devices that I take with me on the go.

What was your biggest travel disaster?

When I was travelling between the Netherlands and France a few years ago, I was unlucky enough to experience multiple technical issues, strikes, detours, and delays all in that one trip. Not a great experience if you are travelling with around 25 business partners and customers to join the Alcatel-Lucent Forum in France.

What is the best airport you've visited and why?

Changi Airport in Singapore definitely ranks high on my list. You can get access to everything you need, and the customer service is of a high standard.

What tech do you expect in hotels when you are travelling?

Easy access to high-quality Wi-Fi that's free of charge.

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