Scandal-plagued Aussie travel giant loses its chief legal officer

The chief legal officer of scandal-plagued Corporate Travel Management is leaving the company with no replacement named, deepening the crisis for the firm as it fights for survival. The embattled business travel provider said Shelley Sorrenson has given notice she will resign as chief legal officer and company secretary effective August 14. It will inform the market when a replacement for her is found, CTM said in a statement to the ASX on Friday morning. “The board thanks Ms Sorrenson for her contribution to the business and wishes her well for her future endeavours,” the statement said. The resignation comes as the company meets with the British government trying to get it to accept a staggered repayment plan for fees after it emerged CTM overcharged the Home Office by up to $240 million dollars for contracts to house asylum seekers within the UK on barges. The contracts had been awarded as recently as 2025 as part of CTM’s travel and contingency accommodation services for asylum seekers. They included the controversial Bibby Stockholm project putting male asylum seekers on a barge while they await a decision on whether they can stay in the country. The loss of its legal head is the latest blow for the company. Analysts have speculated that CTM has struggled to get auditor Deloitte to sign off on its accounts, without which it can’t raise the funds needed to repay the UK government. On June 25, the company said it would delay the release of its accounts until after August 2026. The company had earlier promised they would be lodged by June 30. Shares in CTM have been suspended from trading since August 2025 when the significant overcharging and accounting errors in its UK/Europe operations were revealed. The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.