07 January 2009

New MD for Elegant Resorts

Thomas Cook UK and Ireland has appointed Nathan Philpot as managing director of Elegant Resorts

Currently director at WEXAS Ã¢â¬' The TravellerÃ¢â¬â¢s Club, he will join at the end of February and will report to Sue Biggs.

Prior to his role at WEXAS, Philpot worked with Biggs at Kuoni where he was head of marketing, introducing the operatorÃ¢â¬â¢s Longhaul Diploma programme for agents and other travel trade initiatives.

Elegant ResortsÃ¢â¬â¢ former owners, Geoff Moss and Barbara Catchpole, will continue their relationship with the company as consultants, with Moss taking on the role of honorary chairman.

PhilpotÃ¢â¬â¢s appointment completes a series of executive appointments over the last six months at Elegant Resorts by Biggs, who joined Thomas Cook from Kuoni last summer as MD of its scheduled businesses.

Following a review of the team that started in July 2008, Alison Scott, previously of ITC Classics, has taken the role of commercial director joining the existing team of Michelle Sephton, sales and operations director, Bruce Wildgust, IT director and Sharon Lloyd, head of finance.

WEXAS has promoted George Gibb to director of marketing to replace Philpot.

WEXAS MD Steve Allen said: Ã¢â¬ÅâœWhilst weÃ¢â¬â¢ll be sorry to see Nathan go after more than four years here, itÃ¢â¬â¢s a great move for him and we all wish him well."

Gibb joined WEXAS as membership marketing manager last April from Classic FM and previously worked for Cosmos, Visit Britain and Visit Scotland in a variety of marketing roles.

He will focus on membership retention as well as developing the organisationÃ¢â¬â¢s web strategy with a re-launch of www.wexas.com planned this year.

The company has also promoted Gordon Mowatt to director of travel management.

Mowatt has been with WEXAS for 12 years and his promotion comes following the repositioning of the organisationÃ¢â¬â¢s corporate travel division to become WEXAS Travel Management.

By Bev Fearis