11 December 2009

eBookers in regional shake-up

eBookers is trimming its European country sites from 12 to three regions in a shake-up of business operations.

The reorganisation is aimed at creating a "nimbler" regional structure that will increase speed of execution and "catalyze innovation," the company said.

The streamlining will result in three regions, including:

· Region 1: UK, France & Ireland

· Region 2: Switzerland, Germany and Austria

· Region 3: Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Benelux

Pierre-Alain Regali, former managing director for ebookers Switzerland will assume responsibility for Region 2, and Didrik Von Seth, former managing director for Sweden/Denmark/Norway will assume responsibility for Region 3.

Region 1 will be led by Guillaume Cussac who joins ebookers after spending nearly six years with Expedia Europe on various general management assignments.

A new Business-to-Business (B2B) group is being formed led by Gilles Despas, former managing director for Continental Europe.

The B2B team will collaborate with the three regions and global partner services group to source and revenue manage non-hotel supply, support ebookers' efforts to streamline processes in product operations, and focus on media solutions and private label opportunities, the company said.

Company president Tamer Tamar said: "ebookers, one of Europe's largest online travel companies, and Orbitz Worldwide's full-service European travel brand is reorganising its business operations.

"A burgeoning turn-around story in Europe following completion of its platform migration in 2009, ebookers websites now benefit from increased access to hotel inventory and technology that delivers more innovations faster to consumers.

"The new organisation will help ebookers further leverage its new common platform and increase its speed of execution as it focuses on growing the business in Europe in 2010."

by Phil Davies