Peter Rothwell promoted to TUI board
TUI UK managing director Peter Rothwell has been appointed to the group’s executive board.
In his new role as COO, he will head up the company’s outbound operations across Western and Central Europe, but will remain boss of Northern Europe.
According to the TUI announcement, in Northern Europe Rothwell is responsible for:
– shifting the business from traditional distribution channels to 50% of UK bookings made online
– making TUI the number one travel business on the web in UK, Nordic and Ireland
– growing the airline fleet by over 50%, including launch of the low fares airline Thomsonfly
– rebranding Lunn Poly and Britannia Airways with the Thomson ‘powerbrand’
– pioneering commission cuts in Ireland and now in the UK, bringing the majority of business direct and restoring ‘value for money for customers’
– venturing into new markets such as inbound flight sales and overseas property sales
– attracting new and younger customers by offering component travel and dynamic packaging.
The appointment was announced today at the company’s AGM in Germany. Yesterday TUI reported its first quarter results which saw turnover for the whole group up 25% and growth in the UK business (see earlier story).
The executive board now comprises six members – CEO Michael Frenzel, CFO Rainer Feuerhake, Peter Engelen (HR and legal affairs), Sebastian Ebel (controlling division, flights and hotels), Michael Behrendt (shipping) and Rothwell (tourism).
“Our competition operates globally and employs technology cross-nationally. Therefore, we need cross-national management structures, too,” said Frenzel.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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