Senior shake-up at Thomas Cook after two depart
Thomas Cook has stripped out a layer of UK senior management after its head of yield quit the company.
Thomas Cook Tour Operations managing director of yield Russell Margerrison has left the company to “develop interests outside the travel industry”, according to the company.
Martyn Harrison, founder of Style Holidays, which was sold to Thomas Cook in 1999, has also left to be replaced by former TCTO product managing director Nigel David.
The yield and product MD roles have been abolished, with Ian Derbyshire adding the yield management for TCTO to the trade relations responsibilities he already holds with the new title of commercial director. Mr Derbyshire will take on brochure sales, pricing and late sales as part of the yield management brief.
Mr David was MD of mass market product including Thomas Cook, JMC and Sunset for 16 months after joining from Thomson/Lunn Poly. He now heads Style Holidays and has been charged with “driving the profitability” of the operator which is part of Thomas Cook’s specialist businesses division.
Isleworth-based Style will continue to be run as a stand-alone business, Thomas Cook said
Specialist businesses managing director Ian Ailles said: “We are sorry to be losing Martyn from the business but grateful to him for building such a successful company for us over the last few years.
“It delivers high levels of customer and travel agent satisfaction and we know, under Nigel’s expert leadership, it will progress to meet the high targets we have set for 2005.”
UK and Ireland chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa admitted he had been keen to keep Mr Margerrison within Thomas Cook but he had taken a personal decision to leave.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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