Shake-up at Thomas Cook
Chris Mottershead has been promoted to UK commercial director for Thomas Cook, starting later this month.
Mottershead, who formerly worked for TUI in Russia, joined Thomas Cook as business development director in April.
Reporting directly into Salman Syed, MD UK and Ireland, he will now take responsibility for the product, commercial and yield teams.
The move comes after product and yield director Stefanie Berk was appointed managing director central and eastern Europe division last month, based in Germany.
"I know that Chris’ considerable experience within the industry at a senior level will contribute significantly to the development of the team’s effectiveness and focus," said Syed.
"In the time since he joined our business earlier this year, Chris has worked closely with Stefanie on a variety of successful initiatives aimed at further enhancing the customer experience and our differentiated product offering. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to drive the ongoing transformation of our UK business to ensure that Thomas Cook remains the most loved and trusted brand in travel."
Meanwhile, Thomas Cook Group chief digital officer Marco Ryan will leave business on August 1.
The group said the role had become obsolete since it had decided, back in May, to implement a new operating model NUMO, designed to create a set of ‘efficient, common technology platforms and process methodologies’, allowing the business to operate as a ‘single integrated tour operator across all geographical markets’.
"Although ‘Digital’ remains a key enabler of the Thomas Cook Group strategy, a subtle but important shift in the digital transformation story places greater emphasis on operational control and business performance," said the announcement.
As a result, the role and current scope of chief digital officer was no longer required and Ryan has agreed to step down from this role.
Following his departure, Graham Cook will take on the newly-created interim role of group head of digital operations and will take on all of Ryan’s direct reports
CEO Peter Fankhauser said: “Marco has made an invaluable contribution to the Thomas Cook digital journey over the last two years, bringing a digital rigour, passion, advocacy and strategic perspective that has been key to helping us formulate our operating model and digital strategy.
“We thank Marco for his tremendous work in Germany and within the Group over the last two year and we wish him continued success in the future."
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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