Nesta Gilliland brings with her more than 25 years of strategic sales and marketing experience in travel and leisure, most recently as head of marketing and sales at Abellio ScotRail. She also spent five years at David Urquhart Travel, where she led business growth in the positions of sales and marketing director and group managing director, respectively.

Barrhead has doubled the size of its in-house marketing team over the past 18 months and has announced plans to heavily invest in technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

Sharon Munro, chief executive, Barrhead Travel, said: “We are very excited to welcome Nesta as a board-level marketer with a wealth of experience in the travel trade.

“Barrhead Travel is growing to meet rising demand for trusted travel advice and her insight into marketing strategy, data management and exceptional customer service will be absolutely necessary to deliver our ambitions.”

Gilliland said: “Barrhead Travel is an exceptional business and I am delighted to become part of the next chapter of its success story.

“I aim to bolster Barrhead Travel’s reputation for exceptional customer experience and ensure they benefit from the latest trends in digital sales and marketing tools.”