Former Global Travel Group commercial director and Not Just Travel homeworking chief Richards will report to Hays Travel’s recently appointed head of personal travel consultants, Tanya Cooper.

"Cherie’s wealth of experience in this area is exceptional, along with more than 30 years in various areas of the travel industry," said Cooper. "Cherie’s passion and drive is a welcome addition to our expanding team. She will be a fantastic asset as we continue to grow, ensuring the experience and support is there for our members."

Richards added: “I am delighted to be working with Tanya and the homeworking team to drive the growth of the division. I can already see Hays Travel have a great homeworking offering and look forward to working closer with the business development coaches and operations team to support our existing homeworkers drive their business forward.”

Cooper also revealed Hays has welcomed 12 new additions to its academy programme. "This is proving to be a very popular way into both travel and homeworking," said Cooper. "We have seen an increased demand for this opportunity in the past two months, which is why the timing of Cherie joining us is perfect."