The homeworking company said Jones, who stood down as chief executive of Kuoni parent Der Touristik UK last August, would play “an active role in helping to shape and drive forward the next phase of growth”.
Speaking to TTG, Jones said he had been providing informal advice to Not Just Travel co-founders Steve Witt and Paul Harrison over recent months when an offer was made to join the company’s board.
“It’s exactly the opportunity I was looking for. [After leaving Der Touristik] I didn’t want another big corporate role and I wanted to come at life a bit differently,” he said. “The reason I left Der Touristik was because I didn’t know what I wanted to do next. I wanted to take time out and think about what was important.
“Steve and Paul know their business and run it brilliantly, so I’m certainly not here to do that. I’m really excited about what they’re doing and they have huge potential. They’re growing fast and doing a lot right, so now it’s time to look at what’s next and how they can make themselves fit for the future - and that’s where I want to help.”
Jones said he had been placed on gardening leave from Der Touristik until the end of February and had been maintaining industry connections, including continuing in his role as chair of Abta LifeLine.
After getting to know Witt, he told TTG he was “massively impressed” by Not Just Travel’s post-Covid growth and its business model of bringing in franchisees without any prior industry experience.
Using his experience at the helm of Der Touristik and more than 20 years across leadership roles at Tui, Jones said travel retail was a space in which “I feel really comfortable and feel I can add a lot of value”.
Asked if he was currently looking for a new senior industry role, Jones said: “I’ll never say never. If something else comes along then we’ll see, but right now this feels good and I’m really enjoying it.”
"When you are looking to build the best, then you need to have the best team. Derek could have stepped into almost any role in any travel business, but the fact that he has chosen Not Just Travel speaks volumes for both what we have already built and achieved, but also for what we know is about to come,” said Harrison.
"Paul and I do not come from a travel background, yet we’ve built one of the biggest businesses in our industry. For the next part of our journey, it’s key that we have people with the right experiences to help lead the business and continue this growth,” Witt added.
