Shew joined Trending in January 2023 as commercial director bringing wide-ranging commercial experience from spells with a range of online firms, including Cheapflights, Kayak and Ice Lolly.
He will report into Trending Travel founder Keith Herman, who will remain as chief executive, and Sophie Foster, co-founder and director of the Manchester-based business.
Trending said Shew had "sought out and delivered" content creation and influencer-led partnerships with brands such as First Choice, Tui, Sandals, Trip.com and Virgin Voyages, the latter proving the company’s largest campaign to date.
He is also credited with leading the brand’s transition from tour operating to media, specialising in pairing brands with influencers and tailoring their focus on specific social media platforms to reach people who do not engage with traditional media channels.
The business claims to have the largest following on social media of any independently owned travel company. It plans in the coming months to make further appointments to its influencer team, and embark on new campaigns for clients in the Middle East, Indian Ocean, Caribbean and the US.
"It’s impossible to ignore the power of social media and influencers in driving the behaviour of consumers of all age groups, and at Trending Travel we’re very proud of the work we’ve done in helping brands to optimise their profile in those channels," said Shew.
"I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to lead our award-winning team in pursuit of our growth strategy, and am excited by the prospect of helping even more travel businesses to maximise their potential in what are the fastest growing and most exciting sectors of travel media.”
Herman added: "We’ve restructured because we can see that Trending Travel is about to enter its next stage of growth, and Kieran is exactly the right person to lead us through it. I’ve known him a long time, and I’m completely confident now is the perfect time for him to step up so I can fully focus on telling our story to both clients and investors.
"I will continue to work closely with the team developing strategy while Kieran will take on full responsibility to deliver our unique proposition and maximise client satisfaction."
