Marco Rocha will join Kuoni as product and commercial director from 20 March, having held senior product and commercial positions with the likes of Scott Dunn, Gold Medal parent dnata and Virgin Holidays. He will report to recently appointed managing director Mark Duguid and will join Kuoni UK’s board of directors. 

“I have worked in the industry for a considerable time and have always admired the benchmark Kuoni has set in both its customer proposition and its internal culture,” Rocha said. 

“I am truly excited by the prospect of working with Mark and the team as Kuoni embarks on a new phase of its evolution after coming through what has been a challenging time for the industry as a whole.”

Separately, parent company Der Touristik UK has appointed Kuoni’s product director Claire Ross as its new director of sustainability. 

Ross, who held several positions during her 15-year stint at the Dorking-based operator, said her aim was to lead on sustainability “with clear actions, which will be good for our business, our customers and our employees".

“My whole career has been in travel and my interest in sustainability developed over the years from a belief that creating better business which benefits the planet and people can only create a more positive travel experience for everyone,” she said.

Ross will take up her role from 3 April, reporting to Der Touristik UK’s chief executive Francis Torrilla. 

Kuoni’s managing director Mark Duguid said the appointments were “strategic”, especially as the luxury holiday provider looks at the future. “This is about making Kuoni’s product range competitive, innovative and compelling for a new era,” he added.