Duguid rejoins Kuoni from Der Touristik UK sister brand Carrier. He will take up his role on 1 December succeeding Derek Jones, who departed Kuoni in the summer.
Duguid will report to Francis Torrilla, chief executive of Der Touristik UK, which owns the Carrier and Kuoni brands. His appointment sees him return to Kuoni after six years heading up Carrier. Duguid was previously Kuoni’s commercial director.
He brings nearly 15 years luxury travel sector experience to the role, and is credited with "transforming" Carrier during his stint as managing director, with 2022 proving the company’s most profitable in its 40-year history.
Duguid started his career in travel working overseas seasons for Cosmos in the late-1990s. Upon returning to the UK, he joined Direct Holidays, which subsequently became part of MyTravel, where he worked in various commercial roles before becoming head of product.
“Joining Kuoni again as managing director is an exciting prospect," said Duguid. "It’s a brand with such strong heritage, a huge amount of trust and goodwill from customers, overseas suppliers and the travel trade.
"It also has a lot of potential to evolve for new times and I’m looking forward to joining at a dynamic time for the travel industry and the Der Touristik group.”
Torrilla added: “Mark is a brilliant leader and will bring a huge amount of experience to the business and the team. He knows the Kuoni brand well having been commercial director and will bring expertise in the premium and luxury market.
"It’s also a great example of being able to nurture and retain senior talent within our group. We are ambitious for the Kuoni brand and with Mark’s expertise we’re looking forward to a strong and bright future for Kuoni."
Jones tweeted: "Absolutely delighted to see @markduguid appointed as managing director of Kuoni UK. A brilliant tour operator and a fantastic leader. Great to see the business in safe hands! Wishing him all the very best."
