Dunham joins as chief officer, travel and leisure services, responsible for the 78 Co-operative Travel branches and websites, plus the tour operation, 165 home workers and the 140-strong Co-operative Travel Consortium.

Her appointment follows the departure of Rowland to Blue Bay Travel last year, which is a Co-operative Travel Consortium member and for which Dunham will also have executive responsibility.  

Dunham spent 15 years at BA, including time at its tour operating division. Her roles included leading the development of BA’s direct business with responsibility for BA.com, mobile, contact centres, and BA Holidays. Most recently she worked on projects for Saga Group.

Midcounties Co-operative chief executive Phil Ponsonby said: “Travel and leisure services are an important part of our long-term strategy and we are thrilled to be welcoming Sara to drive the next stage of growth across our travel and leisure offering. 

“In these particularly challenging times for the sector, delivering the best possible customer experience will be crucial and Sara’s experience will help us to further develop our offering across all channels and in particular to strengthen the relationship with our 700,000 members and support their needs across a broader range of travel and leisure services.”
 
Dunham said: “Co-operative Travel has an incredibly strong reputation in the market and I am delighted to be joining such a purpose-led organisation. 

“Being member-owned provides a unique point of difference for the society and I look forward to working with the board and Phil as well as the executive team to deepen the experience we offer to members and customers. 

“I am really excited to meet what I know are brilliant Co-op travel and Co-op Holidays teams in addition to our really important consortium partners and personal travel agents.”