Thomas Cook’s new UK boss Ingo Burmester has moved to assert his authority at the operator with a series of promotions and new appointments.
Chief financial services officer Anth Mooney joins Cook’s UK management team following his promotion to the newly-created role of chief of UK retail and money, assuming additional responsibility for Cook’s retail operation in the UK.
Cook said Mooney’s new role would give him scope to utilise his experience in high street financial services and innovation to “reinvigorate” the operator’s retail estate, while continuing to strengthen its travel-focused financial services product.
In his new role, Mooney will report to chief of UK source market Ingo Burmester, while in his group-wide Thomas Cook Money role, he will continue to report to chief executive Peter Fankhauser.
Burmester was himself appointed to his new role in April, succeeding Chris Mottershead.
Alex Appelmann, meanwhile, takes up the newly-created role of commercial director. He joins the UK team from group commercial in Germany where he was director of product, planning and portfolio management.
Phil Gardner has also joined Cook’s UK management team as sales and e-commerce director, taking on the e-commerce brief in addition to his responsibility for commercial sales, third-party relations and the Freedom Travel Group. He also assumes responsibility for Thomas Cook Sport.
All changes became effective from Monday (October 1), the start of Cook’s new financial year.
“Our business has all the right foundations and the right strategy,” said Burmester. “These changes will bring new focus on key elements of our organisation, which will help us build on our great brand to deliver profitable, sustainable growth.”