Virgin Voyages, Travelopia, Flight Centre: this week’s travel trade people moves

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Virgin Voyages, Travelopia, Flight Centre: this week’s travel trade people moves

Training

James Chapple

25 October 2024

TTG’s weekly round-up of the latest appointments, promotions, restructurings and farewells from across the trade is the definitive digest of the travel trade people moves you need to know about.

TTG's weekly people moves digest is published every Wednesday

Over the past week, there has been another departure from the Virgin Voyages’ sales team, while Travelopia has shuffled its pack owing to an impending retirement.

Elsewhere, a familiar face to many agents is poised to return to the travel industry after a spell away having taken up a non-executive director role with a walking specialist.

Meanwhile, a cruise agency has made two senior hires it hopes will propel it towards its £100 million a year turnover target, and there has been a switch for an experience Africa specialist.

So here are the latest major travel trade hires, promotions and job moves over the past week (Wednesday 16 October to Wednesday 23 October).

Have you recently made a new appointment or taken on a new role? Do you have some personnel news for us from your business or organisation? Drop us an email at feedback@ttgmedia.com.

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Cruise agency hires two as it targets £100m turnover

Panache Cruises has made two senior hires it hopes will help it become a £100 million a year business. Alex Langton joins the Chorley-based cruise agency, which has 58 UK-based employees and eight in the US, as head of sales and operations, bringing experience from roles with ITC and Audley Travel. Rhianna Latham, meanwhile, becomes Panache's first head of people and culture. Founder James Cole said Latham’s appointment, in particular, was a sign of Panache’s ambitions. "Normally, you need 100 to 200 people before you have a head of culture," said Cole. "Our number one focus is our people and colleagues – we wanted to make an early investment in them."

Travelopia rings changes as Quark boss prepares to retire

Travelopia has confirmed a raft of senior leadership changes following a review of its brand portfolio, a move that will see it seek to offload Citalia, Sovereign and American Holidays. Andrew White (pictured), president of Travelopia's Quark Expeditions brand, will retire at the end of the year. He will be succeeded by Exodus Group managing director Sam Seward, with Sally Cowdry stepping up to lead at Exodus. Cowdry will also retain her role as Travelopia's chief customer officer. Paul Brousseau, meanwhile, will take up a newly created chief sales officer role with Travelopia, reporting into Cowdry. He will also continue in his role as Quark's chief customer officer.

Another Virgin Voyages sales team departure

After head of international sales Shane Lewis-Riley headed for Titan Travel, Virgin Voyages has also bid farewell to UK senior sales manager Mark Lowman. TTG 30 Under 30 alumnus Lowman, who joined Virgin Voyages from Princess Cruises early last year, confirmed his departure after 18 months in a post to LinkedIn. "It’s been an absolute pleasure to work for such a game-changing, innovative brand," he said. Lowman also paid tribute to the line's "simply phenomenal" sales team and thanked them for their "support, teamwork and friendship". He is now seeking "new and exciting challenges". TTG has approached Virgin Voyages for comment.

IHG luxury and lifestyle VP heads to Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Lines has hired IHG's Peter Clarke as its chief operations officer. Clarke, who was IHG Hotels and Resorts vice-president of luxury and lifestyle hotel operations for the Americas, has previously held like roles with brands including Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, EVEN Hotels and Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts. Carnival president Christine Duffy praised Clarke's experience managing "the many complexities" of the hotel sector across multiple properties and brands, and building and maintaining strong company culture. Clarke added: "Joining the cruise industry leader at a time of significant growth and innovation is a very exciting opportunity."

Former Shearings MD joins Ramble Worldwide board

Ramble Worldwide has appointed former Shearings Holidays managing director Jane Atkins to a non-executive director role on its board. The walking specialist said Atkins' extensive experience of travel trade distribution would support its new distribution strategy as the brand seeks to target more agents, homeworkers and potential partners. Atkins said she was looking forward to using her experience "to forge closer ties with agents". Ramble managing director Wayne Perks said Atkins' appointment would prove "invaluable" as the brand seeks to expand and develop new audiences.

Flight Centre UK recruits Africa and Americas specialist

Exodus Travels' senior product manager for Africa and the Americas, Elaine Learmonth, is set to join Flight Centre UK as its new leisure product lead. Learmonth started her career in travel with Tui and went on to work in Cape Town focusing on tailor-made safari trips. She returned to the UK to take up a product and operations manager role with Unforgettable Travel Company before joining Exodus. She will bring more than 20 years' industry experience to her new position, which will see her take responsibility for Flight Centre's UK product strategy and aligning it with the agency's aim to increase land, cruising and touring sales.