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People moves

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions appoints Brooke Dunn to newly created trade role
Dunn joins the expedition cruise brand as sales support executive from Fred Holidays where she served as relationship executive for the operator's river cruise brands
Panache Cruises hires Wendi Hardy as first events and customer loyalty manager
Hardy joins the cruise agency from Scenic and Emerald Cruises and will lead on a new programme of in-person and virtual customer events, as well as Panache's loyalty and VIP experience initiatives
Intrepid Travel creates new climate department to sharpen purpose mission
New team will be led by Dr Susanne Etti with Intrepid recruiting for a decarbonisation manager, while there are new impact-focused roles for Sara King and B Corp lead Rochelle Turner
Scenic and Emerald hires Sani/Ikos RSM Leiza Sullivan as new sales manager
Sullivan, who has previously held roles with APT, Avalon Waterways and Jet2holidays, will look after agents in the Midlands and the north
Newmarket Holidays pledges 'long-term commitment' to agents after shaking up trade team
Operator hands promotions to Kieran Savill, Sas Rowbotham, Ryan Readman and Casey West and launches search for two new account managers to support its 'biggest-ever' trade programme
Explore boss Michael Edwards to head up Hotelplan stablemate Inntravel
Former Intrepid Travel chief growth officer to take on additional managing director brief for walking specialist Inntravel, while Susan Avison has been promoted to general manager
Ex-dnata chief Ailsa Pollard to succeed Blue Bay's Alistair Rowland as Abta chair
Pollard to take over from Blue Bay Travel boss Rowland after he served the maximum term as chair of six years
Princess Cruises hires Cunard's Sophia Lief to fill vacant sales manager role
Lief has been with Carnival UK since 2023, where she began as commercial planning manager for P&O Cruises
'I want to mentor others': agent leaves top luxury brand to launch own business
Leanne Rees has left Swords Travel after two and a half years to pursue her dream of running her own company
Premier Holidays launches search for new head of trade sales as Debbie Goffin prepares to retire
Goffin's sales and marketing brief to be split between recently promoted head of marketing Sara Park and an as-yet-unnamed new head of trade sales
Celebrity BDM Janna Thomson leaves line after 20 years to join Attraction World
Thomson to take up new partnership success manager role within the attraction ticket specialist's retail team
Not in the Guidebooks names new BDM to drive expanded trade programme
Edwards to drive 'major' new trade programme from NITGBs, which includes more fams, new trade marketing tools and assets, and additional virtual and in-person training
If Only names ex-Cook agent as new trade lead for Scotland and Ireland
Sangster joins the luxury tour operator in a newly created role from Hays Travel where he managed the agency's Dunfermline branch
Virgin Atlantic names new-look leadership team following Shai Weiss departure
New chief exec Corneel Koster, who has been succeeded as chief customer officer by Juha Jaervinen, took over from Weiss on 1 January 2026
Specialist agency hires Neal Hussey to help build client base
The luxury expedition sector is a major target for Cruise2's new head of commercial and business development Neal Hussey who took up his new role on 5 January
Former Vertical Systems boss Chris North takes up new business development role
North took time out from the industry in October 2023 following a more than 25-year stint with Vertical but has returned to help a supplier drive its expansion in the UK and Ireland
Specialist line bolsters UK trade team ahead of landmark year
Matt Irwin joins the five-ship line as trade partnerships manager while Henry McCoy-Filby takes up the role of inside sales executive
Operator creates new global partnerships team to 'deepen' service to agents
The team will continue to build key relationships with travel agents and oversee the launch of a new trade website
Dertour outlines Francis Torrilla succession plan with new joint chief executive structure
The company confirmed it anticipates the joint chief executive structure will be in place for a year, with a view to Francis Torrilla retiring towards the end of 2026
Faye Anderson promoted to national sales manager role at Cyplon Holidays
Anderson will continue to look after agents in the south, but will also lead on national sales strategy
Barrhead Travel names Catherine Finlan as first-ever sales director

Barrhead Travel has created two new director positions, including its first-ever sales director role, growing its senior leadership team to 11.

Catherine Finlan, head of sales for England and Northern Ireland, steps up to the sales director post after celebrating 30 years in the industry.

Finlan's career started on the shopfloor at West Midlands Co-operative Travel; she rose up through the ranks becoming a Thomas Cook regional sales manager in 2016 before joining Barrhead in 2019.

Lusso appoints Rachel Healey to newly-created head of business development role
Agent-only tour operator Lusso has hired Healey as part of a long-term strategy to improve its trade relationships
Advantage strategy director Lee Ainsworth to take on additional membership brief
TTG 30 Under 30 alumnus Ainsworth has been with Advantage for 10 years, rising up through the organisation taking on roles across tour operating, operations and latterly strategy
Royal increases support for agents with expanded UK&I sales team
New trade resource added ahead of Legend of the Seas' European bow next summer in sales team shake-up