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Clare Tobin to step down as Olympic Holidays chief exec
Olympic Holidays chief executive Clare Tobin is to step down from her role in January. She will remain with the company in a non-executive role but is seeking new opportunities in travel.
Current director of sales and revenue Michael Vinales will become managing director.
Tobin joined Olympic three years ago as chief operating officer, before being promoted to chief executive six months later, taking over from George Michalias, who assumed the role of chairman.
She has overseen the company’s commercial, operational and marketing activities, removed Olympic’s reliance on charter flying and focused on strengthening relationships with the trade through training and marketing support.
Tobin said: "I was brought into the company just under three years ago to transform the business. This has now been successfully completed by working strategically with the team to become an island specialist.
"Our new island-hopping and bespoke holiday brochure and web presence has just been released and I am delighted to now be able to pass on the Olympic flame to Michael Vinales who I brought in and worked very closely with over the last two years.
"The last three years have been challenging but hugely rewarding and I am now looking forward to helping Olympic Holidays retain, and further advance, its strong position in the competitive travel marketplace."
Vinales, who joined Olympic two years ago, has worked in the industry for more than 35 years, including as managing director of Avro and commercial director of Cosmos.
Michalias said: "After three years at the helm, Clare has led the transformation the business and I am delighted that Michael will continue with all the good work undertaken to continue moving the business in this strong strategic direction."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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