Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s Richard Lovell will retire at the end of this year after 16 years with the company.
Lovell, currently chief operating officer Europe, Middle East and Africa, has just turned 65.
“I am now covering a large region which involves a lot of travelling and is essentially a seven-day-a-week job,” he said. “I could have carried on until I dropped dead or stop now and enjoy myself!
“I would prefer to go now before it gets to the stage where people are saying ‘when is he going?’.”
Lovell, a former ITT president and GTMC chairman, said he would like to keep involved with the travel industry following his retirement, but was also currently talking to head hunters about taking up a non-executive role for a non-government organisation.
“It’s not like when you’re forced to go at 50 and you need the income. I don’t, but I do want to keep myself busy and do something worthwhile,” he added.
by Bev Fearis
