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EasyJet Holidays appoints TUI exec to boost package sales
EasyJet Holidays has appointed TUI Group managing director for product and purchasing Garry Wilson as its new chief executive.
EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said the company plans to invest more in easyJet Holidays, in order to be able to compete better with TUI and Thomas Cook.
Lundgren said: "Garry has 20 years’ experience in the holiday sector and is currently TUI Group’s managing director for group product and purchasing.
"Garry leads procurement and commercial activity for all hotel partners and other suppliers. He has deep experience of the holiday market across easyJet’s network."
He said Wilson will set up and lead a dedicated unit within the easyJet group and will be responsible for accelerating the development of easyJet Holidays.
Lundgren added: "EasyJet entered the holidays market a few years ago but hasn’t taken advantage of the opportunities it has in this area.
"EasyJet has Europe’s largest leisure network from primary airports to leisure destinations, a well-loved, trusted brand, a cost advantage over the leading competitors and a customer base with high spending power.
"EasyJet Holidays can use this platform and easyJet’s scale to capture a significant share of the market."
He was speaking as easyJet posted a half-year pre-tax profit of £8 million, a big improvement on the £212 million loss it made in the previous year.
Lundgren said the airline would concentrate on attracting more business passengers and introducing a new loyalty programme.
Wilson’s appointment is part of a shake-up of the group’s board.
The airline’s current CRM and insight director Lis Blair has been promoted to a new CMO role, leading easyJet’s brand, marketing, customer and digital strategy, as well as its loyalty and CRM activities.
Experian head of analytics and data Luca Zuccoli has joined as chief data officer.
EasyJet’s director of marketing, digital and brand James Millett is leaving to take up a new role at Royal Brunei Airlines in the summer; Flic Howard-Allen becomes group communications officer and Thomas Haagensen has been appointed to the newly-created role of group markets director.
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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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