The Intrepid Group has recruited a chief growth officer and chief purpose officer to its global leadership team.
Starting on January 1 2018, Michael Edwards will move into the role of CGO, while Leigh Barnes will formally move into the role of CPO on July 1.
It has been two years since the Intrepid Group returned to independent ownership, since then it has seen record growth of 20% per year across all of its brands.
Aligned with the company’s long term vision, CEO James Thornton created the roles to focus on sustained growth in both purpose and profit. Thornton believes the CGO and CPO appointments will help Intrepid Group become the first billion-dollar adventure travel company.
"We created these roles so that we can continue to fulfill our business’s founding philosophy of helping people and the planet through travel – while creating a new industry standard where purpose and profit are not mutually exclusive."
Edwards, previously Intrepid Group’s regional director in Europe, Middle East and Asia, will manage Intrepid Group’s regional directors and marketing services team.
Next year he will help Intrepid Group expand its Adventure Cruising programme into Asia and launch its first Antarctica charters in partnership with Chimu Adventures.
Barnes, formerly director of North America, will work closely with The Intrepid Foundation and external partners as Intrepid Group seeks to create more shared value projects and operate a business with a purpose beyond profit.
"The board and the leadership team are confident that Leigh Barnes and Michael Edwards are the best people for their respective roles and ensure the company is both profitable and sustainable," Thornton added.
