Thomas Cook UK boss to head German parent company

Thomas Cook UK & Ireland boss Manny Fontenla-Novoa has been made chairman of the management board and group CEO of Frankfurt-based Thomas Cook AG. 

His move to head the group follows three years in charge of the UK and Ireland operations overseeing an extensive business transformation programme resulting in the company improving its financial performance by £130 million.

It is thought Thomas Cook will now renew efforts to acquire the First Choice mainstream business.

Last year Thomas Cook in nthe UK announced a record profit of £83.3 million while achieving a five per cent margin.

The company’s UK operations include more than 570 high street shops, 120 separate bureaux de change, seven Thomas Cook travel warehouses, three call centres, Thomas Cook TV, Thomas Cook Sport, flythomascook.com, flexibletrips.com and thomascook.com. It employs more than 11,000 people throughout the UK and overseas.

Fontenla-Novoa, who has spent 30 years in the travel trade starting with Thomas Cook aged 18, said: “It is both an honour and a privilege to be given the opportunity to lead one of the world’s largest travel groups.

“For the last two years we have delivered strong profits and this, together with a new strategic focus to embed across the group, will enable us to continue our journey of growth and development.”

Meanwhile, Thomas Cook Signature has been realigned to concentrate purely on long haul. Its previous Cities and Short Breaks brochure is now presented within Thomas Cook’s mass-market range, along with Disneyland Resort Paris. The company has also issued its first Thomas Cook Signature Caribbean brochure, featuring 17 destinations.

A combined brochure to Egypt replaces separate Thomas Cook Signature and mass-market brochures to the country.

Product director Robbie Orr said: “This year we have been working to integrate Thomas Cook’s mass-market and scheduled flight businesses, to make the offering simpler and more accessible to customers.

“These new brochures are the result of this process.  Thomas Cook is our mass-market brand, and with so many Britons taking short breaks to European Cities and Disneyland Paris it makes sense to make these part of the Thomas Cook offering.  Thomas Cook Signature remains a very important brand for us, signifying high quality and an element of exclusivity, something that fits well with long-haul passengers. We look forward to hearing the feedback from our colleagues in travel retail.”

Report by Phil Davies