Advantage Travel Partnerships has announced the promotion of two of the Group’s senior leadership team.
Kelly Cookes, who currently holds the position of Leisure Director is promoted to Chief Commercial Officer and Paul Nunn, currently Operations Director, becomes Chief Operating Officer, with immediate effect.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO, Advantage Travel Partnership, said: “Whilst the last two years has tested and challenged us, it has also made us mature as a business. The pandemic forced us to look at how we operate, build resilience in all we do and kept us laser-focused on supporting our members. It also gave us an opportunity to raise the awareness of Advantage as a media go-to brand and a consumer champion, whilst consistently advocating the benefit of using a travel agent for both business and leisure travel.
“As our global business continues to grow and diversify, we now need to better support the strategic framework we have set ourselves going forward. Both Kelly and Paul have delivered over and above during the last few years, and I am delighted to be offering them these well-deserved promotions.”
As Chief Commercial Officer, Cookes will concentrate on leveraging the Group’s global buying power and driving improved commercial benefit across the Group, looking at opportunities to develop additional member products and services for the membership. She will also be focused on maximising membership recruitment and retention working alongside her experienced senior management team.
In the role of Chief Operating Officer, Nunn – who has worked for Advantage for over twenty years – will continue to provide leadership of all operational, IT, regulatory and compliance aspects of the Advantage group of companies, as well as work with the wider global team to deliver further business solutions that are critical to the Group’s membership, including bonding and insurance products and services.
These management changes follow Lo-Bue-Said’s appointment in May of Guy Snelgar to the newly created position of Global Business Travel Director. She also confirmed that another senior appointment will be announced in the coming weeks.
She added “Having a high-performance team in place is crucial as we continue with our vision to provide members and partners with unparalleled services and commercial gain. Our focus for the future is very much on driving forward our four areas of strategic growth: footprint expansion; product and portfolio capitalisation; digital transformation and operational excellence, all underpinned by having the very best people talent.
“I truly believe that the breadth of knowledge, expertise, drive and ambition across my senior team, together with the unwavering support and commitment that we have from our Membership, means we can move forward with vigour and confidence to face the next phase of our development.”
