p12 News Feb6 4/2/09 20:42 Page 12
news
ttglive.com
Cheevers to set up firm
Opodo profit rises
Kay McLellan and Chris Gray.
but now they need to by 26% in 2008
TELETEXT Holidays boss change and find they need
Matt Cheevers is leaving to advice.” OPODO, the online travel agency, made pre-tax
set up his own consultancy. Cheevers added that he profits of ¤14.4 million last year on sales that
The new venture, called would promote the business rose 26% to ¤1.3 billion – a profit margin of 1.1%.
Smooth Direction, will target as an alternative to In the UK, it made pre-tax profits of just over
travel companies that find management consultants as ¤5 million.
they need to change to his advice would be based Chief executive Ignacio Martos said the figures
survive the recession. on experience, not theories. were the result of consistent performance across
It will offer advice on web Cheevers oversaw the 13 European markets.
strategy, marketing and integration of Teletext Holi- Sales had increased through improving the
product development. days’ television and web proportion of repeat customers and attracting
Cheevers gave his notice business after joining from new customers with price offers, he said.
in December, but no leaving Cheevers’ new venture to offer business advice lastminute.com in 2006. It had also been helped by restructuring that
date has been set yet. He also launched Tele- improved efficiency and cut costs, he said.
He said he had planned to work for himself for text’s own tour operator. UK country director Caroline Noble said the
some time and thought the downturn was an Cheevers will be succeeded by Victoria Sanders, results gave the UK operation a solid position to
ideal time to launch his venture. Teletext Holidays’ sales and distribution director, face an uncertain outlook in 2009.
“If I was setting up a travel agency now I would who has been at Teletext for four and a half Opodo predicted double-digit sales growth
understand if people said I was bonkers,” he said. years. She said she was taking over at a time across Europe for this year.
“However, there are plenty of travel compa- when Teletext’s reputation for trustworthiness,
nies who have been putting off developing their value and choice would help it through difficult ■ Insolvencies ‘to spiral’: City & finance, p16
businesses because times were relatively good – market conditions.
TravelTainment names new chief
Bryan Moreton
Bryan Moreton,
TRAVELTAINMENT, the technology provider, has He established the TravelTainment organisa- for many years a
appointed Andrew Owen-Jones as chief execu- tion in the UK and France after joining following leading figure in the
tive, following the retirement of Ralf Usbeck. a career with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, cruise industry and
Owen-Jones joined the firm last year as joint Virgin Travelstore and Amadeus, which bought one of the founding
managing director, alongside Michael Kalt. TravelTainment in 2006. members of the
Old Abtarians, has
passed away at the
age of 78.
Moreton died on January 23 at Myton
Hamlet Hospice. He is survived by his wife
Avril and daughter Julia.
Moreton was a key member of the Midlands
Region of Abta and, for 10 years during the
1980s, served as committee member and
chairman of the shipping committee, working
to improve the relationship between cruise
operators and agents.
He also supported the creation of Psara,
the predecessor of the Association of Cruise
Experts, and was vice-chairman of the Travel
Agents’ Council from 1986-88, where he
worked alongside chairman Colin Brain.
Brain said: “He made my life as chairman a
breeze and it was a pleasure to work alongside
him. We will all miss him and our feelings go
to his lovely wife Avril and his daughter Julia.”
BROAD SMILES: Prestige Holidays hands an award to Robert Broad Travel in Lichfield Bob Duffett, Psara founder, said: “Bryan
for producing the best sales to Bermuda for the operator in 2008. Pictured are Kirsty will be sadly missed by all of us in the cruise
Taylor and Alan Broad (left), both Robert Broad Travel, and Diogo Castanheira, Prestige industry that worked with him.”
Holidays’ business development manager for the north and Midlands.
12 06.02.2009
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