5 HOT STORIES NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK


This week’s top stories: 1. Cook’s new retail chief 2. 50 and out for Hordern 3. Travel 2 in MSC tie-up 4. Support for axing SBA 5. Young quits Magic for G


1 Juliet Dennis and Phil Davies


Former Tui Travel retail chief Kathryn Darbandi is to join rival Thomas Cook as UK retail director, replacing outgoing head of retail Joanna Wild, who insisted she was departing on “amicable terms”. Darbandi (née Ward) left Tui Travel,


where she was retail, contact centres and financial services director, in September after 28 years with the company. She starts in her new role, overseeing


848 travel agencies – 572 Thomas Cook and 276 The Co-operative Travel – in April. She will join the UK management team and report to managing director Salman Syed. Wild said it was her decision to look


for a new position, not necessarily in travel, after 18 years in the role. “It is the right time for me to leave,” said Wild, who was persuaded to stay when she considered leaving two years ago. “It was my best-ever decision to stay on to be part of the retail transformation. It was challenging and rewarding. We have done a lot of re-engineering and have got strong foundations in place.”


4 • travelweekly.co.uk — 15 January 2015


Kathryn Darbandi (née Ward)


Darbandi to succeed Wild as retail chief at Thomas Cook


As part of the retail transformation,


Cook made 2,500 staff redundant and shut 370 shops in 2013. ‘Cluster’ managers were introduced to run two to five stores, instead of one. Darbandi’s appointment was largely


favourably received, although there was a concern she would implement Thomson’s web pricing strategy. Roy Wills, of Designer Travel, said:


“The worry is when you bring in a person who has masterminded a successful formula at one company, they will try the same elsewhere.” Syed said: “Kathryn’s appointment


reflects our ongoing commitment to the retail operation, which continues to be an integral part of the British high street and a popular way for customers to book.” Darbandi added: “I am genuinely


excited to be taking up this position.” As well as the retail management


team, also reporting into Darbandi will be Lucy Green, head of retail strategic development; Fraser Millar, head of FE strategy and development; and Kelly Cookes, head of Freedom and Co-operative Personal Travel Advisors.


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