NEWS INTERVIEW


If Only bosses vow to keep agents at forefront of minds


Freeth and McCreadie speak to Amie Keeley about their plans to take the long-haul operator ‘to the next level’


The new bosses of If Only aim to be the “loudest voice” in the trade and not to create a “carbon copy” of their former employers Travel 2 and Gold Medal.


Andy Freeth, Gordon McCreadie,


Tracy Docherty and David Irving started their new roles last week, having controversially quit their jobs at rival sister operators Gold Medal and Travel 2 last June. Freeth, former Travel 2 and Gold Medal managing director, has joined as chief executive, McCreadie as sales and marketing director, Docherty as business development director and Irving as head of specialist business. Speaking to Travel Weekly,


Freeth and McCreadie said they would spend the next few weeks “getting under the skin”


Andy Freeth and Gordon McCreadie outside the If Only office in Glasgow


of the business, which reported a turnover of £25 million for 2017, with agents “at the forefront” of their minds. “The foundations are really good


here and the brand is well thought of and loved by agents,” Freeth said. “The business is at a good level but it’s hit a ceiling, so what it needs now is more structure and senior management with big-business experience to take it to that next level. I’ll be looking to instil a bit more structure and discipline, improve communication and make sure the staff feel like they are part of the decision-making process.” McCreadie said agent commissions would remain the same, while a new bookable website is planned to launch in the next four weeks. “We will keep the


brand at the forefront of agents’ minds and make sure we’re the loudest voice out there,” he said. “We don’t plan on making If Only


a carbon copy of any other brand. We want it to have its own identity.” He said the brand would


develop its agent training as it moves into new destinations, and it would host more fams. Asked whether If Only would


go directly after Travel 2 and Gold Medal customers, Freeth said: “We’ll engage with our existing database then introduce ourselves to the trade. There are a lot of competitors, but we will carve out our own path. “We have to listen to agents and


respond to what they think our focus needs to be, then we will prioritise based on that.” Freeth said they had joined the business at a buoyant time, with March sales up 40% year on year, fuelled in part by new programmes. If Only, an Asia and Middle East specialist, launched programmes


for Australia and the US last year, and plans to add a Caribbean programme in mid-June. Freeth said: “We will launch in destinations carefully and stick to the brand ethos, research the places and recruit the right talent.” Freeth said no job cuts were planned and the business was recruiting for more call centre staff, a business development manager to cover Scotland and the northeast, and a team leader to support the US product team. This week If Only appointed Fiona Greenhalgh as product and commercial director. She joins from Carrier where she was head of product and commercial. Her appointment follows the decision of Matt Appleby, who quit as product and commercial director at Gold Medal/Travel 2 at the same time as the other four, to join Destination2 instead of If Only. Freeth encouraged agents who


would like to work with If Only to email info@ifonly.net


14 travelweekly.co.uk 12 April 2018


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