First Choice picks Ivie for director role

First Choice Holidays has appointed a former Club 18-30 commercial director, Kevin Ivie, as its first marketing director.

Ivie will join the company in June and take responsibility for the marketing of First Choice’s tour operations business, which includes the three brands- First Choice, Free Spirit and Sovereign – launched last August when First Choice, formerly known as Owners Abroad, was also relaunched.

“We have specific marketing managers for each of the three brands but tour operating is a big part of the group so we felt it needed a marketing director,” says a First Choice spokesman.

Ivie is currently marketing director for The Travel Channel, part of Landmark Communications. Prior to that he was managing director of Manos UK and is a former sales and marketing director of Intasun Holidays, as well as commercial director of Club 18-30.

Ivie’s appointment follows the departure of Chris Robinson, who was group marketing manager at the company. Robinson has moved to the group’s Canadian arm, IDH, and is to become head of marketing at the company’s charter airline Air 2000 on his return.

Ivie will report to group commercial director Peter Phillipson when he joins in June.