Managing director quits TUI UK after summer leave
TUI UK managing director Chris Mottershead has decided to leave the travel company after taking an extended summer holiday.
TUI Northern Europe chief executive Peter Rothwell will assume the title of managing director TUI UK. The company embraces Thomson Holidays, the Lunn Poly chain of travel agents and the recently launched Thomsonfly.com airline (MW December 18, 2003).
Mottershead, who was voted one of the top five leisure marketers in a Marketing Week poll earlier this year (MW January 29), has been on extended leave since July and “has decided he would like to leave TUI UK”, according to a spokeswoman.
Mottershead has a sales background and joined TUI from the position of managing director at MyTravel Canada in 2001. However, he has presided over a number of initiatives at the company designed to maintain its status as the package holiday market leader while meeting the challenges presented by the internet and low-cost airlines.
Under his supervision Britannia Airways was rebranded Thomson, while marketing director Hugh Edwards set about transforming Thomson into a “power brand”, through initiatives such as sponsoring Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and creating a television branding campaign.
TUI UK is owned by Germany-based TUI AG, and speculation still surrounds the company’s future as shareholder West LB has indicated it would like to sell some or all of its 31 per cent stake.
