Opodo reshuffles roles as top marketing post axed

Opodo has axed its European sales and marketing director role as part of the management restructure taking place at the online travel company.

Petra Friedmann, who only took up the position nine months ago, has returned to France to run the local Opodo office. She was previously France country manager before taking up the European marketing role.

Friedmann becomes director of France after the latest reshuffle, which has seen the entire central marketing team scrapped.

Opodo’s commercial and product director, Sally Balcombe, left at the start of the year as part of the decentralisation of the business (MW January 25), and European head of marketing Isabelle Ratinaud left at the end of last month (MW last week). Friedmann previously reported to Balcombe, and Ratinaud reported to Friedmann.

There were six people in the European marketing team and a total of 57 people have been made redundant from the UK business as part of the restructure.

Until now, Opodo’s European marketing team has worked with local sales and marketing offices but it wants each market to assume complete control for product, operational and commercial activities. The company’s UK country manager Neil Mott also left the business in January.

Opodo has promoted Caroline Noble from head of operations to UK director. Alex Gisbert joins from Thomas Cook as commercial director and former AskJeeves marketer Paul Treanor has been made head of marketing.

Opodo was created in 2001 by nine European airlines. Spanish travel technology company Amadeus bought a controlling stake in 2004.