Travelodge promotes former marketer Parsons as its new CEO
Budget hotel chain Travelodge has promoted its UK managing director, and former sales and marketing director, Guy Parsons as its new chief executive. He starts his new role on July 1.
Chief executive Grant Hearn will step up to become chairman to drive strategic development.
Parsons, a former Cadbury Schweppes marketing man who went on to work for Whitbread and Accor before joining Travelodge in 2004 as sales and marketing director.
The news of the management reshuffle follows days after the launch of the £!0m advertising campaign to promote a new direction for the company, selling sleep rather than rooms. The brand’s first TV ads in two decades will focus on Travelodge’s 5,500 employees, who have undergone a ‘sleep tight’ customer training programme. The campaign has been created by Mother.
Travelodge is owned by Dubai International Capital (DIC), the investment arm of the Middle East state.The chain has has 390 hotels with 28,000 rooms in the UK, Spain and Ireland and Parsons’ promotion is expected to signal expansion plans for Travelodge.
This story first appeared on pitch
