Hostelworld’s top marketer departs for COO role

Hostelworld’s top marketer Otto Rosenberger is to leave next year to become travel agent Iglu.com’s first chief operating officer, one of a number of marketing bosses going on to general management.

hostelworld

Hostelworld’s top marketer Otto Rosenberger is to leave next year to become travel agent Iglu.com’s first chief operating officer.

Rosenberger’s remit will take in marketing, product, technology, commercial and sales, giving him full view of the brand’s customer experience strategy. He will also sit on the company’s board.

He will report directly to CEO Richard Downs when he joins in January. Hostelworld will replace him, but there are no news on who will take on the role at present.

Iglu claims to be Europe’s largest online travel agent for cruise and ski holidays through specialist brands Igluski.com, Iglulapland.com, iglucruise.com and Planetcruise.com.

It is looking to expand into new territories and to take a larger slice of the growing popularity of cruise holidays, particularly among young people.

A record 1.9 million holidaymakers from the UK took an ocean cruise in 2016, up from 1.78 million in 2015, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.

Rosenberger has been at Hostelworld for just over three years. During that time he led on its digital transformation, which includes a greater focus on data-led insights and customer experience.

READ MORE: Hostelworld on digital transformation – ‘Beware of the coffee machine terrorists’

Prior to Hostelworld, he had stints at Betfair, where he was global sports marketing director, eHarmony, BT and Procter & Gamble.

Rosenberger is the latest graduate of The Marketing Academy’s Fellowship Programme to move into a general management or board-level position.

Weetabix’s Sally Abbott was recently promoted from marketing to managing director in the UK, while Santander UK CMO Keith Moor was promoted to its executive committee earlier this year.

The Fellowship is a nine-month programme aimed at equipping marketers with the skills to make it into c-suite roles.

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