Hostelworld ramps up customer focus as it appoints Kristof Fahy as CCO
The travel brand has appointed its first chief customer officer in a bid to take a more connected approach to customer data.
Hostelworld has appointed former Ladbrokes Coral top marketer Kristof Fahy to the newly created role of chief customer officer (CCO) in an effort to put customers at the “centre of all decision making”.
Speaking to Marketing Week, Fahy, who left his role as Ladbrokes Coral CCO in September, hopes his experience of working in the fast paced gaming and gambling sector will be a key asset in his bid to help Hostelworld engage its target 18- to 35-year-old audience.
“The exciting thing is that there is so much more that can be done for customers now and in the future, so it’s a really interesting proposition for me,” Fahy explains.
“The newly created role of CCO recognises that Hostelworld already has a brilliant marketing team in place. The opportunity here is to reinforce the organisation’s commitment to put customers at the centre of everything and get smarter when it comes to interacting and engaging with them. This will touch all parts of the business – not just marketing.”
Leading on all marketing activities, Fahy is tasked with developing a customer-centric strategy that supports Hostelworld’s global teams with rich customer data and analytics. He explains that the focus will be on using customer data in “cleverer ways” that benefit the wider business.
This latest move is Fahy’s first foray into the travel sector after a string of high-profile marketing roles including CCO and CMO at Ladbrokes Coral, CMO at the Telegraph Media Group, CMO at William Hill and vice-president of international marketing at Yahoo.
Fahy’s appointment at Hostelworld follows the departure of former CMO Ottokar Rosenberger in December, who joined online travel agent Iglu as chief operating officer in January.
