Thomas Cook appoints Post Office travel chief as brand marketing head

Thomas Cook has appointed Kevin McAdam to the newly-created role of head of brand marketing for its mainstream holiday brands in the UK and Ireland, completing its senior marketing team.

The travel company has seen its marketing department expand recently, following its merger with MyTravel.

McAdam, who comes from the Post Office where he was head of travel services, takes up his new role on October 1 and will report to executive marketing director Simon Carter.

He will manage a team of ten and be responsible for overseeing all marketing activity relating to Thomas Cook’s mass-market holiday brands including Thomas Cook, Airtours, Sunset, Signature and Cresta.

The new marketing chief will also be responsible for the company’s financial services products such as foreign exchange, travel insurance and credit cards. He will work closely with Thomas Cook’s product and marketing intelligence teams to devise campaigns “which deliver bottom-line profits”.

Carter, who was promoted to his board-level role in June, leads a team that includes head of channel marketing Jonathan Smith; head of brand marketing, specialist brands, Darren Stott; and head of customer insight Jason Lansell. All three were Thomas Cook’s marketers, prior to the merger with MyTravel Group in June.

Thomas Cook chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa has taken on the same role in the merged group. Although MyTravel chief executive Peter McHugh will remain as joint chief executive to oversee the merger, he is expected to leave at the end of the year.

MyTravel group marketing director Tim Marsden is also leaving without a job to go to (MW August 30).