Travelodge names sales and marketing director

Former long-serving bmi marketer Simon Gregory has been appointed sales and marketing director for budget hotel brand Travelodge.

Gregory left his position as marketing director at bmi at the end of February without a job to go to (MW February 6). The airline handed marketing responsibilities to commercial director Adrian Parkes.

Gregory takes up his Travelodge role next week.

Travelodge split its sales and marketing director role, held by Peter Halsey, in June last year (MW June 20, 2002) and made Halsey marketing director.

However, private equity group Permira acquired Travelodge last December and it is not clear whether Halsey’s role is affected by the new structure.

Halsey has been overseeing the hunt for an advertising agency to handle Travelodge’s 2m account (MW June 5). The company has used Satellite Creative for tactical advertising but said it was “looking for a bigger brand advertising agency” to help with its aggressive expansion plans.

Gregory first joined bmi, then British Midland, in 1988 as assistant product manager, after a spell as Budget Rent A Car marketing manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

He was involved with the airline’s rebranding to bmi and oversaw the launch marketing for the company’s low-cost spin-off bmibaby. Gregory appointed Partners BDDH, which already held the account for bmibaby, to the main bmi advertising account last July.

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