Biographies - Directors
Michael Beckett
Title: Non-Executive Chairman
Appointment: March 2007
Committee memberships: Chairman of Nominations Committee.
Skills & experience: Michael Beckett was appointed Chairman of the Company in September 2009, prior to which he was Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director. He was Chairman of MyTravel Group plc between 2004 and 2007. Other positions previously held include Chairman of London Clubs International plc, Ashanti Goldfields Company Limited and Clarkson plc, and he was formerly Managing Director of Consolidated Gold Fields plc.
External appointments: Non-Executive Chairman of Endeavour Financial Corporation (Canada). He is also a Non-Executive Director of Northam Platinum Limited and Mvelaphanda Resources Limited (South Africa), Orica Limited (Australia), The Egypt Trust (Luxembourg), Petroamerica Oil Corporation (Canada) and Banro Corporation (Democratic Republic of Congo).
Manny Fontenla-Novoa
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Appointment: July 2007
Committee memberships: Chairman of Group
Executive Board, Member of Health, Safety & Environmental Committee.
Skills & experience: Manny Fontenla-Novoa joined the Company in 1996 following the acquisition of Sunworld, which was then the UK’s fourth largest tour operator. He was a founding director of Sunworld and has 30 years' experience in the travel industry. He has held senior management positions within the Group, latterly as Chief Executive Officer of Thomas Cook AG.
External appointments: Director of Mediterranean Touristic Management, a joint venture between Thomas Cook Destinations GmbH and Iberostar Hoteles y Apartamentos S.L.
Paul Hollingworth
Title: Group Chief Financial Officer
Appointment: January 2010
Committee memberships: Member of Group Executive Board.
Skills & experience: Paul Hollingworth takes up his new position as Group Chief Financial Officer having recently been Chief Financial Officer of Mondi Group. He was previously Group Finance Director of BPB plc and prior to that Group Finance Director of De La Rue plc and Ransomes plc.
External appointments: Non-Executive Director of Electrocomponents plc
Sam Weihagen
Title: Chief Executive Officer, Northern Europe & Deputy to the Group Chief Executive Officer
Appointment: November 2009
Committee memberships: Member of Group Executive Board.
Skills & experience: Sam Weihagen has 34 years' experience in the travel industry. He was appointed Deputy to the Group Chief Executive Officer in November 2009 and has held the role of CEO Northern Europe since 2001. He was the former MyTravel Northern Europe Chief Executive and was an Executive Director of MyTravel Group plc for three years prior to the merger. He has served the Company in several capacities, including Commercial Director, with responsibility for purchasing and flight planning.
External appointments: Chairman of the Tour Operating Federation in Sweden.
David Allvey
Title: Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointment: March 2007
Committee memberships: Chairman of Audit Committee, Member of Nominations Committee and Health, Safety & Environmental Committee.
Skills & experience: David Allvey was Non-Executive Director of MyTravel Group plc between 2003 and 2007. Prior to this he was Group Finance Director of Barclays Bank plc, B.A.T Industries plc and was Group Chief Operating Officer for Zurich Financial Services AG.
External appointments: Chairman of Costain Group PLC and Arena Coventry Ltd; Senior Independent Director of both Intertek Group plc and William Hill plc.
Roger Burnell
Title: Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointment: March 2007
Committee memberships: Chairman of Health, Safety & Environmental Committee, Member of Audit Committee, Nominations Committee and Management Development & Remuneration Committee.
Skills & experience: Roger Burnell was a Non-Executive Director of MyTravel Group plc from April 2003. Before joining MyTravel, he was Chief Operating Officer and a Director of Thomson Travel Group plc. Other previous board experience includes Chairman of The First Resort Limited, Chairman of International Life Leisure Group Limited and Chairman of Home Form Group Limited.
External appointments: Director of Coventry Building Society.
Bo Lerenius
Title: Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointment: July 2007
Committee memberships: Member of Audit Committee and Nominations Committee.
Skills & experience: Between 1992 and 1998 Bo Lerenius was Chief Executive of the then listed company, Stena Line, and between 1998 and 1999 he was Vice Chairman of Stena Line and Director of New Business at Stena AB. From 1985 to 1992 he was Group President and Chief Executive of Swedish listed building materials group, Ernstromgruppen. He was Group Chief Executive of Associated British Ports Holdings Plc between 1999 and 2007.
External appointments: Chairman of Mouchel Plc and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK; Non-Executive Director of G4S plc, Land Securities Group plc, Ittur Group (Sweden) and Rorvik Timber (Sweden). He is an advisor to the infrastructure fund of Swedish venture capital group, EQT.
Peter Middleton
Title: Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointment: November 2009
Committee memberships: Member of Nominations Committee.
Skills & experience: Peter Middleton has extensive experience across the global travel and finance industries having been CEO of Thomas Cook between 1987 and 1992, CEO of Lloyds of London between 1992 and 1995 and CEO of Salomon Brothers International Limited between 1995 and 1998. Since 2000 Peter has been Chairman of a number of small listed and private companies in a range of industries.
External appointments: Executive Chairman of GTL Resources plc and Non‑Executive Chairman of H&T plc.
Nigel Northridge
Title: Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointment: August 2008
Committee memberships: Chairman of Management Development & Remuneration Committee and Member of Nominations Committee.
Skills & experience: Nigel Northridge was Chief Executive of Gallaher Group Plc for seven years until April 2007. Over his 30-year career with the Gallaher Group he held a range of senior positions in general management and sales & marketing roles.
External appointments: Non-Executive Chairman of Paddy Power plc, Senior Independent Director of Aggreko plc and Non-Executive Director of Inchcape plc.
