Directors and Management

Board of Directors

The Board is chaired by Non-Executive Chairman, Michael Beckett. In addition to the Chairman, the Board currently includes three Executive Directors and five Non-Executive Directors. Each of the committees of the Board is chaired by an Independent Non-Executive Director.

Group Executive Board

The Group Chief Executive Officer chairs the Group Executive Board, which oversees the strategic development and operational management of the Group's businesses. The Group Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Executive Officer, Northern Europe & Deputy to the Group Chief Executive Officer are also members of the Group Executive Board.


Michael Beckett

Michael Beckett, 74
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), Banro Corporation (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Crew Gold Corporation (Canada).

 

 

Manny Fontenla-Novoa

Manny Fontenla-Novoa, 56
Group 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

Paul Hollingworth, 50
Group Chief Financial Officer

Appointment:January 2010

Committee memberships:Member of Group Executive Board.

Skills & experience:

Prior to joining Thomas Cook Group plc as Group Chief Financial Officer he was the 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

Sam Weihagen, 60
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

David Allvey, 65
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; Independent Director of Friends Provident Holdings (UK) Limited and Friends Provident Group plc.

 

Roger Burnell

Roger Burnell, 60
Senior Independent 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 appointed Senior Independent Director on 4 August 2010, after joining the Company as Non-Executive Director in March 2007. He was also 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

Bo Lerenius, 63
Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointment:July 2007

Committee memberships:Member of Audit Committee, Nominations Committee and Management Development & Remuneration 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

Peter Middleton, 70
Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointment:November 2009

Committee memberships:Chairman of Management Development & Remuneration Committee, 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.

 

 

 

Dawn Airey

Dawn Airey, 49
Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointment:April 2010

Committee memberships:Member of Nominations Committee.

Skills & experience:

Dawn Airey has over 25 years' experience within the media industry. She is currently Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Five TV, after joining the company in 2008 from her role as Managing Director, Global Content at ITV plc.

 

 

 

External appointments:

Dawn has held senior positions at some of the UK's leading media companies including Channel 4 and Sky Television. She sits on the management board of the media group RTL (Five's parent company). Dawn was an independent non-executive director of Easy Jet plc between 2004 and 2008. She is also a member of the board of the British Library.

 

 

 

Michael BeckettMichael Beckett
Non-Executive Chairman

Manny Fontenla-NovoaManny Fontenla-Novoa
Group Chief Executive Officer

Paul HollingworthPaul Hollingworth
Group Chief Financial Officer

Sam WeihagenSam Weihagen
Chief Executive Officer, Northern Europe & Deputy to the Group Chief Executive Officer

David AllveyDavid Allvey
Independent Non-Executive Director

Roger BurnellRoger Burnell
Senior Independent Director

Bo LereniusBo Lerenius
Independent Non-Executive Director

Peter MiddletonPeter Middleton
Independent Non-Executive Director

Dawn AireyDawn Airey
Independent Non-Executive Director