Kuoni has sped up its restructuring following its divestiture earlier this year of its European tour operation businesses and has selected Zubin Karkaria to replace Peter Meier as chief executive. The move came right after the company reported a net loss of $292 million in the first three quarters of the year compared with a $52 million profit in the same period in 2014. The company also said that 350 other jobs would be eliminated. Karkaria was previously head of Kuoni’s visa services business.
At Thomas Cook, Alice Macandrew has been appointed group communications director in London while Mathias Brandes will return to Germany as head of communications for continental Europe, covering Germany and the other continental European markets.
Stefan Binder has been appointed head of product management for the Deutsche Bahn-owned tour operator Ameropa. He will be responsible for developing the product portfolio. He was previously head of city trips at TUI Germany.
L’Tur, Germany a leading last-minute holidays operator in Germany, has named Benjamin Weiss as head of product and contracting. He replaces Stefan Baumert, who is returning to the company’s main shareholder, TUI Germany, as head of the new product & trading unit. Weiss was previously head of TUI’s budget brand 1-2-Fly.
American Express Global Business Travel has announced the promotion of Marco Pellizzer to the newly created role of vice president, mainland China and Hong Kong. Pellizzer will oversee the company’s activities in Greater China (China Mainland and Hong Kong) including the management of client activities, sales and business development, local product development and marketing.
American Express Global Business Travel has also announced the the appointment of Daniel Hui-Feng Yang as general manager of CITS American Express Global Business Travel. Yang succeeds Marco Pellizzer. Yang comes to his new position from Kuoni/GTA where he was most recently head of FIT sales North Asia.
Merlin Entertainments has also promoted Hayley Anderson to the position of general manager, and Debbie Gibb to marketing manager at its Sea Life Michigan Aquarium at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Anderson, who has been with Merlin since 2002 will be responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations, including hiring, staff retention and sales at both SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium and the soon to be added Legoland Discovery Center Michigan. Gibb will manage all marketing and advertising outreach on behalf of the attractions. Gibb has more than 20 years of marketing experience with a focus on tourism, with past positions including a tenure as associate executive director at Student & Youth Travel Association.