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Travel Network Group’s Lisa Henning to leave consortium

The Travel Network Group’s chief operating officer Lisa Henning is to leave the consortium.

Henning, who is also a board director and a shareholder, will step down in 12 months after seven years with the group.

She was promoted from her role as group membership services director to chief operating officer in 2019 as part of a senior restructure.

Henning manages all member-facing functions, including membership, marketing, dynamic packaging tool Honeycomb, Cruise Club Concierge and its Independent Travel Experts homeworking division.

Her departure comes just under a year after that of former marketing director and fellow shareholder, Si Morris-Green, who left the business in February last year.


More: The Travel Network Group reveals new-look board

Si Morris-Green leaves The Travel Network Group


Both Henning and Morris-Green were part of the team which undertook a management buyout of The Travel Network Group in 2016, along with chief executive Gary Lewis, group finance and commercial director Vim Vithaldas, and group operations and risk director Avril Hurd.

Hurd left the business in 2017.

The Travel Network Group chief executive, Gary Lewis, said: “We are all obviously very sad that Lisa has taken the decision to leave us, but she feels that she wants to look at new opportunities that can further develop and challenge her.

“Through her ability, sheer hard work and commitment she has risen through our organisation and, given her strong interpersonal skills, has been at the very centre of our excellent relationships with members and an integral part of our transformation as a business.

“She has also helped us become more customer-focused and has provided strong leadership to her team in all the areas that she has held responsibility for.

“On behalf of the board and the entire team, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lisa for everything she has achieved and delivered for us. She has been an amazing colleague to work with and she will be very missed by all of us.”

Lewis confirmed he had bought back the shares owned by Hurd and Morris-Green and would be doing the same with those owned by Henning.

He and Vim Vithaldis remain the only shareholders in the business from the original five who led the management buyout.

Henning said: “In the 20 years I have worked in the travel industry, I honestly feel as though I found my home at The Travel Network Group, and I genuinely consider it to have been a privilege to have worked with and developed such fabulous relationships with so many of the group’s members and business partners.

“I have made so many friends during my time here and will miss my amazing team.”

Henning said she would take some time to consider her next move, adding: “Having spent my whole career in travel I plan on staying in the sector.”

The group’s head of recruitment Stephanie Slark has been appointed to the position of membership services director, with immediate effect.

Lewis said: “Stephanie has strong working relationships already established with our membership team, and I have every confidence that she will do a great job in leading this core function through its next phase of development, as well as deliver a good level of consistency in terms of our service levels to members.”

The group said “a number of other appointments were due to be made in the coming weeks”.

 

The group recruited former head of trade sales at collapsed Super Break Gary Gillespie as managing director of its Independent Travel Experts division last November.

Anna Perrot was appointed head of cruise and Emily Sutton was promoted to director of operations in December.

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