Kelly Cookes to leave Advantage for InteleTravel

Advantage Travel Partnership chief commercial officer Kelly Cookes is to leave the consortium to join expanding homeworking agency InteleTravel.

 

Cookes has worked for Advantage since 2019 and was promoted from leisure director to chief commercial officer in June 2022.

 

She will join InteleTravel as commercial director on September 1 and will report to managing director Tricia Handley-Hughes.

 

The agency said she will have responsibility for “optimising all commercial activity and partner engagement, supported by the marketing communications team”.

 

Handley-Hughes said: “I am excited for this new role as it will further boost our growth strategy. Kelly brings diverse experience to the business as we review our distribution channels and continue our revenue-driven success."

 

Cookes added: "I am excited to be joining Tricia and the team at InteleTravel at such a pivotal time in their growth. Their energy, ambition and vision are truly inspiring, and I look forward to contributing to their continued success.

 

“It will be a privilege to be part of a team that is shaping the future, and I am eager to bring my skills and passion to help drive innovation and expansion."

 

Prior to Advantage, Cookes spent 12 years with Thomas Cook and the Freedom Travel Group.

Advantage confirmed there were no plans to replace Cookes, with other members of the senior leadership team taking on her responsibilities. She will remain with the consortium until June, working on “several projects where there is no conflict with her new role”.

Advantage chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said said: “Kelly leaves Advantage with our sincere thanks. During her time with us she has made a significant contribution to our business, and we wish her well in her new role. Kelly is due to be with us until the end of June, working on several projects, where there is no conflict with her new role.”

She added: “At the time of John Sullivan’s promotion to commercial director last July, he assumed greater accountability for our overall commercial partnerships, including latterly, the commercial requirements of our Global Business Travel division which enable us to leverage our significant scale.

“This transition, combined with our robust and experienced commercial team in place across the group, means that we are already positioned strongly in this key strategic area as we continue driving growth and therefore, we have no plans to replace the chief commercial officer role.”

Advantage also announced head of finance Nick Rowe has been promoted to the role of finance director. Rowe joined the consortium in November 2023 from James Villas and will take on his new role from July 1.

Lo Bue-Said said: “Since joining us 18 months ago Nick has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic commercial insight and a deep understanding of our business operations.

“He has successfully led key financial initiatives, improved reporting accuracy and contributed significantly to our long-term planning and fiscal responsibility.”

 

InteleTravel said Cookes’ appointment supports another record-breaking year, with the business currently reporting a 69% rise in revenues compared to the same period in 2024.

 

Since US-based InteleTravel expanded into the UK in 2018, its network of agents has grown to more than 35,000 across the UK and 1,000 in Ireland.

The homeworking agency increased its revenues in the UK and Ireland by 88% last year over 2023, posting a total of £155 million – ahead of its £145 million projection. It expects to hit the £200 million mark in 2025.

 

In March, it confirmed the takeover of UK-based event ticketing platform Tickitto for an undisclosed sum.

 

It was InteleTravel’s fourth acquisition in two years following deals for corporate travel alliance Hickory Global Partners, meetings and industry agency MGME and long-haul operator Major Travel.

 

Inteletravel also plans to launch a business travel platform this year, called businesstravel.com.