Avis reshuffles sales team in bid for more leisure bookings

Avis reshuffles sales team in bid for more leisure bookings

AVIS has restructured its sales team in an attempt to get more leisure car-rental bookings.

Avis UK director of travel sales Tom Knopek has been promoted to Avis Europe director of leisure sales, replacing William Willems, who is leaving in October. Avis UK sales manager retail travel Julia Kemp is moving up to Avis UK manager of travel sales.

Kemp will head an 18-strong team, which is relocating from Hayes to the Avis Europe office in Bracknell, and will continue to report into Knopek.

“We are a major leisure provider but we are not perceived as such,” said Knopek. “We have exclusive deals with Airtours,Thomas Cook, RCIand Air Miles and deals with many other leisure suppliers.

“We need to increase the profile of our team and publicise more what we are doing.”

Leisure sales account for 37% of Avis Europe’s and Avis UK’s business and Knopek said his target was to push it over 40% within two years. He said he would be spending time in Scandinavia, Germany, the UK and France, consolidating its European business.

The promotions take effect from September 1 and the company will also be seeking a replacement for Kemp and appointing a national account manager for e-commerce.

Knopek: wants a higher share of leisure car-rental bookings