IT’S TIME for Thomson Travel Group’s non-executive directors to stop twiddling their thumbs and giveacting chief executive Roger Burnell the job on a full-time basis.
Burnell should then bring in four or five heavyweights from rival companies to help him restore the fortunes of the market leader, because he won’t be able to do it all on his own.
When Burnell first took over from predecessor Paul Brett, I wouldn’t have given him a chance of getting the job. He was old school and old culture and the city was crying out for sweeping changes.
But in the past couple of months, Burnell has convinced many that he can lead those sweeping changes.
When you hear him speak, there is none of the old Thomson arrogance or belief that market share is paramount.
Instead he has a refreshing outlook that almost makes him sound as though he has come from the outside.
And if there’s one person who will now focus on profit and avoid price wars, surely its Burnell.
Thomson has few other alternatives because anyone else will take a year to become effective. Good people inside the industry will be on 12 months’ notice and an outsider will take as long to learn the business. Another year of floundering and Thomson could be finished as a major force in the industry.
Jeremy Skidmore – editor