TRAVELPORT has been hit by the departure of three senior executives in the same week parent company Cendant said it is to sell off the travel division.
All three claimed their moves were unrelated to the $4.3 billion sale of the division, which includes Galileo, Travel 2/4, Octopus Travel, Gullivers Travel and Ebookers, to venture-capital firm The Blackstone Group.
Octopus Travel global managing director Daniella Wagner announced her sudden departure after three years at the company last week – the day before the formal sale announcement. She leaves on July 14.
Meanwhile, this week Travel 2/4 director of sales David Holland announced his departure after 16 years to join direct rival Gold Medal Travel. He is on six months’ gardening leave until he starts as sales director for the Gold Medal Travel Group in October.
Holland said the timing of his move was “pure coincidence”.
“There is nothing at all to read into the timing. I felt it was the right time to move and it’s a great opportunity,” he added.
Jill Martin was head of sales at Gold Medal Travel until her departure in March.
Managing director Terry Fisher, who joined in May, said Holland’s role was different from Martin’s and demonstrated Gold Medal’s commitment to working more closely with agents.
He did not know whether Holland’s decision to move was prompted by Travelport’s sale but said it was inevitable staff would consider their futures. “David is an ideal candidate. He knows the trade inside out,” he added.
A further departure was Travelport senior technical products manager Jagjivan Ram, who joins Cheapflights.co.uk as head of product development.
More changes at Travelport are expected in the next few weeks following the sale, which should be complete in the final quarter of the year after US regulatory approval.
The overhaul of Ebookers is set to go ahead despite speculation US online agency Orbitz will absorb the brand and launch in Europe.
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