ABTA has announced the appointment of two new board members.
Virgin Holidays sales and operations director Stewart Baird and TUI Travel UK marketing and product director Tim Williamson both take their positions with immediate effect.
Baird, who was been on the Federation of Tour Operators’ board from 2004 to 2008 and helped broker this year’s merger with ABTA, said: “I am delighted to accept the position on behalf of FTO members and feel the new ABTA organisation can drive significant change through the industry and provide real value for its members.
“I was excited by the prospect of bringing the FTO and ABTA together, and although this change will see challenges, I am committed with the rest of the board to driving integration and delivering the benefits to all members and to the sector as a whole.”
Williamson, who joined First Choice in 1996 and has since served on the FTO board, added: “The merger of ABTA and FTO holds some great challenges and massive opportunities for us all.
“The combined body will be far better placed to represent the needs of its industry-wide members and will be in a much stronger position to be taken even more seriously by government.”
The new appointments bring the number serving on the ABTA board from nine to 11.
The ABTA board in full
- TUI Travel UK marketing and product director Tim Williamson
- Virgin Holidays sales and operations director Stewart Baird
- Britaly Travel owner Daniele Broccoli
- The Co-operative Travel managing director Mike Greenacre
- Sunvil Holidays managing director Noel Josephides
- Cosmos Holidays overseas, purchasing and special products director Hugh Morgan
- Lastminute.com UK managing director John Bevan
- Thomas Cook director of quality and safety John de Vial
- Majestic Travel managing director Steven Freudmann
- Classic Collection Holidays non-executive director Justin Fleming