Former dnata Travel senior vice president Steve Barrass will join The Appointment Group as chief executive from August.
The Appointment Group specialises in the music, entertainment, film and media industries and acts as a travel management company to wealthy private clients.
The group was founded in London in 1988 by Maurice Veronique and John Gianquitto who continue to act as joint chairmen and chief executive officers.
Travel Weekly reported last month that Barrass would leave Emirates-owned dnata Travel at the end of July.
He joined dnata as chief executive of Gold Medal in 2014 when the Dubai-based group acquired the long-haul, scheduled-flight distributor from Thomas Cook.
Barrass subsequently took over dnata’s supplier relations and became senior vice-president for new ventures (Europe) in September last year.
He previously held senior leisure-sector roles at Thomas Cook, XL Leisure Group and Airtours (Mytravel).
Barrass, a former managing director of Airtours, worked through the company’s merger with Thomas Cook in 2007 and then left to join XL Travel Group as a director.
He re-joined Thomas Cook in late 2008 as managing director for direct holidays following the failure of XL in September that year. Cook acquired Gold Medal in the same year.
The Appointment Group is a leading member of the Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC).
Veronique, a former chairman of the GTMC, lives on the US West Coast and oversees the group’s strategy and growth from offices in Los Angeles, New York, Melbourne and Sydney.
He is a trained accountant and former finance director, and ex-chairman of the GTMC.
John Gianquitto, who previously worked for British Airways and Trinifold Travel, is based in the group’s London office.
Barrass was unavailable for comment.