Expanding homeworking business Personal Holiday Advisors has appointed well-known former Thomas Cook cluster manager Shaun Bashford as general manager.
The appointment comes as the Leeds-based business, which set up its homeworking arm last year, looks to expand from 14 homeworkers to 50 within two years.
Bashford was made redundant from his role as cluster manager for Sheffield North and Rotherham, overseeing five shops, last September after 20 years at Cook. It followed the company’s decision to scrap the cluster manager role as part of a nationwide shake-up.
He said: “I decided it was the right time to leave, go to pastures new to progress to the next level of my career. Homeworking is a new venture for me and I am finding it really interesting and exciting.”
Bashford was well known at the company having received the outstanding contribution award at the 2015 Thomas Cook Retail conference in Turkey for his decision to fly out to Venice to help two elderly clients to relive their honeymoon.
He replaces Michelle Morley at Personal Holiday Advisors who left after the company relocated to Leeds from Wakefield.
The company is now looking to recruit more self-employed homeworkers. Homeworkers work on self-generated sales and retain between 62% and 67% of commission depending on experience. They receive a laptop and documentation, payments and marketing are handled by head office for a monthly fee of £69.