Former Thomas Cook media and partnerships manager Andrew Pickering has joined tour operator Vacations to America.
Pickering started last week in the new role of product and partnerships manager.
Previously, he worked for 20 years in a variety of roles for Cook, which collapsed in September.
More: Tui recruits ex-Thomas Cook security chief
Thomas Cook Germany to close as administrators fail to find buyer
Jet2.com buys Thomas Cook slots at Birmingham, Stansted and Manchester
He is now based out of the operator’s Harpenden offices and is tasked with managing relationships with suppliers and tourist boards and overseeing some trade partnerships.
He said: “I am passionate about the travel industry and wanted to stay in travel so I put out feelers as soon as we heard the news. It was very much a shock but thankfully I knew a few people to ask about jobs.
“We will be working with agents to help them run events, promote and sell our destinations.”
The tour operator offers tailormade holidays including fly-drives and multi-centres to the US, and from next December, Canada. The new destination will feature in the operator’s forthcoming brochure.
It currently has 450 agents but hopes to grow this. It was not previously sold by Thomas Cook agents.
“We are keen to push that awareness of our product and speak to more independent agents,” added Pickering.
