The Travel Network Group has appointed Julie Pinkney in the new role of retail director.
She will oversee the group’s eight owned travel stores, its members’ Cruise Club and its in-house dynamic packaging platform Dynamic.
Pinkney, who officially joined earlier this month, has been a consultant for the past six years working in the travel industry with clients including Hotelbeds Group, The Malvern Group, Sabre Travel and Teletext Holidays.
Prior to that she held senior management positions at Lastminute.com, Holiday Autos, Medhotels and Travel Bargains. She also worked at the Going Places agency chain early in her career.
This week The Travel Network Group bought West Midlands-based agency Destina Travel. The business includes an agency and a small operator trading under the Mercian Travel brand, which runs bridge and bowling tours.
More:The Travel Network Group buys Destina Travel
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Group chief executive Gary Lewis said: “We welcome Julie to our group as she has a range of specialist skills and experience that will add real value to our strategy going forward.
“Having worked in sales, retail and tour operations she will be a real asset to the team and through her early career as a travel agent, has a great understanding of the retail travel environment, understanding how our members operate and how we can better serve them in this key area.
“Julie will be tasked with helping us drive further sales for members and business partners in all her areas of responsibility, and using our owned stores to test new systems, products and processes that will bring further learnings to share with our members and their businesses.”
Pinkney, who reports directly into Lewis, said: “I am delighted to be joining the group and feel excited to be working within a consortium organisation, an area of the industry I haven’t worked in before. I see lots of opportunities to build on the strength of the group and in helping the business deliver greater value to members.”
Last week the consortium announced that its chief operating officer Lisa Henning is to step down in 12 months after seven years with the group.