Fred Olsen Travel head of commercial Paul Hardwick is to become a non-executive director of Advantage Travel Partnership.
He will be mainly responsible for representing the interests of leisure travel members on the board of the consortium when he takes up the position on September 24.
Hardwick is a former retail travel agent who went on to establish his own independent agency working from home in 2004.
He sold the expanded business to Fred Olsen Travel four years later.
Hardwick now oversees more than 60 franchisees, online business and commercial arrangements for the company while still running the day-to-day operation of the retail branches.
Advantage chairman Steven Esom said: “In his role at Fred Olsen, Paul has grown the busiess through his forward thinking and progressive approach to business and we look forward to working with him.
“These are unprecedented times and Paul’s experience will be a welcome addition to supporting the business and our overall strategic vision.”
Hardwick added: “In this current climate, I am looking forward to helping members navigate through this challenging period.”