Travelport has confirmed Gordon Wilson is to become president and chief executive from June as current chief Jeff Clarke takes up the chairmanship.
Wilson was made deputy chief executive last November and was widely expected to take the top job having headed up the firm’s core GDS and airline IT business business as chief executive for the last five years.
Clarke said: “With Gordon’s vision, deep industry, commercial and operational expertise he is ideally qualified to manage the firm globally.”
Wilson, who is UK-based, has also been appointed to the Travelport board and his current role overseeing the GDS will be included among his new responsibilities. Clarke will be responsible for “Travelport’s strategic investments” and remain chairman of online travel agency business Orbitz.
Chip Schorr, the current chairman, said: “I’d like to thank Jeff Clarke for his transformative leadership of Travelport over his tenure as president and chief executive. With the completed sale of GTA to Kuoni Travel Ltd on May 5, Travelport is now focused on its GDS business; the firm’s most strategic and largest business.
“Over the last five years of Jeff’s leadership, Travelport has been successfully repositioned as a globally diversified GDS with a culture of innovation in key products and technologies along with improved efficiency and execution.”
Eric Bock, chief administrative officer and general counsel, Phillip Emery, chief financial officer, and Lee Golding, executive vice president of human resources will continue in their current roles reporting to Wilson.