Former Thomson boss Charles Gurassa will join the board of easyJet as a non-executive director from Monday and become deputy chairman from September 1.
Gurassa has 25 years’ experience of the travel industry, but has been outside the sector since 2003 when he stood down as executive chairman of Tui Northern Europe and the Tui Airline Group.
He spent a decade with Thomas Cook, where he rose to become retail general manager, a further decade with British Airways – where his roles included head of worldwide sales – and more than four years with Thomson and then Tui, beginning as Thomson Travel Group chief executive.
Gurassa was head of Thomson in 2000 when Germany’s Preussag, a former heavy industry group, bought the company and renamed itself Tui. He is also a former chairman of Virgin Mobile and former director of Whitbread, which is now run by Andy Harrison – chief executive of easyJet until a year ago.
Gurassa is currently chairman of Genesis Housing Association and of mobile communications group MACH. EasyJet chairman Sir Michael Rake said: “Charles is an experienced non-executive director with a deep understanding of the transport and travel sector.”
Gurassa said: “I’m very excited to be joining easyJet. I have long been an admirer of, and regular passenger with, the airline.”