Steve Clark, a founder of The Travel Network Group formerly the Travel Trust Association, is to take a more prominent role after the consortium parted company with its group commercial director.
The Travel Network confirmed this week that Ellis Cain-Jones had left the company on Friday after just a year in the role. He joined from Virgin Holidays where he was general manager worldwide.
Clarke, who had taken on a part-time role as he approaches retirement has been brought back in to lead the group’s commercial activities while a review of the structure is carried out.
This will be done by Gary Lewis, group managing director of The Travel Network Group who described the departure of Cain-Jones as “amicable”.
“Ellis left the business due to personal reasons,” he said. “However, the parting has been amicable and we wish him all the very best with this future career.”
Lewis added: “The way we run our commercial division and our interface with the UK travel trade plays a key role in our overall success as a group.
“Therefore, I will be taking time to consider its leadership going forward. In the meantime Steve has a wealth of experience in the travel industry and extremely strong relationships with all our partners.
“I am very confident therefore, that our commercial strategy is in very good hands.”
Lewis wrote to members of the Travel Trust Association on Monday advising them of Cain-Jones’ departure.
He also told members that the group did not need to become an Atol accredited body for Flight-Plus because its Atol Angel, Honeycomb Solution and franchise arrangement with the CAA meant it did not have to.
Honeycomb has been demonstrated to members in a series of Atol roadshows held across the UK and is ready to launch on April 30, Lewis said.
Problems with flight feeds via Travelport have been ironed out, said Lewis, but otherwise he said the technology system was working well.