Thomas Cook Group director of government and external affairs Andy Cooper is leaving today after five years with the business.
Cooper was head of legal services for Airtours and then MyTravel from 1989 until 2003, when he became director general of the Federation of Tour Operators.
Following the merger of the FTO and Abta, he became the association’s head of development, before joining Cook in April 2009.
He stepped down from the Abta board in May, 2013, after serving the maximum of two consecutive terms.
Cooper said he would be looking for another role in travel following a period of gardening leave. Today is the 25th anniversary of his first day in the industry.
He said: “It’s been a time of incredible change at Thomas Cook and I believe the company will go from strength to strength. It’s been a great experience.
“I’ll be having a break and considering my options. I definitely intend to do something else in the travel industry and use my skills.”
Cooper’s departure comes at the end of a week in which a number of management changes were revealed at the travel giant.
Travel Weekly revealed yesterday that marketing chief Mike Hoban had left the business, while on Wednesday it was announced that UK managing director Reto Wilhelm had returned to Switzerland for family reasons, with Salman Syed appointed to report into Peter Fankhauser in the newly created position of UK managing director of commercialisation.
Cook declined to comment.