Hays Travel commercial director Andrea Kendal (pictured) is to leave the group to become managing director of Affordable Car Hire.
Kendal leaves next month after nine years with Hays and starts in the new role at the car rental firm on May 11.
Affordable Car Hire said Kendal’s appointment aimed to strengthen the company’s senior team following expansion in both the UK and global markets.
In the newly-created role, Kendal will work closely with chief executive Angela Day and chairman James Moore on global markets, and with operations director Natalie Mclean on UK projects.
Day said: “Andrea’s extensive experience in understanding the travel trade’s needs will be vital to Affordable Car Hire’s ambitious expansion plans, having built her travel sector career with Hays for the past nine years.”
Hays Travel managing director John Hays said: “This is an exciting opportunity for Andrea to join a fast-growing, well regarded company which has strong links with Hays Travel. I wish Andrea well, and thank her for her contribution over the last nine years.”
Kendal will still attend the Hays Independence Group annual conference in Birmingham next week where she will be presenting to members. Hays staff were told the news in an internal announcement last week.
She will be replaced at Hays by Lauren Baldassarra, who is head of Hays Beds, Hays Transfers and Hays Flights. She will expand her current product role to take on the role of head of commercial.
Hays added: “She is ambitious and she’s been with us since she left school. I am confident she will be a very able successor.”
Baldassarra worked in Hays Travel’s call centre from 2000 to 2008 and has worked in a variety of product roles since, taking on her current role in September 2013.