IAN Smith’s 10-year reign as managing director of market leader Lunn Poly is over following a restructure at Thomson Travel Group which sees him concentrate on running its specialist tour operators.
Travel Weekly exclusively predicted that Smith would be leaving Lunn Poly on September 16 1998.
Under the restructure, Thomson managing director Richard Bowden-Doyle is promoted by being given the additional title of MD UKdistribution and will now also be responsible for Lunn Poly.
On the retail side, Bowden-Doyle will have two people directly reporting to him – Thomson holiday services director Nigel David who becomes Lunn Poly MD; and business development director, UK distribution Nigel Cleevely who becomes MD UKretail development, responsible for call centres and recent acquisitions, Sibbald Travel and Callers Pegasus. Bowden-Doyle will also have two people reporting to him on the operating side. They are current deputy MD Peter Brown and marketing director Sean Powell, who is also promoted to deputy MD.