Claire Good has stepped up to become chief operating officer for Travelodge after five years with the business.
The first woman to take up the role, she becomes the fourth female of the budget hotel group’s operating board.
She played a key role leading Travelodge’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Good has been serving in the role on an interim basis since January, responsible for leading the company’s operations across its hotels in the UK and Ireland.
She joined Travelodge in 2016 as head of central operations before becoming director of central operations.
Good has 20 years of experience in leading customer and commercial transformation programmes across consumer-facing businesses including Heathrow and Orange.
Chief executive Craig Bonnar said: “Claire has a wealth of operational experience across many customer-facing businesses and I have had the pleasure of working closely with her at Travelodge over the last few years.
“During this time, I have been deeply impressed by her leadership skills, industry knowledge and extensive customer experience, which has had a strong positive impact on our operations function, helping maximise efficiency and productivity.
“Over the past year in particular, Claire has played an instrumental role in the group’s Covid response, and with her strong skillset and passion for hospitality, she is the ideal choice to continue leading our operations and support us in our on-going transformation as we emerge from the pandemic.”
Good added: “I feel hugely proud and privileged to be appointed Travelodge’s chief operating officer, especially as the first woman to take up this role, at this exciting and important time for the business.
“Travelodge is a fantastic brand and during my five years here, I have seen the business transform at a remarkable pace, showing incredible resilience, in particular over the last year; a time which has challenged the whole industry.
“Looking ahead, I am excited to build on the brand’s strong foundation and continue working with the leadership team and our brilliant colleagues as we look ahead to the next phase of our growth.”