The founder of Travel Trade Consultancy Matt Purser has joined The Firebird Partnership.
Purser has become a director at the specialist travel growth consultancy, set up in 2020 to advise SMEs on how to survive Covid, joining industry stalwarts Ian Finlay, Stewart Lambert, Chris Thompson and Mark Bush.
Purser started in the industry in 1989, working for the Civil Aviation Authority, where he was an Atol manager.
A leading consultant to the travel sector, he has more than 30 years’ experience, including in-depth knowledge of consumer financial protection. He set up Travel Trade Consultancy in 2005 and helped to grow it from a start-up to a multimillion-pound turnover business.
Purser will work in Firebird’s new Foundations for Growth review programme, launched in September to support businesses with in-depth analysis of their performance and how they can improve. The three-month review process covers data, finance, eCommerce, and marketing and other aspects, linking companies with a specialist team of industry strategists and followed by the appointment of an expert, non-executive director.
Announcing the news at the Aito Overseas Conference in Braga, Portugal, Ian Finlay, co-founder of The Firebird Partnership, said: “Matt is a guru for all things regulatory in the travel world, and a successful business leader.
“We have long wanted to bring this expertise to Firebird and I am absolutely delighted that we have done so through the addition of Matt to the team – in my opinion there is nobody better placed to help Firebird businesses.
“It’s a privilege to have him on board, and to share his specialist skillset through the Foundations for Growth programme.”
Purser said:: “I am very excited to join such an experienced and respected team. Being able to help businesses like those in the Foundations programme, has long been an ambition of mine. I can’t wait to assist these companies in reaching their goals.”
He added that the move to Firebird, which specialises in travel, hospitality, leisure and education, allowed him to get back to “problem solving”, and stay in the travel industry, working with companies on their future strategies.
Purser has sold his shares in TTC to director Martin Alcock, who will run the business.