‘Opportunity to develop agent relationships,’ says new Virgin Holidays boss

Mark Anderson, who was announced yesterday as the successor to Amanda Wills as managing director, told Travel Weekly that his first tasks will be ensuring there is a smooth handover and listening to his own staff and suppliers.

Anderson, who has been promoted from customer director, the role he has held since 2008, revealed he would then focus on accelerating parts of the three-year strategy that the long-haul operator is currently half-way through.

These include further expansion of the retail network and even greater coordination between the company’s different sales channels to offer exemplary customer service.

And he said of his trade relations: “Now’s not the right time to announce what’s going to be our long-term strategy in that area, but my view is that we have worked very well with a number of trade agents. It’s a huge market so why would we not make the most of that?

“We have some very strong relationships with some key partners but I think there are opportunities out there that we haven’t developed and we will.”

Commenting on his own business beliefs, Anderson said: “If you cut me open, Mark Anderson would stand for simplicity, synergy (with the likes of Virgin Atlantic) and playing to our strengths. It’s much easier to do something better that you already do well, than do something totally new that’s not inherent to your business.

“We have a comprehensive strategy, but with any strategy, there are parts that you have excelled at and parts that there is a bigger opportunity, so I’ll be looking at what’s been stopping us doing certain things quicker.”

Anderson joined Virgin Holidays in 2005 and said he had learned a great deal from working closely with Wills over the past eight-and-a-half years.

He said: “She’s left me with some big shoes to fill but also an amazing legacy and I am so grateful to her for all her mentoring and support.”

Asked if he would lead the company very differently and change the culture that Wills had engendered, Anderson said; “In terms of what the company looks like, I don’t see any big changes.

“Virgin Holidays has a great reputation amongst customers and the industry. Amanda played a huge part in that, but I played a big role in developing those company values. It ain’t broke, so I am not coming in trying to fix anything; part of my remit is to ensure that culture remains.”

And he added: “If I were to define my style, I am a great believer in strong leadership, and in bringing that team with me and doing things through my people. I am also a believer in putting the customer at the heart of the business.”

Anderson said he had not thought twice about putting his name forward for the managing director role.

“It was not a long decision at all. I really wanted to go for it. There is a lot to do,” he said, adding that Wills, Virgin Atlantic chief executive Craig Kreeger and Virgin Group chairman Sir Richard Branson had all been involved in the appointment.

Looking ahead, he said: “We have some very exciting opportunities going forward. There are definitely opportunities to expand our retail network which now stands at over 100 stores, mostly concession-based outlets in the likes of House of Fraser, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Debenhams. But we need to do that profitably. It’s about having a balanced strategy and focusing on the right opportunities as they come up.”

He said the latest announcement that the Virgin Group may operate its own cruise ships offered Virgin Holidays Cruise a unique opportunity.

“Those plans for ships are still being developed but I think it’s another really interesting opportunity for Virgin as a group and for Virgin Holidays Cruise.”

During his tenure at Virgin Holidays, Anderson’s key achievements have included:

• Spearheading the rapid expansion of the Virgin Holidays retail channel, growing it from 20 to over 100 outlets in three years through enhanced strategic relationships with Virgin Holidays’ key retail partners, while reducing costs and increasing profitability.
• Successfully driving innovation and efficiencies in the Virgin Holidays customer experience strategy. He led the cross-functional planning and delivery of both the London Gatwick and Manchester Airport v-rooms in the UK, and introduced the in-resort Concierge services and lounges overseas. During this time, he also drove down the cost to serve ratio – contributing to an 18-point increase in customer recommendation in five years, and making Virgin Holidays a top 10 company for customer service in the UK.
• Building and leading a number of successful teams, both in the UK and overseas, to deliver his strategic vision across various areas of the business, with a personal leadership score in the top 5% nationally.

Anderson said recruiting a new marketing director to replace Andrew Shelton, who announced his departure from Virgin Holidays just days after Will’s revealed she was leaving, was not an immediate priority.

He said: “We have appointed Emma Harris as interim marketing director. She headed up marketing at Eurostar for ten years before becoming a brand consultant for the last two years. She is now working for us in an interim role so finding a permanent replacement for Andrew does not need to be my first priority.”

Kreeger added: “Mark is a true commercial customer champion – someone who is able to simultaneously focus on what makes Virgin Holidays a truly great brand, and a successful business.

“He’s also a proven leader who has demonstrated repeatedly at Virgin Holidays that he knows how to get the best out of the people around him. I am delighted to make this appointment and I speak on behalf of the entire leadership team when I say we’re looking forward to working closely with him.”