Intrepid Travel has appointed Hazel McGuire (pictured left) in the newly-created role of UK and Ireland general manager.
She joins the responsible travel specialist with 17 years of experience in senior commercial, marketing, and general management positions across the travel and transport industries.
In travel, she has held roles at Flight Centre Travel Group touring brands Topdeck Travel and Back Roads Touring, as well as global hop-on, hop-off sightseeing brand Big Bus Tours.
Based in the company’s Brixton office, she will be responsible for providing leadership in the UK and Ireland, implementing strategic plans, managing day-to-day business, and ensuring the company achieves its goals.
She will report to EMEA managing director Zina Bencheikh, who is taking on an expanded remit, looking after the company’s destination management companies in the region as well as the UK business, and leading expansion into new European markets.
McGuire said: “I’ve long admired Intrepid Travel – its product, the brand, the company’s B Corp status and its commitment to sustainable travel and focus on giving back to the communities and destinations it visits.
“When the opportunity arose to join the business as general manager for the UK, I jumped at the chance.
“The team is in a great place, having been led through Covid by Zina, and I look forward to working with such a passionate group of people to lead Intrepid Travel in its next phase of growth in the UK market.”
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Bencheikh added: “The UK has been stronger than other markets to recover from the market – in fact it is currently our top source market globally, in no small part thanks to our agent partners.
“Having Hazel’s support will help us take the business to the next level in the UK and Ireland.”
Intrepid is also expanding its marketing team with the addition of Jamie-Lee Abtar (pictured right) in the role of marketing manager and Angela Chen as senior marketing manager.
Abtar said: “I’m delighted to be joining the team at Intrepid Travel and being a part of an organisation whose mission is to create positive change through the joy of travel.”
Over the past decade, Abtar has developed marketing and business development strategies for travel and lifestyle brands.
She regularly works with tourist boards, tour operators and marketing agencies to help them build brand awareness, engage and attract their ideal consumers.
She also works with travel industry organisations and associations such as Women in Travel CIC and ITT Future You to champion the importance of diversity, equity and inclusivity in the travel industry – with a focus on encouraging diverse talent and helping brands engage and attract Black, Asian and minority ethnic travellers.