Kuoni communications director Rachel O’Reilly is to take on an extended remit for the brand’s parent company Dertour UK.
The move will be effective from April 1 and will see O’Reilly oversee communications for Dertour’s brands including Carrier, CV Villas, Kirker, Kuoni, Journey Latin America, Jules Verne and Solmar.
In her new role as Dertour UK communications director she will report to the company’s interim chief executive Francis Torilla and will work with the individual brands’ managing directors on communications strategy and crisis management.
The move follows the recent announcement that Dertour had reached an agreement to acquires Hotelplan and its brands including Inghams, Explore Worldwide and Santa’s Lapland.
O’Reilly has led Kuoni’s communications team for more than a decade and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years, including as head of PR for Tui UK.
Torrilla said: “Rachel is well known in the industry as a senior communications player, she has gained an outstanding reputation with the media as a spokesperson and I’m looking forward to working with her more closely in the new group role.
“Our specialist brands and the wider Dertour group will benefit from her experience, and I am pleased we are able to progress the careers of our senior female talent at Dertour UK.”
O’Reilly added: “After 10 brilliant years representing the Kuoni brand, I’m looking forward to taking on a new remit.
“It has been a privilege to lead the PR for a brand like Kuoni for so long and be part of the recent rebrand alongside [managing director] Mark Duguid and the leadership team.
“I have worked closely with the Dertour group communications team for a number of years since Kuoni was acquired in 2015 and it is exciting to be part of a thriving travel group.”