Travel management company Gray Dawes Group has appointed luxury expert Evan Desmond as head of leisure.
Desmond, who has spent the last eight years in the senior leadership team at luxury tour operator Destinology, joins Gray Dawes following its recent acquisition of Ventur Luxury Travel.
Gray Dawes Group’s chief operating officer David Bishop said: “Evan’s experience and relationships within luxury leisure travel specifically are things that we knew would have an immediate impact on our plans for growth, and we’re very excited to have him on board.”
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Harrogate-based Ventur Luxury Travel – formerly Traveltalk – is one of 13 businesses acquired by Gray Dawes, with the three most recent purchases taking place in the last nine months.
Desmond’s roles at Destinology included head of marketing and head of specialist product & partnerships.
On his new job, he said: “I’m incredibly excited about this role and even more so about joining a company with a strong vision to become a big player in the luxury travel space.
“It’s an honour to be leading an ambitious project like this for such a well-respected and successful business.”
Bishop added: “We’re pleased to be in a position to be able to acquire some of the industry’s top talent and to continue to invest in growing our leisure program.”
Gray Dawes Group said its recent acquisitions mean it now has a global presence in both the business and leisure markets. Its offices across the UK, US and Australia allow it to offer clients a 24/7 follow-the-sun service, the company said.
Ventur Luxury Travel, previously owned by Evan’s Property Group, was acquired by Gray Dawes in August 2022 with a view to it becoming the face of the group’s continuing expansion into luxury leisure travel.
Gray Dawes Travel, part of the Gray Dawes Group, is an independent UK-headquartered travel management company with offices across the UK, Australia and USA.