Three former directors of homeworking agency Holidaysplease will leave the business at the end of this week, a year after it was sold to Travel Counsellors.
Charles Duncombe, Richard Dixon and Sonia Dixon had been contracted for a year to help Travel Counsellors with the handover.
Travel Counsellors announced it had acquired Holidaysplease on March 13, 2023 – marking the first acquisition in the homeworking firm’s near 30-year history. At the time, Holidaysplease had approximately 100 home-working travel experts, 50 franchisees and about 50 employees.
More: Travel Counsellors prioritises Holidaysplease integration over further deals
Travel Counsellors acquires Holidaysplease
Duncombe, who co-founded Holidaysplease with Richard Dixon in 2002, said he won’t leave the travel industry completely as he continues to be a non-executive director of Latin Routes.
He said: “I’m so grateful to everyone at Holidaysplease who helped to make the company the success it became. I will take some fantastic memories with me and I wish both past and present team members every success for the future, as they deserve it.
“I’m pleased that we have been able to help Travel Counsellors with their transition over the past year and subject to a couple of final remaining items, I hope to finish the final part of the transition nice and smoothly.”
Matt Harding, franchise sales director at Travel Counsellors, added: “We’re absolutely delighted to have worked closely with the team at Holidaysplease over the last 12 months overseeing the seamless integration of Holidaysplease and welcoming so many talented business owners into the Travel Counsellors community.
“We want to especially thank Charles, Richard and Sonia for all of the help, support and guidance they have provided us.
“The acquisition would not have been the success it has been without the special business and team they had built and the outstanding care and professionalism they have shown over this period – we wish them every success for the future.”
Duncombe, Dixon and his wife Sonia, and John McEwan resigned as directors of Holidaysplease on March 10, 2023, according to the firm’s Companies House entry.
Steve Byrne, Travel Counsellors chief executive, and Mat Hanson, chief financial officer at Travel Counsellors, were appointed as directors on the same date.
Richard Dixon added: “We all resigned as Holidaysplease directors when the acquisition went through and remained for the last year as Travel Counsellors senior executives to assist with the transition.”
Pictured from left: Duncombe, Sonia Dixon and Richard Dixon.