Tui’s general manager for commercial relations, Max Mason, is to leave the UK and Ireland business as part of a restructure of the commercial operations team.
In an email sent to retail partners last week, customer operations director Fraser Ellacott confirmed that Ed Sumner has been appointed into the role of head of commercial operations.
Sumner is now part of Ellacott’s leadership team and is at the head of an integrated commercial function which comprises the following departments: commercial relations, ancillaries, groups, weddings and youth sales, financial services, OTA business, and business and leisure travel.
Karen Doyle has also been promoted from her role as general manager of cruise distribution to general manager of commercial relations, responsible for all relationships with Tui UK and Ireland’s suppliers, agents and airports.
Doyle, who is understood to have been preferred over Mason for the wider role, will report directly to Sumner.
Miles Briggs will continue his role as general manager of financial services, responsible for Tui’s foreign exchange and insurance products, while Kay Dixon will continue to lead the group’s OTA business as its general manager of retail websites.
Ellacott said: “As a result of these changes, Max Mason is leaving Tui UK and Ireland; however, we are working closely with him on potential opportunities across our wider group business as we wish to retain him in the organisation.
“In the meantime I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Max for his hard work, valuable contribution and fantastic commitment he has given and specifically the Customer Operations management team.”
Ellacott added: “It’s all about setting us up commercially in a modern, digitally-focused, multi-channel world in the most efficient way. I’m delighted with Ed’s appointment and that of Karen.”
Mason has worked at Tui, and prior to that, First Choice, since 1998.