Sunweb Group hires ex-Thomas Cook boss Alan French

The parent company of online ski specialist Sunweb has hired ex-Thomas Cook boss Alan French as chief product and technology officer.

French, who was most recently chief executive of the relaunched online-only Thomas Cook brand, will take up his role with Sunweb Group on May 11.

The group said he would focus on “translating the company’s technology vision into commercial growth” and using technology to further enhance the customer experience.

Lars Löfgren, interim chief executive of Sunweb Group, said: “Alan knows the travel industry inside out and understands better than anyone how technology and commercial growth reinforce each other.”

French said: “The travel industry is evolving at an incredible pace. My ambition is to stay ahead of those technological developments while keeping a strong focus on our commercial goals and delivering the best possible holiday experience for our customers.”

Rotterdam-headquartered Sunweb Group, which was founded in 1991, describes itself as “Europe’s largest ski holiday provider”. It said it serves 1.3 million travellers each year and generates more than £1 billion in annual revenue.