Travelocity and lastminute.com today announced their combined European management team and revealed plans for the integration of their British businesses…
Travelocity and lastminute.com today announced their combined European management team and revealed plans for the integration of their British businesses. The combined organisation will be known as lastminute.com and will comprise multiple brands and businesses, including travelocity.co.uk. Both the lastminute.com and travelocity.co.uk websites will continue to be marketed actively.
As a first step in the integration process, travelocity.co.uk has started to integrate lastminute.com`s holiday and packaging products into its website. lastminute.com will incorporate Travelocity`s extensive range of merchant hotel content for non-European properties this month (September). This apart, the lastminute.com and travelocity.co.uk websites will continue to be marketed independently.
When the acquisition closed we said we intended to maintain a multi-brand approach where it makes sense, and share underlying infrastructure, technology and supplier relationships to drive cost savings, said Brent Hoberman, chief executive officer of lastminute.com. This is a classic example of that approach. We will continue to pursue opportunities to share products and technology to create the best possible offering for consumers and suppliers.
The companies are also considering a plan to consolidate their British operations into lastminute.com`s existing premises in London and the South-East, which could result in the closing of travelocity.co.uk`s one office in Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex. Eighty-five Travelocity employees are currently based in Stansted Mountfitchet.
We have begun consultation with our employees, and are discussing an option to close our Stansted Mountfitchet location, said Hoberman. Should we move forward with this plan, it`s our fervent hope that our Stansted Mountfitchet staff would choose to apply for new positions in our other offices.
The companies have also finalised their European management structure. Business operations will be led by Damon Tassone, deputy CEO, and Ian McCaig, group managing director. Both will report to Hoberman.
Tassone, who as President of Travelocity Europe previously headed all of Travelocity`s operations in Europe, will be responsible for the overall strategy and integration of the combined organisation`s air, car, hotel, packaging, holidays and lifestyle products. He will also focus on driving key elements of group strategy and business development, marketing, and B2B relationships.
McCaig, who was previously chief operating officer at lastminute.com, will take primary responsibility for the day-to-day trading and integration of Travelocity and lastminute.com across Europe. All country managing directors will therefore report to McCaig, who will also be responsible for driving operations strategy across the group.
Mike Remedios of lastminute.com will be chief information officer (CIO) of the combined organisation in Europe, while Arun Rajan of Travelocity is chief technology officer (CTO), leading technology integration and focusing on improvements in performance, process, and quality.
Ed Kamm moves from the position of chief financial officer (CFO) of Travelocity in the United States, to take the same position in the European business.
Mark Jones will become managing director in the combined UK organisation, responsible for all of the company`s brands and businesses here. Ned Booth will continue to lead travelocity.co.uk, reporting to Jones.
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