The Travel Corporation (TTC) has unveiled details of a new unified North America leadership structure for its Specialist & Adventure (S&A) Division, bringing African Travel, Brendan Vacations and Lion World Travel under a single leadership model.
TTC executive Guy Young has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, Specialist & Adventure, North America for the division and will report to Alastair Campbell, Global CEO, TTC Specialist & Adventure.
According to Young, this development comes at a time of unprecedented investment in product, technology and trade partnership support, creating a stronger platform for future growth.
Each brand will retain its distinct identity, with dedicated sales, marketing and contact center teams remaining in place to ensure continuity and the high levels of service and expertise for which each brand is known.
Young explained: “The travel trade remains at the heart of our business. Bringing these brands together under one leadership structure allows us to work more closely behind the scenes, sharing expertise, scaling what works and investing more effectively across the portfolio. That means we can continue to raise the bar on the experiences we deliver for our guests, while giving our trade partners even greater support, consistency and confidence as we grow.”
Catherine Reilly will continue in her role as Managing Director of Brendan Vacations, based in Dublin, with a continued focus on operational excellence and delivering exceptional guest experiences.
Whitney Ramirez joins the division as SVP, Sales, overseeing sales and contact center operations for all brands. A longtime executive at The Travel Corporation, she most recently served as SVP, Sales, North America for TTC tour brands. Her deep trade relationships, experience managing large sales teams and contact center expertise position her well for this new role.
As part of this change, Sherwin Banda, President of African Travel, will be leaving TTC to pursue new opportunities.
Said Young: “Sherwin has played an important role in the growth of African Travel and has been a highly respected leader across the business. We thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in the future.”
And he continued: “We are confident in this new structure that allows TTC to scale its Specialist & Adventure brands while staying true to what makes each brand distinctive in the marketplace and ultimately, connecting people and places through meaningful travel experiences.”
