The combined marketing team will now total 60 members of staff, including a head of brand management, a brand development manager and a marketing manager to look after what Lastminute is describing as the "non pink" brands: onlinetravel.com and ifyouski.com.
The reorganisation will also see Travelocity.co.uk retaining a dedicated marketing manager. Hart will report to a Mark Jones, managing director of .
"These changes are being proposed to help us support our growing business and portfolio of brands most effectively over the next few years. It is important we retain a strong focus on the 'non pink' brands including, of course, Travelocity.co.uk, which has excellent brand recognition and requires dedicated, ring-fenced marketing support as a result," Hart said.
Most of the roles have been filled by existing employees from both organisations. A number of vacant positions are now being advertised externally.
Lastminute, which was founded in 1998, was acquired by Sabre in July this year for 拢577m. It was the darling of the dotcom boom and its founders, Brent Hoberman and Martha Lane Fox, became poster boy and girl for a new generation of entrepreneurs. Its initial public offering in March 2000 was hugely oversubscribed and its offer price was revised upwards from 230p a share range to 380p a share instead.
Moves at Lastminute.com
- Former Lastminute.com head of site management Duncan Horton has been promoted to become head of site management and search marketing, assuming responsibility for all search engine optimisation and related marketing activity across all UK brands.
- Former Lastminute.com media planning and purchase manager Stuart Parish takes the role of Travelocity.co.uk marketing manager.
- Louise Burns, former assistant travel marketing manager at Lastminute.com is promoted to marketing manager retail for the Lastminute.com travel brand.
- Karen Mullins moves from her CRM role at Travelocity.co.uk to become technical CRM manager with responsibility for all UK brands.
- Matt Cunliffe moves from his current role at Holiday Autos to become marketing manager travel brands with marketing responsibility for the Online Travel Corporation brands, Travel4less, Travelselect, Med Hotels Direct and Holiday Hotels.
- Mark McCulloch, formerly lifestyle marketing manager, has been named brand development manager for the Lastminute.com brand.
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