Thomas Cook puts emphasis on e-commerce

Thomas Cook has signified the importance of the internet to its operations by promoting flights and ancillaries boss Carol Dray to a new position of e-commerce director. But the senior management overhaul move comes as part of a massive restructuring of the tour operator, which could lead to up to 325 members of staff could…

Thomas Cook has signified the importance of the internet to its operations by promoting flights and ancillaries boss Carol Dray to a new position of e-commerce director.

But the senior management overhaul move comes as part of a massive restructuring of the tour operator, which could lead to up to 325 members of staff could being made redundant.

The company plans to merge the backoffice operations of Thomas Cook Signature, its scheduled flights and cities tour operation, with its mass market business to form Thomas Cook Holidays Division.

Dray is expected to be joined by Signature’s sales director Manuel Mascarenhas, who will be handed a senior role.

Signature managing director Joanna Edmunds is one of the early casualties as part of the restructuring, unveiled by chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa this week.

It is estimated the restructuring will save Thomas Cook around £20 million a year.

Fontenla-Nova said: “Current trading remains uncertain with sales down across the industry around six per cent on last year.

“However, Thomas Cook is trading well and we are maintaining a leading position through having made sound decisions on capacity planning and yield management.

“We’re currently out performing the market by around 5% and I remain confident that this trend will continue as we enter the spring booking period.”