Opodo has created a new position of product and commercial director within its senior management team and handed the role to ex-TUI Specialist Holidays and British Airways Holidays boss Sally Balcombe. Balcombe joined Opodo in February 2005 and has been credited with overhauling the website’s hotel programme and overseeing a soon-to-be-launched dynamic packaging facility. The…
Opodo re-aligns commercial teams under Balcombe
Opodo has created a new position of product and commercial director within its senior management team and handed the role to ex-TUI Specialist Holidays and British Airways Holidays boss Sally Balcombe.
Balcombe joined Opodo in February 2005 and has been credited with overhauling the website’s hotel programme and overseeing a soon-to-be-launched dynamic packaging facility.
The new role will include responsibility for product, sales and commercial marketing across the Opodo group.
Balcombe’s promotion has been billed as coming at a “critical time” for the company as it looks to continue its growth in Europe.
She said: “One of my first tasks will be to ensure that Opodo has a fully integrated approach to the commercial cycle from the sourcing of products to the sales and marketing implementation through to optimising the conversion of all products across all our sites.”
“Bringing together the commercial and product departments will ensure this becomes a reality.”
Opodo chief executive Simon Vincent said the key role Balcombe had played since she joined from TUI has led to the creation of a new position to oversee product, sales and marketing.
Balcombe was previously managing director for the Specialist Sun Division of the Specialist Holidays Group within TUI and also ran British Airways Holidays between 2000 and 2001.
