HODGE PODGE: Shifts, Shakeups and Occasional Shaftings in the Tour and Travel Industry

Dyrana Guimarães, who moved on to AIT last summer after the collapse of Nascimento Turismo, where she had directed sales operations at the company’s Rio de Janeiro office for seven years, has left the former to become a partner of Peter Adour and Diana Prudencio in Portfolio Travel Solutions, another Rio-based operator specializing in international travel, including a variety of North American product.

Amanda Darrington has been appointed to the newly created position of sales director at Funway Holidays. She joins the company from Kuoni (UK), where she served for seven years, most recently as head of trade sales. A veteran of more than 25 years in the tour and travel industry, Darrington’s CV also includes tenures with Thomas Cook and Thomson.

Roberto Matsuzaka has been named senior manager of the strategic partnerships area of the new Brazilian operation of HRS, the hotel booking platform. He will focus on working TMCs, GDSs and OBTs. Matsuzaka has more than 15 years of experience with companies such as International Utell/Pegasus, HotelDo.com (Bestday), Accor Hotels and American Express.

Barbara Haase has been appointed chief marketing officer for TUI, where she will be responsible for brand management of the TUI Group. Haase has a history of experience in the consumer goods and service industries. She spent 11 years with Sony, where she eventually became vice president of marketing communications in Europe. She was later responsible for marketing communications and brand management for Vodafone Germany, and was head of marketing and sales for the BMW Group. In October 2012, she returned to Vodafone in London, where she was responsible for global brand management.

Sonja Karl has taken over in Germany as head of long-haul holidays and the luxury program, Thomas Cook Selection, including long-haul flight contracting, yield and product management. Karl, who was previously senior product manager for Asia, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean, takes over from Sascha Büsseler, who has switched to the new short-haul product and yield management team where he and ex-Sun Express manager Andreas Thams are responsible for coordinating flight procurement, yield and product

Heike Pabst, the long-time head of FTI’s North America program and the FTI Gold luxury holidays program, has left the company at her own wish. The responsibility for the North America program was transferred at the start of 2015 to a new Swiss-based unit but she remained head of FTI Gold until year’s end.

Alan MacLean, a 25-year veteran of the tour and travel industry and managing director of Cosmos Tours since July 2010, is leaving the company, which was folded into the Monarch Holidays brand last year. He will depart at the end of January to “pursue other interests,” a company statement said. “The decision to step down is with mutual consent and the company thanks Alan for his leadership, dedication and hard work during his seven years with the business,” the company said.