New female lead takes over from James Herbert
Tailormade tour operator Audley Travel has expanded its Group Executive Board with the appointment of Lisa Fitzell as chief product and operations officer.
Fitzell joins with a strong track record in building high-performing teams, strategic growth and operational excellence.
Said to cement Audley’s “commitment to continued growth”, Fitzell will set the strategic direction for Audley’s product and operations functions.
Her past experience includes leading two of the UK’s premier luxury travel brands, Elegant Resorts and If Only, as well as being the managing director of DTH (Diethelm) Travel in Asia where she successfully led a strategic turnaround to achieve commercial growth and market expansion.
The operator’s previous chief product and operations officer, James Herbert, has moved into a new role as chief commercial transformation officer as of 1 July (remaining on the Group Executive Board), and is covering the product and operations responsibilities in the interim.
Fitzell won’t take up her role until 6 October, based in the Witney, Oxfordshire office for the company.
Nick Longman, CEO, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Lisa to the senior team at Audley. She brings a wealth of experience across travel, tourism, retail, DMCs, tour operations, and ultra-luxury hospitality and is perfectly placed to help achieve our aspiration of elevating our global presence and enriching our product offering.”
Fitzell added: “I am passionate about curating extraordinary tailor-made travel experiences and building a product portfolio that reflects the richness and individuality of each clients’ journey – both of which are matched by Audley Travel’s ethos.
“It is an incredibly exciting time to join the business and I’m eager to work with the team to ensure Audley continues to deliver inspirational client experiences across all destinations.”
