Matt Davies has been named the non-executive chairman of Travel Counsellors.
He has previously been responsible for the success of retail consumer brands including Pets at Home and Halfords.
In 2015, he was appointed chief executive of Tesco’s UK business, and was integral to the firm’s recent turnaround, culminating in the completion of a £3.7 billion takeover of wholesaler Booker Group earlier this year.
Having left Tesco following the completion of the transaction, he became one of the FTSE 350’s youngest chairman after being named chair of online retailer N Brown in February.
The appointment of Davies comes as Travel Counsellors announces its 12th consecutive year of double-digit revenue growth, with average annual turnover growth of 18 per cent over the past five years.
In the year to October 31st, 2017, total accounting turnover for the business rose to £217 million, up 15 per cent on the £188 million seen the year before.
These figures have been boosted by a strong start to 2018, with the business reporting that total bookings rose 12 per cent in the first half of the year to hit £328 million, and sales this year are on track to be in excess of £600 million.
Steve Byrne, chief executive at Travel Counsellors, said: “Over the course of his career, Matt has had a transformational impact on the retail sector, creating new standards of quality and building household names.
“This track record, combined with his commitment to customer service and passion for putting people at the heart of a business, makes him the ideal non-executive chairman for Travel Counsellors.”
Founded in Manchester in 1994, Travel Counsellors has grown to become a global travel company, providing bespoke holiday and corporate travel packages to over 450,000 customers each year.
Matt Davies, non-executive chairman at Travel Counsellors, said: “I’m delighted to be joining Travel Counsellors as Chairman and I’m really looking forward to supporting Steve and the team in delivering world class travel experiences to customers across the globe.
“I have never met a team with such passion, energy and commitment to delivering for their customers and as obsessive about putting its people and customers at the epicentre of everything it does.”