THE appointment of Lisa Fitzell, former global land product director at STA Travel, as the group managing director of Diethelm Travel, marked a few strategic changes currently taking place in the Bangkok-based DMC as well as the parent DK Travel Group.
Unlike the recent leadership changes at Diethelm, which saw existing executives in the DMC promoted to the top post, Fitzell hailed from another business unit in the DK Travel Group. She was previously based in the UK and has recently moved to Bangkok to assume her new role at Diethelm Travel.
Maarten Groeneveld, who was appointed CEO of Diethelm Travel in December last year, has left the company.
In a press statement, DK Travel Group CEO John Constable has announced “a stronger working relationship between all Diethelm Keller-owned travel brands, including Diethelm Travel and STA Travel, under a new umbrella brand DK Travel Group”.
“This development enables us to operate as a connected business – sharing resources, systems, services and products – whilst maintaining the individuality of our brands and customers. Both companies continue to operate as they did previously; this move simply allows for greater collaboration and cooperation across our travel businesses,” he added.
Reporting to Constable in her new role, Fitzell will “bring all the brands (of DK Travel Group) under one umbrella to create synergy”.
The synergistic approach stems from a greater support from the management to drive integration of resources within the company, enabling the group’s travel brands to leverage one another, Fitzell told TTG Asia e-Daily.
However, she emphasised that there will be “no merger” among the brands and each brand identity will be kept independent.
Such an approach is necessary in the competitive DMC world, she maintained.
“The landscapes of DMCs have completely changed. Some people say DMCs have no future, but I completely disagree,” commented Fitzell. She also believes that her strong B2C background in the travel sector plus her six-year experience at STA Travel, which has strong youth-oriented programmes, will enable her to grow more “customer-obsessed values” for Diethelm Travel.
