Collette snares Ackerman

GUIDED tour operator Collette has bolstered its executive ranks by appointing former Wendy Wu Tours (WWT) Australia General Manager Troy Ackerman to the role of Director of Strategic Partnerships (TD breaking news).

Ackerman officially commences in the position on Mon in the Sydney office and has been recruited on an 18-month contract to cover Amanda McCann, who is currently on maternity leave.

He will be charged with ”driving the business forward” and examining new markets for growth such as New Zealand.

Reflecting on his new position, Ackerman told Travel Daily he was looking forward to working with the brand because of the recent success it had achieved in the local market.

“Collette is performing particularly well, they have only been in the Australian market for five years and what they have managed to achieve in that time has been quite remarkable,” Ackerman said.

“The guided holiday market is a big one in Australia and Collette is very steadily taking more and more market share in that space which is great, and this is only going to continue over the next 24-48 months,” he added.

Ackerman will report to Senior VP Global Business Christian Leibl-Cote, who was glowing in his appraisal of the new recruit.

“Troy brings this considerable expertise to build on the excellent industry partnerships we have formed and nurtured in the past five years,” he said.

The news follows Ackerman’s sudden departure from WWT last week after less than four months in the position (TD 24 Jan).