Cook challenge was new chief’s ‘ destiny’

Travel giant boss reveals attraction to city firm The new boss of troubled Thomas Cook says her entire career experience has been a form of training for the challenges posed by the travel giant.

Harriet Green ( 50) took over as chief executive of the Peterborough- based Thomas Cook Group, in July and since then has over seen costs cuits of £ 100 million etc

Writing in the firm’s annual report, she states: “I almost feel that my entire career experience to date was preparing me for the challenges at Thomas Cook, a set of challenges I firmly believe we will address.

“I was attracted to join Thomas Cook by its strong brands, reputation for customer service and the opportunity to transform the business by harnessing its inherent potential and building a best in class online capability.”

Reflecting on her first few months at the helm of Thomas Cook, she states: “The historic underperformance I now believe is largely down to organisational complexity and structure.

“A lack of focus on some of the core business essentials and a failure to integrate our different businesses successfully and learn from each other as well as other industries and sectors.

She added: “When I arrived the group felt like a collection of individual businesses, making it harder to succeed collectively. Already this has started to change.”

Looking to the future, she said: “Our cost base is too high and this affects operating margin performance.

“We need to reduce our costs and start generating cash whilst considering carefully the assets we hold.”

The Thomas Cook store in Queensgate, Peterborough, and chief executive Harriet Green, inset