Travel Gossip Sales Director Anwar Sohawon is to become Managing Director of the group, replacing founder Bruce Martin, who is taking up a new position of CEO.
The new structure, which has been announced ahead of next week’s Travel Celebration featuring the Travel Gossip Awards, will come into effect on 31 March.
Anwar, who joined Travel Gossip two years ago, will step up and take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the business, including line management of the senior leadership team, finance, IT and operations.
Anwar’s appointment will free Bruce up to work on strengthening Travel Gossip through thought leadership, being a brand ambassador and leading on key strategic projects. He will remain as an admin on the Travel Gossip Facebook group, which was launched in 2010.
Bruce will continue to spend time on social media agency Ginger Juice, which he launched in 2013 and for which he recently appointed a new MD. He’s also accepted a Non Executive Director role at a soon-to-launch travel brand and has recently began mentoring a travel agent.
Bruce said: “Travel Gossip has gone from strength to strength, with impressive year-on-year growth. I am very proud of the journey so far and immensely proud of the team we have created.
“It feels the right time to start a new chapter in the story of Travel Gossip. I’m excited to transition into my new role as CEO and founder, while Anwar steps up as MD.
“Since joining two years ago, he has made a huge impact, driving sales and expanding our portfolio. His leadership, dedication, and vision make him the perfect person to take the business forward, and I have every confidence in his ability.
“I look forward to supporting Anwar and the team as they continue to grow, while also focusing on new internal projects, new ventures outside of Travel Gossip and mentoring.”
Anwar said: “I’m looking forward to the challenge of taking Travel Gossip to the next stage of its evolution in my new role of Managing Director, as Bruce steps into his ambassadorial role of CEO and founder.
“I feel really privileged to be continuing Bruce’s vision for Travel Gossip and taking it to the next level. A big thanks to Bruce for his unwavering belief and support of me from day one.”
