Not Just Travel has appointed Mel Garthwaite, its former Head of Quality Assurance and Training, to the new role of Franchise Manager.
Mel left NJT to join Travel Solutions Network in December 2023 as its Head of Customer Service, but returned to the homeworking group in January of this year.
NJT said her new role would bring together its 720 homeworkers and its corporate team ‘to become a stronger collective’.
As part of her remit, Mel will head NJT’s Travel Consultant Forum, launched in September 2024, which is an advisory board and community council. As ‘the voice of the consultants’, she will also bring their ideas and suggestions directly to management, it said.
“NJT management will also be able to learn from travel consultants and test ideas,” it said, adding that Mel has been asked to create a schedule of in-person and online meet-ups for consultants, ‘recognising that socialisation and peer-to-peer learning is a key aspect to happy, contented and confident homeworkers’.
She said: “I was tempted across by a travel start-up for 12 months. I was happy in my job, however, when Paul Harrison and Steve Witt (NJT founders) personally invited me to join them in a role I was born to do, I couldn’t resist.
“I see the change they have created within the company in just a year and their vision is incredibly exciting. To be the voice of the consultants, create a stronger community through in-person, fun socials and meetings, as well as deliver change through representing consultants is a true honour.”
Mel has more than 27 years of experience in the travel industry, having worked as a holiday and ski rep with Airtours, before joining Destinology, where she worked for 17 years in a number of roles, including customer service manager.
Travel Solutions Network Chief Operating Officer Lindsay Winterburn said Mel’s previous role at the company had been covered internally with some promotions. It has also hired Daniel Franklin as Head of Training and Quality Assurance and Tom Tilston as IT and Resource Analyst.
