BBC travel boss becomes ITM chair

Jamie Hindhaugh to replace Caroline Strachan

BBC travel buyer Jamie Hindhaugh has been appointed chairman of the Institute of Travel and Meetings (ITM).

He succeeded Caroline Strachan, global category leader for pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, who stood down after fulfilling a two-year tenure in the role.

Ms Strachan has replaced PricewaterhouseCoopers' head of business services, Mark Avery, as immediate past chairman.

Mr Hindhaugh said his main aims for the next two years were to provide greater resources to the organisation's members and to improve buyer supplier relations.

He will lead a new-look ITM board of directors after nine new members were appointed in September.

"It is an incredibly exciting time to be taking the helm and I recognise the great work both the board and management of ITM have achieved to date," he said.

"I'm not here to dramatically alter the course of the association, rather to build on the success achieved to date and focus our efforts on areas where we help members the most."

Ms Strachan, who started working in the travel industry as a 14-year-old with Lunn Poly, joined the ITM as chairman in early 2008 when she worked for internet search engine giant Yahoo.

"For three quarters of my tenure we have been in a recession and the Board committed huge amounts of time and energy to ensure the association flourished during the period," she said.

"I want to thank all of them for their commitment, but especially those who have lead activity on my key tenets of meetings and events and education."

ITM's new board members are: Adam Knights, group sales director of ATP; Ajay Sodha, chairman of Key Travel; Douglas O'Neill, managing director of Inntel; Ian Jones, director of agency sales, De Vere Hotels, Resorts and Venues; Ben Varey, Credit Suisse travel manager; Julia Heesterman, Microsoft travel Manager; Louise Kilgannon, travel manager at Infor; Mark Cuschieri, head of travel at UBS and Sarah Makings, travel manager Europe for KPMG

www.itm.org.uk