Not Just Travel appoints new managing director and head of sales

Annabel Wathen will head up the homeworking outfit while David Pope will hit the road to help franchisees build their businesses.

Wathen’s responsibilities will include strengthening Not Just Travel’s relationships with suppliers and customers.

Before taking on the role, she has spent time in the business’s various departments, getting to grips with process, dynamics and existing staff.

Her background is in banking, before later heading up training company Working Voices.

“I feel I’ve joined Not Just Travel and The Travel Franchise at just the right time,” said Wathen.

“We’re growing at an exponential rate, holiday sales have increased since this time last year [and] the number of franchisees coming on board is going up each month.

“Now more than ever the company needs the best possible management team in place to ensure the growth is managed as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Pope, meanwhile, brings 30 years’ travel industry experience to the role having worked his way up through companies such as Travelbag and AirTours before moving to Abercrombie & Kent as director of sales.

He set up his own training consultancy for travel sector employees in 2002 and has worked with the likes of loveholidays and dnata since then. Based in Warwick, he will spend time “in the field” helping Not Just Travel franchisees build their businesses.

Not Just Travel currently has 450 franchisees on its books and employs 40 staff. The business is aiming to grow to 1,000 homeworkers by 2020.