Maria Whiteman appointed as MD of Saga Holidays

Saga Travel has announced the appointment of Maria Whiteman to the position of managing director for Saga Holidays.

Whiteman will join the newly created role on September 7 and report directly to Jeannette Linfoot, managing director of Saga’s Tour Operating Divisions, which include Saga, Titan and Destinology.

This latest appointment follows the appointment of Mal Barritt, as managing director of Destinology and Andy Squirrell who was recently promoted to managing director of Titan Travel.

Whiteman has previously held senior roles at Amadeus, Travel 2/Travel 4, Airmiles and Hayes & Jarvis.

Jeannette Linfoot, managing director of Saga’s tour operating divisions said: “This is a really exciting time for Saga.

“We have ambitious plans for growth and I am delighted that Maria has agreed to join us on this journey.

“I am confident that alongside the expertise of the existing management team we are in a strong position to build on the great progress we have already achieved in our Travel businesses.
Our recently announced full year results put us on track to double the size of Saga Travel within five years.”

Maria Whiteman said, “I’m thrilled to be joining Saga Travel. It is such an iconic brand that serves a really discerning demographic.

“I was surprised to hear that over 50s now account for more than 58 per cent of travel spending in the UK so I’m confident that great opportunities lie ahead. I’m passionate about travel and service and am really looking forward to working with the team to continue to create and deliver a wonderful range of holidays.”