Ambassador Cruise Lines’ Phil Gardner has been appointed Male Ambassador for the Association of Women Travel Executives (AWTE).
Phil is Chief Commercial Officer at the cruise line and previously held the same role at Thomas Cook parent Fosun.
AWTE said his role as Male Ambassador would be ‘to listen, learn and embrace the work carried out by the AWTE, as well as offering insight into the industry challenges to overcome’.
It added: “This position of influence can provide the support needed for the implementation of change in businesses looking to offer greater inclusivity, diversity, and equality within their structure.”
Phil was the 2019 winner of the AWTE Male Ambassador Award.
He said: “Now more than ever, diversity and inclusion need to be a way of life rather than a topical slogan and I embrace the opportunity to learn from the experience of AWTE.
“I have committed to being able to use these learnings in my day-to-day experiences, share them with those around me in the industry, and help create a safe space for all individuals regardless of background.
“My thanks go to Lindsay, Michelle and AWTE for this fantastic opportunity.”
Lindsay Garvey-Jones, National Retail Manager of Holiday Extras, has taken over as Chair from Claire Osborne, who has stood down after a three-year tenure.
Michelle Laverick of Marketing Radar has taken on the role of Vice-chair
After 10 years on the Board, Aphrodite Burton, Benevolent Director, is standing down while Barbro McAusland will be joining the AWTE Board to replace her.
Gail Kenny, Co-owner of Gail Kenny Executive Recruitment, will join the Board as Partnerships Director.
New Communications Director Lindsay Garvey-Jones said: “I am so thrilled to take on the position of Chair of the AWTE. Claire has been outstanding as our Chair, steering the association during a very challenging last few years though the pandemic.
“I am really looking forward to taking on this new role because I see so many new opportunities as the travel industry is building back more innovatively than ever before.
“We’ve recently had an opportunity to step back and look at the changes the association has made since 1964, and we are continuing to look at how we will evolve to support the industry for wider inclusivity, diversity, and equality.
“For 2022, we already have a host of new opportunities to support our members from a mental health and personal development perspective and we will continue to build on this.”
The new Board of Directors is as follows:
- Chair – Lindsay Garvey-Jones
- Vice-chair – Michelle Laverick
- Secretary & Special Projects Director– Linzi Barber
- Finance Director – Helen Tustin
- Communications Director (s)– Lindsay Garvey-Jones & Emma-Jane Nutbrown
- Events Director(s) –Jane Pinfold & Lynette Dungey
- PR Director – Michelle Laverick
- Membership Director – Lisa Henning
- Website Director – Wendy Missenden
- Partnerships Director – Gail Kenny
- Benevolent Director – Barbro McAusland
