CEO International Cruise Summit • Cruises News Media Group
Former CEO, Der Touristik UK Derek joined the travel industry as a travel rep in Ibiza in 1988 and within ten years had risen to become a Board Director at Thomson Holidays, going on to become Managing Director of Lunn Poly. After overseeing the merger of Thomson and First Choice Retail in 2006, creating what is now the TUI distribution network, Derek left TUI to join the Kuoni Group. When the Kuoni Group was acquired by REWE in 2016 Derek remained with the business as CEO of Der Touristik UK, a role which saw him take on responsibility for a portfolio of successful specialist UK travel brands including Kuoni, Kirker, Carrier, CV Villas, Jules Verne and Journey Latin America. Derek left Der Touristik in 2022 after returning the business to profitability following the Covid crisis but remains active in the travel sector as a non-executive Director at Abta. He is also Chairman of Abta Lifeline, a charity which supports people in the travel industry when they find themselves in difficulty. Derek is passionate about his work in the travel sector, especially when it comes to delivering exceptional customer service, and plans to return to an Executive role early in 2023.
