Steve Banks
TMC consortium Focus Travel Partnership has appointed Agiito's Steve Banks to become its new CEO from early this summer.
Banks, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the corporate travel industry, will join Focus in June. He will replace Focus’ former CEO Abby Penston who left the organisation in January to move into a new role in the leisure travel sector.
After initially joining Thomas Cook Travel Management early in his career, Banks later worked for Capita Travel and Events, which was rebranded as Agiito in 2021 and then purchased by Clarity Business Travel in November 2023 when he took on the role of commercial director.
Banks said: "I'm honoured and delighted to be joining Focus Travel Partnership as the new CEO in the near future. I have always admired the team and purpose of Focus, it's partners’ collective position and voice in the corporate travel market. I look forward to leading the consortium to continued growth and success.”
UK-based Focus represents more than 52 independent TMCs with a total annual turnover of more than £1 billion. It was ranked as the 10th largest TMC network in Europe last year.
Bob Schumacher, Focus’ non-executive chair, added: “Bringing onboard an experienced and strategically driven new CEO was a pivotal goal for the Focus board of directors, and we are delighted to welcome Steve Banks to lead Focus Travel Partnership into its exciting new chapter.
“With his proven experience in all sectors across core and ancillary travel products, his leadership skills, commercial acumen and visionary approach, Steve brings a fresh perspective and a wealth of industry insight that will undoubtedly drive the whole partnership to new levels of excellence.”