Leadership changes at UK’s Focus Travel Partnership

The UK’s Focus Travel Partnership has named two new board appointments at its partners conference in Belfast today, while the organisation has also confirmed that its chief executive Abby Penston will step down at the end of January in order to take up a new role in leisure travel.

Joining the Focus board are Bob Schumacher, formerly regional director of sales at United Airlines, who becomes non-executive chair on 1 January 2024, and former Agiito CEO James Parkhouse, who has been named a non-executive director of the board.

Schumacher will assume the role from Adrian Parkes who is retiring at the end of December 2023 after three years as chair.

Regarding Penston's departure, a statement provided by Focus said: "The Partnership has been extremely fortunate to have Abby at the helm of its organisation, and due to her leadership, combined with the tireless commitment of the board and the central team, it is well positioned to build upon its enviable status within the business travel world."

The board is actively seeking Penston’s replacement and will announce an appointment in due course, it added.

On his appointment as non-executive chair of Focus, Schumacher said: "The growing number of Focus TMC Partners, along with the consortium’s strong and deep supplier relationships, only serves to endorse how Focus manages the interests of its membership for the common good. I am looking forward to the next chapter working with the board to further success in 2024."

Parkhouse added: "The Focus Travel Partnership is a fabulous example of a not-for-profit membership organisation where its purpose it to help its 50-plus members to gain access to industry knowledge, expertise and commercial opportunities that may not exist for any member individually."