EasyJet's current CEO is set to leave the airline after five years and take up the reins at Whitbread, the company behind Premier Inn and Costa Coffee.
The hotel and restaurant group's current CEO, Alan Parker, will retire on November 25, his 64th birthday.
Since 2004, Parker has overseen Whitbread's shift from a leisure group of 10 separate divisions, including David Lloyd Leisure health clubs, to a focussed hotel and restaurant business.
Before joining easyJet, Harrison was CEO of RAC for nine years. He announced his decision to quit the airline in December last year and is set to leave at the end of June.
Harrison's decision to depart easyJetcame in the middle of a long running dispute between some directors and the airline's founder and major shareholder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou.
The row is over the strategic development of Europe's second largest low cost carrier, specifically over the number of new planes which should be bought.
Sir Stelios, whose company and family own 38% of easyJet shares, wanted the airline to cut its order for new planes.
Despite the row, easyJet has ordered more planes and its fleet will grow to 212 by 2012.
Harrison was given a "retention agreement to ensure his presence as chief executive through to at least the first quarter of 2010", which reports say was a seven figure sum.
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