Board Of Directors
David Howell, aged 60 (Chairman)
David has been Chairman of Western & Oriental since December 2005. David was Chief Financial Officer and main Board member of lastminute.com from July 2001 until July 2005 and Group Finance Director of First Choice Holidays plc between 1997 and 2001. Prior to these appointments he held a number of Board positions with Central Transport Rental Group plc and GN Comtext Limited, a subsidiary of GN Great Nordic. David is a Non-Executive Director of The Berkeley Group Holdings plc, Aquis Hotel & Resorts SA and Blue 360 Grados SA. He was previously a Non-Executive Director of Nestor Healthcare Group plc from 1999 until October 2003 and Non-Executive Chairman of EBTM plc from July 2006 until February 2009.
Ian Neale, aged 51 (Group Managing Director)
Ian has extensive experience in the travel sector. His first appointment was with British Airways Speedbird holidays in 1976, where he held various positions during his 9 years. In 1985, Ian moved to The Travel Business Limited and headed up special events and conferences for a number of the UK’s leading blue chip companies. In 1988, Ian returned to main-stream tour operations with Tradewinds Faraway Holidays as UK Sales Manager. On leaving, Ian went on to be a co-founder of two niche travel companies namely Simply Tropix and Worldwide Sales & Marketing Limited. In 1999, Ian moved to online travel company deckchair.com as Commercial Director. This was subsequently sold two years later for £10 million. In May 2003, Ian joined Western & Oriental where he holds the position of Group Managing Director.
Kerry Golds, aged 42 (Tour Operations Director)
Kerry was appointed a director of Western & Oriental plc in April 2008. Kerry joined Western & Oriental in January 2007 and is now Tour Operations Director responsible for management of the group’s tour operating businesses. Kerry previously held a number of positions with Travel2Travel4 between June 1985 and February 2006, playing a key senior management role throughout the development of that business.
Pamela Harper, aged 53 (Non-Executive Director)
Pamela has been a non-executive director of Western & Oriental plc since July 2006 and is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and the Senior Independent Director. Pamela is currently reviewing several opportunities in the branded sector. Pamela was previously Chief Executive Officer of Theo Fennell plc, the luxury jewellery brand, and prior to that Chief Executive Officer at Lambert Howarth Group plc. Between 1998 and 2006, Pamela held three senior management positions at Burberry Group plc, most notably as Global Senior Vice-President of Accessories and Shoes. Before joining Burberry, Pamela held a number of senior roles in the international luxury goods sector, notably as Managing Director of Hermes (GB) Limited, and as Senior Vice President of Accessories - Worldwide for Alfred Dunhill Limited. Pamela began her career at Jaeger.
Alan Barber, aged 62 (Non-Executive Director)
Alan has been a non-executive director of Western & Oriental plc since January 2007 and is Chairman of the Audit Committee. He is currently Executive Chairman of Management Consulting Group plc and a non-executive director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Invesco English & International Trust plc, JP Morgan Japanese Investment Trust plc, Witan Pacific Investment Trust plc and Impax Asian Environmental Markets PLC. He is a former non-executive director of lastminute.com plc and Teather & Greenwood plc and was a partner in KPMG until 2004.
Jeremy Goldberg, aged 46 (Non-Executive Director)
Jerry was appointed to the board as an additional Non-Executive Director in May 2009. Jerry is a founding partner of Figaro Equity Growth Partners LLP, a partnership which supports LBO’s of businesses within the wider leisure sector. Between 1986 and 1999 Jerry held a number of commercial roles at Unilever, SC Johnson Wax and Scottish & Newcastle. Between 2000 and 2004 Jerry was with Center Parcs Europe, firstly as Sales and Marketing Director and then as Chief Operating Officer. From 2004 until 2007 Jerry was Operating Partner with MidOcean Partners LLP, a UK/US mid-cap private equity fund, with a role to develop the fund’s leisure sector investment strategy.
The board has delegated authority to the following committees, which are set out in written terms of reference for each committee.
Audit committee
The audit committee members are Alan Barber (chairman), Pamela Harper and Jerry Goldberg.
Remuneration committee
The Remuneration Committee members are Pamela Harper (chairperson), Alan Barber and Jerry Goldberg.
Nominations committee
The board as a whole undertake the duties of the nominations committee.
The above information is being disclosed for the purposes of AIM Rule 26 and was last updated in January 2010.