Fred Holidays has appointed former Riviera Travel key account manager Paul Mellon as its new business development manager

He joined Riviera in 2017 and has since looked after a selection of key accounts selling both river cruises and escorted tours.

Prior to that, he held various sales roles with Wendy Wu Tours, Western and Oriental, Runway Holidays and Superbreak.

In his new role, which he will take up on 12 February 2024, Mellon’s focus will be on supporting the company’s GSA river cruise partners and working alongside product manager Andy Hawke and relationship executive Brooke Dunn.

He will also work with the brand’s business development team to optimise new business opportunities, expand distribution and increase brand awareness.

Mellon said: “I’m excited to be joining Fred Holidays, not only because it’s a new and challenging role but it has a great company culture too.

“I am confident that my previous experience with river cruising and escorted tours will prove valuable in helping me achieve my targets and grow awareness of the business.”

Mellon appointment comes as Fred Holidays targets ‘strategic growth’

Tricia Birmingham, Fred Holidays’ director of tour operations, added: “We are delighted to welcome Paul who is highly respected and skilled.

“His vast experiences means that he is a perfect fit for our business and will be a huge asset to us as we target strategic growth and aim to become one of the best operators in the industry.”

Vicky Billing, Riviera Travel’s head of trade and partnerships UK & Ireland, said: “We’d like to thank Paul for his hard work and commitment during his tenure at Riviera and we wish him all the best for the future.”

It comes after Chris McCloskey and Lloyd Morris joined Riviera’s sales team on Monday (22 January) as key account manager for Scotland and Ireland and key account manager for the UK and Ireland respectively.