Decisions That Made Me: Alan French (Thomas Cook, CEO)
Alan French was at the helm when Thomas Cook collapsed in 2019. The next year he relaunched it as a digital-only company. He talks to Evan Davis about how he turned it around.
When high street travel firm Thomas Cook collapsed in 2019, it triggered the biggest ever peacetime repatriation, with 150,000 holidaymakers needing to be brought home. Alan French was the Group Strategy and Technology director at the time and had to preside over the disaster. Despite that, he was determined to revive the company and the next year relaunched Thomas Cook as a digital only brand. The travel executive talks to Evan Davis about how he managed to turn his fortunes around and resurrect the Thomas Cook name.
Production team:
Producer: Drew Hyndman
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: John Scott
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Podcast
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The Bottom Line
The definitive business podcast from the BBC. Hosted by Evan Davis.
