Reporting into chief executive Gary Lewis, Pinkney will oversee the consortium’s eight owned travel branches, its members’ Cruise Club and its in-house dynamic packaging platform Dynamic.

She joined TTNG earlier this month having previously been an industry consultant for the past six months working with clients including Hotelbeds, Sabre Travel and Teletext Holidays.  

Pinkney has also held senior management positions with Lastminute.com, Holiday Autos, Medhotels and Travel Bargains.

Lewis said Pinkney’s range of “specialist skills and experience” would “add real value to our strategy going forward”.

“Having worked in sales, retail and tour operations, Julie will be a real asset to the team and through her early career as a travel agent, she has a great understanding of the retail travel environment, understanding how our members operate and how we can better serve them in this key area,” he said.

“Julie will be tasked with helping us drive further sales for members and business partners in all her areas of responsibility, and using our owned stores to test new systems, products and processes that will bring further learnings to share with our members and their businesses.”

Pinkney added: “I am delighted to be joining the group and feel excited to be working within a consortium organisation, an area of the industry that I haven’t worked in before.

“I see lots of opportunities to build on the strength of the group and in helping the business deliver greater value to members.”

Meanwhile, Advantage Travel Partnership has appointed Leigh Cowlishaw as interim global supplier partnership director.

Cowlishaw joins in a redefined role, comprising the overall supplier partnership aspirations for Advantage Business Travel both in the UK and worldwide.

She will work closely with the teams focused on delivering Advantage Business Travel, WIN and Advantage Meetings & Events activities.

Her role will provide a global perspective on future meeting and hotel agreements including the WIN corporate hotel programme and its future product developments. 

Cowlishaw will continue as managing partner of Black Box Partnerships, a business travel, meetings and events consultancy.

She said: “With more than 20 years’ experience, I am very excited to be joining Advantage and WIN. With my experience in leading supplier management functions, customer executive sponsorship and account management, as well as creating and implementing propositions for accommodation and meetings programmes, I look forward to leading the team and developing the business travel growth and vision. 

“I am very glad to be a part of a consortium that is continuing to evolve and show innovation and commitment to its partners.’’

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, added: “Leigh is a trusted industry individual and is well-versed in accommodation, meetings and business travel both on the domestic and global stage.

“We are confident working alongside the rest of the business travel and WIN management team, in what will be a year of transformation for the business, that Leigh’s passion and expertise within the industry and business travel environment will significantly contribute to driving forward our overall business travel proposition and global footprint.”