He will depart Midcounties at the end of this month after nine years with the business.
Blue Bay’s current chief executive, Stuart Wilson, will take the role of group executive director.
Current Blue Bay chief executive, Rowland’s wife Maxine Rowland, will step down from the role and take up another within the business.
Rowland said: “Blue Bay Travel is an exceptional business and one I’ve admired for a long time because of its commitment to personal service, technology and its entrepreneurial leadership. Businesses across the world are facing significant challenges currently, but Blue Bay Travel’s ongoing investment in its products and relationships means it is well placed to respond to future market demand. I look forward to working with the team to deliver against its growth plans in coming months.”
Wilson added: “To have someone with Alistair’s experience brings a new dimension to our business as Blue Bay Travel looks to the future. Alistair is the ideal person to drive the company through its next phase of expansion. The track record he brings of scaling business and his deep expertise of the travel industry is second-to-none. I look forward to working with him, our colleagues and investors to achieve our growth ambitions.
“We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved in recent years and I’d like to wholeheartedly thank Maxine and the team for steering us through this growth.”
Phil Ponsonby, Midcounties Co-operative chief executive, said: “I would like to express my deepest thanks to Alistair for his support and contribution over many years. He has played a crucial role in the growth of our travel business, which is now the leading travel cooperative in the UK, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him as he joins one of our key travel consortium partners.”
Rowland added: “I would like to thank Midcounties Co-operative and the great teams I have worked with for the last nine years. I’m delighted that the Co-op Travel brand remains prominent in the high street, online and through its PTA network, along with the support offered to its independent owners through the consortium partnerships. I am excited to continue to work closely with the Co-operative Travel team as a Non-Executive Advisor to Midcounties and in my new role at Blue Bay.”
