Jim Eastwood joins Travel Counsellors after spending five years at Groupon where he was vice-president of sales for the UK and Ireland.
Eastwood also finished as runner-up on the seventh series of the BBC reality show in 2011.
During his time on the programme Eastwood was referred to by business magnate Alan Sugar as “the world’s greatest salesman”, Travel Counsellors said.
In his new role with Travel Counsellors Eastwood will be responsible for driving the firm’s leisure and corporate sales internationally.
He will also be charged with working across its marketing, business development and recruitment aspects to identify opportunities for growth and improvement and with its Travel Counsellor franchisees.
Steve Byrne, chief executive at Travel Counsellors, said: “Jim not only has a wealth of experience and talent, but he also shares the ethos and values of the company, putting people and customers at the heart of everything.
"Jim also has considerable experience of working on a global scale, which will be crucial when it comes to supporting our 1,600 Travel Counsellors across the world.
“Jim will play a key part in boosting our corporate customers and continuing to develop our offering to existing customers, helping us to also maintain our strong rebook rate. I look forward to working with Jim in the coming months, and am confident that he is the ideal person to take such a key role within the company.”
Eastwood added: “What attracted me to Travel Counsellors is its overwhelming commitment to customer service, and the personal relationships that Travel Counsellors develop with their client base. The business promotes a culture of caring not only externally, but for its people, giving them the tools to provide the best service possible.
“The business has demonstrated outstanding levels of growth in recent years, and I’m hoping to be a key component in continuing to drive this in the coming months.”
