TravelManagers has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of two highly experienced directors to the board of its parent company, House of Travel Australia (HOTA).
Joe Araullo, CEO and Executive Director of HOTA, said the addition of Judith Crompton and Narendra Kumar will support the company’s ambitious growth plans in Australia throughout 2025 and beyond.
“The board’s former Chairman, Barry Mayo, and House of Travel founder, Chris Paulsen, retired in 2022 and 2024 respectively,” he stated.
“It was agreed that the board would benefit from the appointment of an Australia-based, non-executive Director, to complement the expertise provided by its existing members, David Coombes (CEO, House of Travel Group) and Keith Sutton (Chairman, House of Travel Group), both New Zealand-based, who were appointed as Directors in 2024.
“A thorough search process yielded two highly qualified candidates, Judith and Narendra, whose outstanding skills and experience align with the board’s appetite to grow exponentially and beyond the scope of what we are already achieving organically.”
Judith Crompton brings more than 30 years of experience in senior executive roles across the airline, insurance, and travel industries, including Virgin Australia, Qantas, Etihad and Cover-More.
Narendra Kumar, a seasoned aviation leader, spent nearly 30 years at Qantas, holding key roles including CEO of QantasLink and acting CEO of Qantas International.
Both new directors will attend TravelManagers’ National Conference in Bali later this year.
Araullo confirmed that while their appointments enhance the board’s strategic direction, the day-to-day operations of TravelManagers Australia and Hoot Holidays will remain unchanged.
“Judith and Narendra are invaluable additions to the HOTA Board, and we are excited to welcome them both into the House of Travel Australia family,” he said.
“We are optimistic about what lies ahead and look forward to having them as part of that journey.”
