General Manager (Commercial & Marketing)

We are looking for an experienced and commercially driven General Manager (Commercial & Marketing) to lead the overall growth, profitability, and operational performance of our client's travel business.

This is a dual commercial and marketing leadership role with responsibility across multiple revenue-generating business units, including Outbound Leisure, Inbound, MICE, and Corporate Ticketing.

You will play a key role in shaping the company's commercial strategy, strengthening its market position, driving revenue and profitability, and leading the marketing and digital engine that supports sustainable growth.

The ideal candidate is more than an operations leader or marketing specialist. We are looking for a business leader who understands P&L, revenue, customers, brand, digital marketing, business development, and operational performance, and can turn strategy into measurable results.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Commercial Leadership

• Develop and execute short-, medium-, and long-term commercial strategies for the travel business.
• Translate company strategy into clear business plans, priorities, and measurable objectives.
• Take overall responsibility for revenue, gross profit, margins, and commercial performance.
• Set and monitor business targets across multiple business units.
• Identify new markets, customer segments, revenue streams, and business opportunities.
• Drive business growth while improving profitability and commercial productivity.
  
  

Business Unit Management

• Lead and provide strategic direction to Business Unit Heads across the travel business.
• Establish clear KPIs, priorities, and performance expectations.
• Conduct regular business performance reviews and implement corrective actions where required.
• Encourage collaboration and cross-selling between business units.
• Build strong leadership capability and reduce dependency on senior management for day-to-day decision-making.
  
  

Sales & Business Development

• Lead the company's overall B2C, B2B, and corporate growth strategy.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key corporate accounts and strategic partners.
• Identify opportunities for market and geographical expansion.
• Lead major commercial negotiations and pitches where required.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, pricing, and customer behaviour to identify growth opportunities.
  
  

Marketing, Brand & Digital

• Own the company's overall marketing strategy and ensure it is aligned with commercial objectives.
• Lead brand positioning, identity, communications, content, social media, and digital presence.
• Drive demand generation and ensure marketing activities generate measurable leads and revenue.
• Oversee performance marketing across paid search, paid social, display, and retargeting.
• Lead SEO, SEM, CRM, email marketing, marketing automation, and website strategy.
• Use data and analytics to optimise marketing investment, conversion, and customer acquisition.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, AI, automation, and digital tools that can improve business performance.
  
  

Customer Loyalty & Partnerships

• Develop and manage the company's customer loyalty strategy to increase engagement, retention, and lifetime value.
• Build strategic partnerships with brands across financial services, retail, lifestyle, hospitality, and other relevant industries.
• Develop co-marketing, co-branding, and cross-selling opportunities.
• Manage strategic partnership agreements and ensure clear commercial value and measurable returns.
  
  

Product & Supplier Management

• Ensure the company's travel products remain competitive, relevant, and commercially attractive.
• Review product, destination, and programme performance.
• Develop strong relationships with airlines, hotels, DMCs, cruise and transport providers, tourism boards, and other strategic suppliers.
• Participate in major supplier negotiations and commercial agreements.
  
  

Operations & Customer Experience

• Maintain oversight of end-to-end travel operations and service quality.
• Ensure effective processes, controls, and escalation procedures are in place.
• Drive improvements in customer experience, service quality, and operational efficiency.
• Address significant customer issues and operational challenges at root-cause level.
• Ensure appropriate business continuity and contingency plans are in place.
  
  

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead, coach, and develop Business Unit Heads and the marketing team.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and measurable results.
• Develop strong relationships with airlines, tourism boards, corporate customers, suppliers, industry associations, and strategic partners.
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, trade shows, and business forums.
• Work closely with the CEO and senior leadership team on strategic decisions, investments, expansion, and business transformation.
  
  

Requirements

•  Bachelor's degree in Business, Management, Marketing, Tourism, Hospitality, or a related discipline.
• 12–15+ years of progressive experience in commercial, general management, sales, marketing, or related leadership roles.
• At least 5 years of senior leadership experience managing teams, business units, or significant commercial/marketing portfolios.
• Demonstrated experience with P&L, revenue, profitability, budgeting, and financial performance.
• Strong experience in marketing, brand, digital/performance marketing, CRM, and demand generation.
• Proven track record of driving business growth, improving profitability, or leading business transformation.
• Strong exposure to sales, business development, commercial negotiations, and strategic partnerships.
• Experience within travel, tourism, aviation, hospitality, or a related service industry is highly preferred.
• Experience across multiple travel segments such as leisure, FIT, corporate, MICE, ticketing, or inbound will be an advantage.
• Strong understanding of customer loyalty, partnerships, digital distribution, and data-driven decision-making.
• Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen with the ability to make data-driven business decisions.

This is an opportunity to take on a high-impact leadership position with significant influence over the company's commercial direction, brand, marketing strategy, and future growth.

You will have the opportunity to shape the business, build new revenue opportunities, strengthen strategic partnerships, and lead the transformation of its commercial and marketing functions.

If you are a commercially minded leader with strong marketing expertise and a passion for the travel industry, we'd love to hear from you.