PHOTO: Scott Wiseman, pictured, will soon head up Travel Impressions. He is currently president of Cox & Kings. (Photo courtesy of Cox & Kings)
Apple Leisure Group reached an agreement with Scott Wiseman, president of Cox & Kings and former president of Abercrombie & Kent, to take over as head of Travel Impressions in mid August, replacing Jeff Clarke, whose departure was revealed to employees last night in an email.
Negotiations for the transition have been ongoing for an undisclosed period of time to bring Wiseman over from Cox & Kings to head Travel Impressions in a movement toward increased focus on higher-end product for Travel Impressions.
The departure of Clarke has been rumored to be in connection with reports that Bain was considering offers to sell ALG, but according to insiders, the negotiations with Wiseman have been ongoing since before the sale rumors surfaced.
Peter Bowler, president of distribution for ALG, will serve as interim president of Travel Impressions during the transition between Clarke and Wiseman.
ALG, backed by Bain Capital, acquired Travel Impressions in summer of 2012, raising some questions as to why it would purchase a wholesale competitor of its brand Apple Vacations. But ALG has worked toward differentiating the two companies by moving TI into a higher tier of the market. The hiring of Scott Wiseman is a further confirmation of ALG's efforts to differentiate the brand Travel Impressions from Apple Vacations, which continues to cover the mass market in its full breadth while TI moves toward the higher end.
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