TravelManagers has announced the appointment of two highly qualified new directors to the board of its parent company, House of Travel Australia (HOTA). Joe Araullo (CEO and Executive Director of HOTA) says the selection of two travel industry veterans, Judith Crompton and Narendra Kumar, ensures the company is poised to take advantage of opportunities for growth 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. 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 with her more than 30 years’ experience with some of the largest and most innovative companies in Australia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. She has held Senior Executive and board positions within the insurance, airline and travel industries, including Cover-More, Virgin Australia, Qantas Airways, Etihad Airways, Flight Centre Travel Group and Kuoni Travel. Judith is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and of Chief Executive Women.
She is joined by Narendra Kumar, a seasoned Executive with 40 years’ aviation experience including nearly three decades at Qantas Airways. He has extensive commercial experience and leadership in operations and strategic initiatives, having held several key positions within the company including CEO of QantasLink Regional Airlines Group, Chief Financial Officer and acting CEO of Qantas International where he oversaw planning for changes to the airline’s long-haul fleet. Naren is a Graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
Araullo says the new board structure will not impact the day-to-day management of the HOTA group, which includes TravelManagers Australia and Hoot Holidays. Kumar and Crompton are both expected to attend TravelManagers’ annual National Conference in Bali later this year, where they look forward to meeting as many as possible of TravelManagers’ tight-knit community of personal travel managers.
“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 concludes. “We are optimistic about what lies ahead and look forward to having them as part of that journey.”
