Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United Kingdom based Managing Director operating in the Travel space. If you think a Managing Director is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Estelle Giraudeau
Managing Director of Club Med
As Managing Director for Club Med UK & Scandinavia, She is in charge with P&L (weighing 30% of New Markets Europe Africa Business Unit), with a strong e-Commerce expertise. She is responsible for the launch of the UK Sales and Marketing strategy and She is currently generating significant growth in both sales and revenue. She currently manage a team of 50 people in London office.
Follow Estelle Giraudeau:
About Club Med: Club Med sells vacations and related services, operates villages and cruises, and provides tours and discovery programs.
Moris Mashali
Managing Director of Kempinski Hotels
Follow Moris Mashali:
About Kempinski Hotels: Kempinski Hotels has long reflected the finest traditions of European hospitality.
Daniel Spinath
Founder & Managing Director of Crepeaffaire
Follow Daniel Spinath:
About Crepeaffaire, Entertainment Ventures Group International, Frizzenti, Liberation Cocktails, Tap: Crêpeaffaire offers freshly prepared crêpes, waffles, coffees and smoothies.
Dominic Booth
Managing Director of Abellio
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About Abellio: Abellio delivers rail and bus services to passengers in Scotland, England, and Germany.
Richard Smith
Managing Director of tifgroup
Follow Richard Smith:
About tifgroup: tifgroup is the second largest UK Travel Insurance Provider.
Matt Montagano
Managing Director, London of Plum Guide
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About Plum Guide: Plum Guide is the definitive list of the world’s best vacation rentals.
Jason Anastasinis
Managing Director of TravelStaytion
Jason Anastasinis is a Managing Director at TravelStaytion.
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About TravelStaytion: TravelStaytion is an online holiday rental marketplace, enables its users to list their spare property or get accommodation at lower prices.
Daniel Campbell
Managing Director of Effective Space
Daniel is the Managing Director of Effective Space Solutions Limited and leads corporate marketing and business development, bringing over 15 years of business development, marketing, project and product management leadership in several disruptive start-up companies. Prior to joining Effective Space, Daniel led autonomous driving and smart-mobility at Autotalks and Better-Place, and managed mobile product lines for modu and Zoran (now Qualcomm). Daniel is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP)® and a Master Blackblot Product Management Professional™ (Master BPMP). He holds a B.Sc. in Physics and Mathematics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and an MBA from the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya.
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About Effective Space, Side Mirror: Effective Space manufactures spacecrafts intended to extend the life of communication satellites.
Daniel Yates
Managing Director and Founder of Pitchup.com
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About Pitchup.com: Making it a doddle to book campsites in 65 countries. Member of Financial Times FT1000 fastest-growing companies in Europe 2018/19/20.
Craig Douglas
Managing Director of Reserve Apartments
With extensive experience in developing directory based web-sites within the travel industry and online booking systems that blow the other guys out of the water – Craig’s here to do the same within the short term rental market.
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About Reserve Apartments: Reserve Apartments provides web-based solutions for the short term letting/self catering market.
Sean Donkin
Managing Director of Inn Collection
With an 18-year career in the hospitality sector, Sean has an outstanding track record in the market. As well as maintaining the high quality, service and facilities for customers that mark out The Inn Collection Group, Sean’s focus is leading the growth and expansion of the company, both within and further afield from its North East heartland. He is responsible for the ongoing operations and investment of the group’s units via the Board. Sean joined the business as general manager of the group’s top-performance unit, The Bamburgh Castle Inn in Seahouses in 2008. A former swimmer, sporting enthusiast Sean enjoys rugby and shooting.
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About Inn Collection: The Inn Collection, a hospitality and pub company, owns and operates a chain of pubs and inns in North England.
John O’Sullivan
Managing Director of Depot Adventures
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About Depot Adventures: Depot Adventures is a walking tour operator that offers a variety of free and paid walking tours.
Anthony Lyall
Managing Director and Co-Founder of Lyall Ventures
Anthony Lyall is the managing director and co-founder at Lyall Ventures.
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About Lyall Ventures, NOTWICS: Lyall Ventures is an angel investment company that focuses on travel and travel technology start-ups.
Mark Pegler
Managing Director of ParkCloud
ParkCloud connects drivers with parking spaces, worldwide. Working with more than 1,000 car parks and tens of travel brand partners and airlines.
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About ParkCloud: A Manchester, UK-based online parking reservation company
Robert Bailes
Managing Director of Dineindulge
Follow Robert Bailes:
About : A Private Chef Hire Service – Bringing the Restaurant to You
Luke Rees
Founder and Managing Director of AWE365
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About AWE365: AWE365 your gateway to action sport, outdoor activities and adventure travel discounts and articles.
Martin Pearce
Managing Director of Omega Business Travel
Our founder and inspiration, Martin’s thirst for quality is the driving factor across the whole of OMEGA˚.
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About Omega Business Travel: OMEGA BT is an independent business travel management specialist committed to offering the very highest standards of service and expertise.
Neil Cloughley
Founder and Managing Director of Faradair Aerospace Limited
Neil is a passionate and experienced Aviation and IT entrepreneur, utilising his market knowledge within the aerospace sector to create a team and company that is able to deliver an exciting new aircraft. In his 20 year career to date he has built key strategic relationships with some of the largest brands in aviation and the information technology sectors, creating a reputation for successfully closing opportunities and generating significant rates of return. He comes from a family background based in the security, policing and unmanned air vehicle sectors, setting him on a path to follow in his father’s footsteps, following a 20 year dream of creating a new aircraft and transitioning it into an exciting aviation start-up reality. His ability to spot new market opportunities is highlighted by his previous tablet computer and mobile communications solution where he partnered with Siemens, SUN Microsystems and others in 2001 to demonstrate one of the world’s first tablet computing opportunities, three years before of Apple invented their I-Pad. Over 280 million tablets have since been sold, despite venture capitalists telling Neil at the time that a ‘tablet’ would never take off – So Neil has now decided to create a product that literally will ‘take off’! He has first-hand experience working with high profile aviation start-up’s including Virgin Galactic and Virgin America, providing him with valuable insight as to the many pitfalls such businesses can encounter. His success selling various commercial aircraft, including regional jets, enables him to understand the requirements and problems of the aviation market better than many that are currently attempting to enter the urban aerospace sector.
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About Faradair Aerospace Limited: Faradair is a pioneering Hybrid/Electric aircraft development company.
Miroslav Solanka
Managing Director of 68travel
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About 68travel, Sportmeets: 68travel creates and manufactures wooden maps, scratch maps, and travel accessories, and other travel-related items.
Yan Zhang
Founder & Managing Director of Glamorous Travel
Yan Zhang is a Founder & Managing Director at Glamorous Travel.
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About Glamorous Travel: Glamorous Travel is a U.K.-based tour operator that provides special interest tour packages and programs for Chinese nationals.
Yan Zhang
Founder & Managing Director of Glamorous Travel
Yan Zhang is a Founder & Managing Director at Glamorous Travel.
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About Glamorous Travel: Glamorous Travel is a U.K.-based tour operator that provides special interest tour packages and programs for Chinese nationals.
Marc Harris
Managing Director of Tanzania Odyssey
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About Tanzania Odyssey: We know Tanzania. We pride ourselves in keeping up to date to ensure we’re able to provide the best tours of this magnificent land.
