RateHawk names new UK chief and expands its commercial team
RateHawk.com, an online system for booking hotels, air tickets and transfers for travel professionals, announces the new appointments in its UK and Ireland commercial team: Chantal Tomlinson joins RateHawk as the Head of business development for the UK and Ireland, and Laura Harrison joins as Strategic business development manager. With these new hires, RateHawk follows its ambitious plans for further expansion in the UK and Ireland.
Chantal Tomlinson joins with over 25 years of experience in the tourism industry. Having worked with companies such as Flexible Car Hire Limited and Lastminute.com, Chantal has a proven track record in senior sales and business development roles within travel trade companies and OTAs. At RateHawk, Chantal will lead day-to-day operations, overseeing the commercial team of 16 people, driving business growth, and strengthening the company’s market share.
Chantal Tomlinson commented: “RateHawk’s rapid growth and advanced supply and products are truly impressive, and it is a delight to join this incredible team at such an exciting time. RateHawk delivers exceptional value to our agency partners, and I am eager to support them in growing their businesses and boosting their profits with us.”
Alongside Tomlinson, Laura Harrison recently joined RateHawk as Strategic business development manager to focus on growing agent partnerships. Laura has over 20 years of experience in the travel industry in business development and account management roles in companies including Thomas Cook, Walt Disney World and Avis Budget Group.
On her appointment, Laura Harrison commented: “Having joined the RateHawk team, I’ve been impressed by their dynamic and forward-thinking approach. It is a genuine pleasure to join this fast-growing business and contribute to bringing its ambitions to life.”
Announcing the appointments, Julita Grzycka, RateHawk’s Regional Director for Northwestern Europe, commented: “We are excited to have Chantal on board as the Head of the UK & Ireland market. We also feel especially empowered with Laura joining the team with her strategic approach to business development. Both Chantal and Laura have impressive experience in the industry and a deep knowledge of the specifics of the UK trade, which will significantly strengthen our market penetration and bring more business.”
Launched in 2016, RateHawk employs over 500 professionals in commercial roles globally and has offices in London, Berlin, Milan, Lisbon, Warsaw, Dubai, Limassol, and Wilmington. The number of RateHawk partners exceeds 70,000 travel professionals worldwide. RateHawk offers a web platform and a mobile app enabling partners to handle business remotely.
RateHawk is part of the UAE-based Emerging Travel Group, a global travel company that operates travel brands for individual travelers (ZenHotels), B2B travel professionals (RateHawk), and corporate customers (Roundtrip) in over 190 source markets. In 2023, Emerging Travel Group achieved a gross transaction value of $2.6 billion.