Kuoni UK managing director Mark Duguid to depart

Kuoni UK managing director Mark Duguid is to step down from his role on September 25 after 17 years with the brand and parent group Dertour UK.

Duguid joined Kuoni in 2009 and held several senior positions, including commercial director, before taking the helm at luxury brand Carrier for five years.

He returned to Kuoni as managing director in 2022 to oversee a major reorganisation, rebranding and market repositioning of the operator.

Dertour UK joint chief executive Ben Boesch will assume responsibility for leading Kuoni alongside his current role.

Duguid and Boesch will work together until late September “to ensure a smooth handover and continuity for colleagues, customers and partners”.

Duguid said: “After 17 rewarding years with Kuoni and Dertour UK, including leading both Carrier and Kuoni, I have decided that the time is right for me to move on and begin a new chapter.

“I feel this is the right moment for me personally to take some time out, travel, recharge and reflect on what I would like that next chapter to look like.

“I leave with enormous gratitude for the people I have worked alongside and confidence in the future of the business.”

Writing in a post on LinkedIn, Duguid reflected on starting his career in the trade as a “young and eager holiday representative, with no idea where the journey might take me”.

He noted that steering two distinct businesses through periods of “growth, uncertainty and significant change” highlighted where his core strengths lay.

“I’ve come to understand that the work I enjoy most – and where I believe I can make the greatest difference – is repositioning businesses and setting them up for the future,” he wrote on the social media platform.

“I had that opportunity at Carrier and, more recently, at Kuoni, where we have reshaped the business and created a clear path forward. This feels like a natural point for me to hand over and consider where I can bring that experience and energy next.”

Paying tribute to colleagues across the business, he added that many had become “lifelong friends” during his 17-year tenure, noting he will be “cheering them on as they take the business into its next chapter”.

Boesch paid tribute to Duguid’s contribution to the group, noting his leadership had left a “lasting impact on both Carrier and Kuoni” through periods of significant change.

Boesch added: “Under Mark’s leadership, Kuoni has continued to evolve. We will continue to build on what makes the brand distinctive: tailor-made travel, strong multi-channel distribution, differentiated products and exceptional customer service.

“Our ambition is to bring the Kuoni ‘wow’ to more customers, across a wider range of destinations, budgets and styles of travel, creating a strong platform for the brand’s next phase of growth.”