Lisa Fitzell joins Audley Travel as chief product and operations officer

Tailor-made operator Audley Travel has recruited Lisa Fitzell as chief product and operations officer.

Fitzell was most recently managing director of luxury tour operators Elegant Resorts and If Only. She stepped down in February after a seven-year tenure, saying "the time felt right" to hand over the reins to now managing director Gordon McCreadie. 

Fitzell was also previously group managing director of Diethelm Travel Group in Asia, where she led a strategic turnaround to achieve commercial growth and market expansion, and has held senior leadership roles at STA Travel, Tui, Goway Travel and Tailormade Travel.

Audley Travel said Fitzell had a “strong track record in building high-performing teams, driving strategic growth and delivering operational excellence”, adding that her appointment to the group executive board cemented the operator’s “commitment to continued growth”.

Fitzell will set the strategic direction for Audley’s product and operations functions, ensuring the business works with best-in-class suppliers across commercial, operational, product, and ESG criteria, while optimising its buying and contracting processes. 

She will start her new role on October 6 and will be based in the Witney (Oxfordshire) office. 

Audley’s previous chief product and operations officer, James Herbert, moved into a new role as chief commercial transformation officer on 1 July and remains on the group executive board. He is covering the operator’s product and operations responsibilities in the interim.

Audley Travel’s chief executive Nick Longman said: “I’m delighted to welcome Lisa to the senior team at Audley. She brings a wealth of experience across travel, tourism, retail, DMCs, tour operations, and ultra-luxury hospitality and is perfectly placed to help achieve our aspiration of elevating our global presence and enriching our product offering.” 

Fitzell added: “I am passionate about curating extraordinary tailor-made travel experiences and building a product portfolio that reflects the richness and individuality of each clients’ journey – both of which are matched by Audley Travel’s ethos. It is an incredibly exciting time to join the business and I’m eager to work with the team to ensure Audley continues to deliver inspirational client experiences across all destinations.”