Advantage names chief of PR & corporate affairs

An experienced travel industry PR is has been confirmed in a newly-created role at the Advantage Travel Partnership to further raise the profile of the consortium.

Alexis Coles Barrasso has been named as chief of PR & corporate affairs, reporting to chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said.

She joined Advantage in February 2022 to help drive the group’s public affairs strategy, with the objective of establishing a cross-industry UK outbound travel think tank to help better influence government on policies impacting the sector.

Coles Barrasso is a former communications director of rival The Travel Network Group and was PR and communications director for Thomas Cook Group when it was a FTSE 100 company.

Her new role will see her continue to support Advantage’s public affairs strategy, as well as provide leadership of the its PR and corporate affairs activities. 

Lo Bue-Said said: “I am delighted that Alexis will be working even more closely with the team going forward. Over the past 18 months her role has expanded significantly as the company has embarked on its ambitious plans for the future.  

“During the time Alexis has been with us, she has played a vital role in helping us further grow our brand profile and industry influence, through an increased focus on industry and public affairs engagement, alongside active participation across many of our corporate communications initiatives.

“Working alongside my leadership team, Alexis’ expertise in this important area will be integral as we continue to drive forward a financially robust, dynamic, commercial organisation exclusively for our members.”

Coles Barrasso added: “I am thrilled to be taking on this increased role with Julia and joining her senior leadership team at Advantage.  

“We have made a great deal of progress with amplifying the public profile of Advantage, and in positioning the brand as a leading voice of authority for the industry across all sectors within which the membership operates. I am very much looking forward to building on this success as we look to extend our brand reach both in the UK and globally.”