Barrhead appoints regional sales manager with ‘extensive’ experience

Barrhead Travel has appointed a former branch manager as a new regional sales manager for Scotland.

Matt Hands, who worked for more than a decade as a Barrhead Travel store manager pre-Covid, will oversee sales for the group’s Scottish retail network, reporting into head of sales Linda Armit.

Hands, who started this week, has more than 20 years’ experience in travel and worked for Barrhead as a store manager from 2009 until 2019. He was twice named as the company’s Employee of the Month while his team also won the company’s Department of the Year title.

Hands has returned to work for Barrhead after initially moving out of travel to work for a retail optician and then rejoining the industry pre-Covid as a store manager for Hays Travel’s Gyle branch.

He said: “I’m very excited to be rejoining the team at Barrhead. Reconnecting with so many former colleagues has been amazing and I’m looking forward to getting involved in some really interesting projects.”

Sales and marketing director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Matt back to the Barrhead Travel family as regional sales manager. It’s been a busy summer as travel recovers and demand for reputable high street travel agents is on the rise.

“Matt’s extensive retail travel experience combined with his laser-focus on delivering exceptional customer service is a great fit as we aim for sustainable growth over the coming year.”