DGI (formerly Diversity Travel) has expanded its senior leadership team following the appointment of James Parkhouse as CEO.
The travel management specialist for the not-for-profit and academic sectors has appointed Julie Kendrick as Chief Operating Officer and Rob Cope as Director of Transformation.
Kendrick joins with more than 25 years’ experience in the sector, including senior multinational operational roles at FCM. Most recently, she oversaw operations across more than 12 markets, leading a team of more than 300 staff globally.
She said: “DGI has developed a strong reputation as a specialist TMC, built on a solid foundation. The focus now is on refining how we operate and ensuring teams are fully supported to deliver the best experience for clients in a changing world.”
Cope brings extensive experience from across the corporate travel sector, including roles at CTM and Take2Eton. At DGI, he will be responsible for bridging operations and technology, focusing on redesigning service processes and leading automation and technology-enabled initiatives aimed at improving efficiency and customer experience.
He said: “DGI has a clear ambition for growth and innovation and I’m excited to be part of a business that is investing so heavily in both technology and people. There is a strong opportunity to create smarter, more scalable operational processes that support teams internally while enhancing the client experience.”
The two appointments mark the first major leadership changes under Parkhouse, who joined from Take2Eton earlier this year.
He said it was a pivotal time for DGI. “As we continue international growth in different continents, our focus is on strengthening operational excellence, investing in technology-enabled solutions and building a leadership team that can support the next stage of global footprint development,” he explained
“These appointments reflect our ambition to enhance how we deliver for clients, while reinforcing our position as a highly specialist travel management company.”
DGI provides travel management services for clients including Wellcome, British Red Cross and most recently won the contract to provide travel services for Newcastle University.
