5 minute read
HIGH FLYER
It’s hard to imagine a stronger partnership than the one between John and Dame Irene Hays.
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While they may have been propelled to national prominence in 2019 when they acquired the failing Thomas Cook retail operation, as business and life partners, they’ve worked together, always putting others first and giving back to the North East.
Brought up in Ashington, Northumberland, Dame Irene worked her way through the ranks in local and national government, becoming CEO of Sunderland City Council and South Tyneside Council and serving as Director General of Local Government and Regeneration in Whitehall.
Born in Sunderland, John had returned to the region after studying at Oxford and Manchester. On his return, he realised the town of Seaham was missing a funeral directors and travel agents and, deciding the latter would be more fun, launched Hays Travel in 1980 using the back room of his mother’s babywear shop as his office.
Today, Hays Travel head office is grander; their newly refurbished workplace stands proudly in Sunderland’s Keel Square – each room decorated in Hays’ iconic blue and orange colour scheme.
In their 40 years of business, John and Dame Irene (as co-owners) grew Hays Travel into one of the region’s major employers, placing strong emphasis on the personal and professional development of their team.
Starting small, their workforce grew steadily and, two years after launch they developed the Hays Travel apprenticeship scheme. Over 35 years later and the scheme is as popular as ever, with 450 new apprentices expected to join the company later this year. “The reason why I am so passionate about apprentices and apprenticeships is that they have added the goods all the way through my career, and in Hays Travel,” comments Dame Irene.
“We introduced them into the travel company in year two, so it’s been a long time; 40 years. Apprentices have consistently delivered and that’s why I do what I do for the education department.
“Before we acquired Thomas Cook, 47% of senior managers started as apprentices, which is huge really, and that includes many of our very senior people. We measure our managers on how well they bring on their apprentices”.
Through their two-year apprenticeship programme, and within their Ofsted Travel Academy, Hays Travel employees are trained on the art of high-quality customer service. This, combined with Hays Travel’s focus on a “human-first” approach to booking holidays, has carved a niche for the business.
And while the arrival of the internet may have been perceived as a threat to the industry, John and Dame Irene viewed it as a help, not a hindrance, with Hays Travel actively using digital channels to establish a link with potential holidaymakers.
It certainly paid off - today, Hays Travel is the UK’s largest independently owned travel agent, with sales of over £1 billion per annum, 7,500 employees and 450 retail branches across the UK.
Recognising the importance of speaking to and supporting other North East business owners, John helped in the formation of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and served on its board for 5 years.
In May 2019, he took to the Forum’s conference stage, sharing the lessons learned throughout this entrepreneurial journey and the secrets to Hays’ success.
It was here he referenced his and Dame Irene’s strongly held belief of doing the right thing for the business, its customers and its people.
And it was this shared value that led the couple to bid for the Bath Travel retail group and most recently the Thomas Cook branches in 2019.
As the only bidder for the entire Thomas Cook estate, Hays Travel acquired a further 550 shops as part of the purchase, saving over 2,000 jobs and creating an additional 500.
Taking on low profit-making stores and transforming them into successful branches was a challenge the duo took on, but nothing could have prepared them for the obstacles they faced in 2020 when they navigated the challenges presented by COVID.
Together, John and Dame Irene worked around the clock to protect jobs and keep people safe, despite having virtually no incoming revenue due to restrictions to their industry. Throughout an exceptional 18 months, the pair ensured service standards remained high, and costs were competitive, helping to support jobs, local communities and the economy.
By autumn 2020, with a vaccine on the horizon and recruitment underway for their 2021 apprenticeship cohort, things were looking up for the couple.
But in November 2020, after collapsing at work, John Hays tragically passed away.
To honour his contributions to Sunderland and its community, the city lit its landmarks blue and orange. Tributes poured in from those who knew him best; his team, the North East business community and his customers.
Shortly after his passing, and in recognition of her services to training, education and young people, Dame Irene received some ‘bittersweet’ news; she’d been awarded a damehood in the Queen’s Honours List.
“When they rang me and said I had been awarded the honour, the first person I thought about was John and he would have been thrilled,” said Dame Irene. “I know I am getting the honour but the honour is for all the people who have helped these young people over the years to be successful.
“I was overwhelmed when I heard. In all of my careers, I have always tried to help and support young people to be the best they can be.”
Both passionate about supporting the next generation to be the best they can be, John and Dame Irene launched the Hays Travel Foundation which has awarded over £1 million to community projects, helping to support young people in education, sport, the arts and health.
Now as Hays’ Travel chair and owner, Dame Irene is focused on taking forward John’s ambitions for the company with a team who share her and John’s passion for the travel industry.
While they’ve navigated two challenging years, it seems that a bounceback is on the horizon; in August 2021, Hays Travel celebrated their first profitable month since COVID, a sign of better things to come.
