HIS Japan has announced a leadership change at TravelBrands, Red Label Vacations, and Merit Travel. Nathalie Tanious will take charge of the companies following the decision of President and CEO Frank DeMarinis to step down from the organization, effective July 21.

In 2018 TravelBrands was sold to HIS Co. Ltd., the Japanese travel giant that also owned Merit Travel and Jonview in Canada, along with 275 travel outlets worldwide.

“As all of you know, Frank has been an important figure in the Canadian travel industry for many years, and we are grateful for his contributions, leadership, and dedication to our company during his time with us,” HIS said in a statement.

It added, “In light of Frank’s departure, we are pleased to announce that Nathalie Tanious, our former COO, will be assuming the role of CEO… Nathalie’s outstanding leadership capabilities, in-depth industry knowledge, and commitment to our shared vision make her the perfect choice to lead us into
the next phase of growth and innovation.”

HIS says the transition will be “seamless” and that the company, which purchased Red Label Vacations Inc. from DeMarinis and his brothers Enzo and Joe in 2019, remains “fully committed to providing you with the exceptional service and support you have come to expect from us.”

TravelBrands, a legacy brand spawned from Thomas Cook Canada (formerly North American Leisure Group, My Travel/Airtours, etc.) – was purchased by the DeMarinis brothers (who owned Redtag.ca and Bel Air Travel, where Frank DeMarinis started in 1987) in 2013, and now includes a portfolio of both retail and wholesale brands including Sunquest, Encore Cruises, Exotik Journeys, Intair, Redtag.ca, itravel2000.com, and others.