With effect from 01 March 2003, Stefan Pichler, chairman and CEO, Thomas Cook AG, is the new chairman of the Board of Thomas Cook (India) Limited. The appointment took effect after the conclusion of the company’s Annual General Meeting on 24 February 2003.

This would mark the conclusion of a long inning played by Pradip Madhavji, who joined the company on March 1, 1979 as managing director. According to Stefan Pichler, “We owe a great deal of thanks to Pradip during his long serving career with Thomas Cook (India) Limited. Under his leadership Thomas Cook’s Indian business has become the leading travel and travel-related financial services company in the market.”

Taking on his new position he added, “Thomas Cook AG is an international group with ambitious growth plans for the future. We view India as an important market, and in my new position as Chairman of the Indian Board I can now take a more active role in the development of the business.” Madhavji on the other hand commented, “It has been both an honour and privilege to lead Thomas Cook’s Indian business during a period of great change for both the company and the travel industry in India. Given that the Indian business is now part of the international business of Thomas Cook AG, it makes sound commercial and strategic sense for the company to be led by Pichler. I will continue to watch the development of the company with great interest and wish the group all the success in the future.”

At the operational level, Ashwini Kakkar, CEO and MD, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, will continue to manage the Thomas Cook operations in India as also the operations in Egypt and the Indian Ocean Rim region.