TORONTO — Intrepid Travel has appointed Hazel McGuire as its new Chief Marketing Officer.

Currently serving as the company’s General Manager, UK Sales and Marketing, McGuire joined Intrepid in August 2022, bringing with her 20 years of experience in the travel and transport industries. She went on to deliver 60% revenue growth in 2023 vs. 2019, and more recently led the UK team to its biggest month of sales in history in January 2025.

Her appointment follows an extensive global recruitment campaign. The role became available following the appointment of former Chief Customer Officer, Leigh Barnes, to President of the Americas.

McGuire will officially start in her new role on April 1, 2025, and will report to Intrepid’s CEO James Thornton.

“Hazel embodies our Intrepid values of ambitious, real, together and impactful and I’m thrilled to promote her to Chief Marketing Officer – a clear reflection of the talent and vision we have within our team,” said Thornton. “Hazel’s depth of experience in the travel industry and her proven success leading our UK business positioned her as the perfect candidate to realize Intrepid’s global growth ambitions. I with both Hazel and Leigh every success as they transition into their new roles.”

McGuire will remain based in London, UK where her remit will include global departments including Brand, PR and communications, and the newly added Customer and Experiences.

On her new role, McGuire said: “This is a dream role, not only in the travel industry but in global business. My goal is to identify the big opportunities that will help us realize Intrepid’s 2030 strategy.

“Leigh Barnes has done an amazing job growing our talented global team and I am committed to continue building on our shared vision to be the best travel company for the world.”

Intrepid is experiencing a period of rapid growth, announcing its largest acquisition to date last month with Dutch tour operator Sawadee Reizen. This comes on the heels of a record year of growth and sales in 2024. Its goal is to be a $1 billion business by the year 2030.