James Reed: all about business

46. “We lost 11 million in one month!”: What Hays Travel did to go from crisis to smashing £3 Billion | Dame Irene Hays

29 Sep 2025

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Dame Irene Hays built Hays Travel with her husband John, growing it from a small counter at the back of a babywear shop into the UK’s largest independent travel agency with 512 branches nationwide. Along the way, she navigated major industry shifts, acquired the legendary Thomas Cook brand, founded the Hays Travel Foundation, and built a leading apprenticeship programme that now employs hundreds of apprentices. But this isn't come without massive hurdles, heartbreak and sheer determination to turn crisis into a success. In this week’s episode of All About Business, Irene shares the leadership principles and bold decisions behind her success. She reveals how she scaled without outside investors, why she risked everything to save thousands of jobs at Thomas Cook, and how she rebuilt stronger than ever after COVID-19 brought global travel to a standstill.Irene also explores the “soft infrastructure” behind Hays Travel’s five star customer experience and why apprenticeships and investing in young talent are central to her long term vision.Check out Hays Travel’s websiteFollow Hays Travel on LinkedIn: Start your free trial at Reed.ai NOW!Follow James Reed on LinkedInAll About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more at Reed.com This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk

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James Reed: all about business

James Reed: all about business

46. “We lost 11 million in one month!”: What Hays Travel did to go from crisis to smashing £3 Billion | Dame Irene Hays

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

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62. How to stack revenue: The 3 levers that grow any food local business | Pete Russell

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