Our Council

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Our Council

Alan Glen

Alan jointly owns and operates Glen Travel (with his two brothers David & Douglas). Established in 1973 Glen Travel is a fully Independent, multi award-winning company with many different facets to the business including retail & wholesale operations, whilst also offering self-employed Home Worker and Franchise opportunities. Alan has been in the travel business since 1989 and is a Past President of SPAA, he first joined SPAA Council in 2010.

Gayle Gordon

Gayle Gordon is the SPAA Social Convener, responsible for our Annual Travel Awards and Summer Ball, and has been a Council member since 2012. Starting her journey with the SPAA being responsible for the youth in the industry. Gayle has progressed on Council and has held roles including Quiz Convener and Social Media Convener. Gayle has worked with Clyde Travel Management through various roles since 1998, her career as a trainee Business Travel Consultant, then switching to Leisure Travel and spent many years selling wonderful holidays to her customers. Gayle has a passion for Marine and Corporate Travel so was delighted when Clyde Travel gave her the opportunity to become Customer Relations Manager, a role which she loves!

Paul Cronje

Paul Cronje is Director of Clyde Travel Management, specialising in marine, energy and corporate travel and head quartered in Glasgow. Having joined the travel industry in 2001 as a leisure travel consultant, Paul moved into the corporate travel environment seven years later and today has over 20 years’ experience across the wider industry. He joined the SPAA Council in 2019.

Tanya Cooper

Tanya began in 1988 as a YTS with Lunn Poly, becoming a manager in 1991. She then worked for Thomas Cook in various west of Scotland branches before taking up the role of regional sales manager for Scotland West and South; responsible for shops from Elgin to Annan. Moving to the role of Area Manager and Deputy Head of Retail for the North of the UK Tanya won regional manager of the year 3 times. Tanya moved to Hays in 2019 where she is now Head of Personal Travel Consultants across the UK and Northern Ireland, managing a team of Operations Support and Business Development Managers, with a remit of 325 Home Workers

Joanne Dooey

Joanne is a long term SPPAA member and a past president. Joanne operates three Love To Travel independent travel agencies in Coatbridge, Motherwell, and Bellshill, specialising in leisure travel. Joanne started in the travel industry in 1987, working mainly for multiples such as Thomas Cook, The Co-op Travel and Going Places as a regional manager before founding Love To Travel in 2014. Joanne opened her second store in her hometown of Motherwell in the same shop where she first started her career 27 years before for Lunn Poly. Joanne is also a non-executive board director for the Advantage Travel Partnership. She has been a Council member of the SPAA since 2006 and has also undertaken the role of SPAA Social Convener, responsible for the Scottish Travel Awards, the Summer Ball and networking lunches. Joanne is also a non executive board director for the Advantage Travel Partnership. She has been a council member of the SPAA for over 18 years and has also undertaken the role of SPAA social convener responsible for the Scottish Travel Awards, the Summer Ball and networking lunches.

Christiane McCorgray-Thorne

Christiane works at Thorne Travel in Kilwinning and has always a love for travel for as long as she can remember. Christiane started in travel as an apprentice in 2012 and has worked her way up to her current managerial position. Christiane credits her career with allowing her to see so many amazing places and offering so many amazing life lessons through it.

Jimmy Martin

Jimmy is the owner of award-winning Jimmy Martin Travel, an Independent Travel Agency based in Stockbridge, Edinburgh. Having been a President of the SPAA twice and a member of the council since 2004, Jimmy has always worked in the leisure sector of the industry, having learnt his apprenticeship at the famous late booking agency, Frutin Travel in Leith, his hometown, from where he worked as a brochure boy and ended up Managing Director. In 2021 Jimmy took over Frutin Travel and incorporated it into his organisation.

Greig Avinou

Greig’s travel career began in 1998 at King World Travel as a Skillseeker Modern Apprentice, quickly being promoted to assistant and then branch manager. At just 22, Greig started his own business in Saltcoats, Ayrshire with his business partner. They enjoyed five successful years together before Greig moved on to a new project with Barrhead Travel, which would see him have his own Franchise business back in his hometown of Falkirk. In 2014, Greig’s team won shop of the year, this was the beginning of multiple awards including TTG Travel Agency of the Year Scotland.

John Barr

John is owner of Stelar Travel in Stenhousemuir and joint owner of Ian Dickson Travel in Edinburgh. John started his long journey in the industry in 1983 as a YTS at A. T. Mays before going on to Sibbald Travel and then Ian Dickson Travel. Although most of his time has been concentrated in the Leisure Travel area John has dipped his toe into most other areas of travel on occasion. He started Stelar Travel in 2017 in Stenhousemuir and re-joined Ian Dickson Travel as part owner and Managing Director in 2021. John has been on the SPAA Council since December 2020.

Aman Kohli

Aman Kohli has been in the travel industry for over 40 years and has served on SPAA Council since 2007. His company, Kohli Travel, has always specialised in VFR (Visit Friends and Relatives) flights to The Asian subcontinent and the Far East. After reviving the Quiz in 2007. Aman then became the Dinner Convener with other roles including serving on Air Committee and the APJC (The Air Passenger Joint Council).

Linda Boyd

Linda began her travel career on a YTS apprenticeship in Ayr in 1981 at Ellerman Travel before she had ever been abroad. Her subsequent journey has seen stints at Lunn Poly, Pickford’s Travel, King World Travel, Minoan Travel and Stewart Travel. Linda believes that the SPAA, the Voice of Scottish Travel is what brings our industry together and looks forward to helping to grow support of this association.