Online travel company insures for its future

Australia's leading online travel insurance provider, The World Nomads Group, has announced the appointment of Stewart Hindmarsh as its new CEO.

Stuart, 35, was most recently a Director at Grant Samuel, one of Australia's top independent investment advisory groups.

During his 11 years with Grant Samuel, Stewart completed a wide range of acquisitions, mergers, asset sales and capital raisings for some of Australia's leading bluechip companies.

He has considerable experience in the travel services sector, having advised GDS provider Sabre Pacific on its Australian growth strategy, travel services companies Gullivers and Stella on acquisitions and asset sales, as well as Stockland on its sale of the Saville Hotel Group.

Before joining Grant Samuel, Stewart worked as a solicitor with national law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth, practising in corporate and securities law.

The Chairman of World Nomads, Michael Keating, says the appointment of someone of the calibre of Stewart is a reflection of the company's strategic vision.

World Nomads operates a number of global websites, primarily specialising in the sale of travel insurance and is currently one of the fastest growing such companies in the world. Among the Group’s sites are TID (Travel Insurance Direct), World Nomads and its leading edge worldwide CSR program ‘Footprints’.

The company was formed in 2001 with three founding partners in Michael McAuliffe (insurance), Simon Monk (software development) and Wayne Tregaskis who was formerly the worldwide advertising and PR Manager for Qantas. All are still Directors of the Group.