Peter Long

Long was born in Malta, as his father was serving in the Royal Navy. He attended Price's Grammar School in Fareham, Hampshire, following which he went to further education college to qualify as an accountant.{{cite news |last1=Reece |first1=Damian |title=The Interview: A Long day's journey into the sun for the king of the package holiday world |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/the-interview-a-long-days-journey-into-the-sun-for-the-king-of-the-package-holiday-world-305619.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/the-interview-a-long-days-journey-into-the-sun-for-the-king-of-the-package-holiday-world-305619.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |accessdate=28 August 2020 |work=The Independent |date=13 August 2005}}

Long began his career as a cost accountant at electronics firm Vernitron.Davidson, Andrew. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061050/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/business/article186490.ece “The Andrew Davidson interview: Peter Long”], “The Sunday Times”, London, 4 October 2009. He then worked in finance at engineering firm Thomas Tilling before moving into the travel industry. He joined Harry Goodman's International Leisure Group in 1984, rising to chief executive of the tourism division.Walsh, Dominic. [https://www.thetimes.com/article/business-big-shot-peter-long-t7pdpkpkt6w “Business big shot: Peter Long”], “The Times, London, 20 March 2007. Following this, he set up Sunworld in 1991 with Spanish hotelier partners, and it was eventually sold to the Thomas Cook Group in June 1996.

In November 1996, Long was appointed group managing director of First Choice Holidays PLC and became chief executive in September 1999.Business Week [https://archive.today/20130726123737/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=3549580&ticker=TTVLF "Executive Summary: Peter Long”], “BusinessWeek”, 7 February 2013.

He was one of the architects of the 2007 consolidation in European tour operating in which First Choice Holidays merged with TUI Tourism (part of TUI AG) in September 2007 to create TUI Travel PLC, one of the largest leisure travel groups in the world.Mychasuk, Emiliya. [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/6eee32b6-fad6-11dc-aa46-000077b07658,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F6eee32b6-fad6-11dc-aa46-000077b07658.html&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ft.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DTUI%2BTravel%2BPeter%2BLong%26t%3Dall%26rpp%3D100%26fa%3Dpeople%252Corganisations%252Cregions%252Csections%252Ctopics%252Ccategory%252Cbrand%26s%3D-initialPublishDateTime%26curations%3DARTICLES%252CBLOGS%252CVIDEOS%252CPODCASTS%26highlight%3Dtrue#axzz2VLvxW53s “Peter Long”], “Financial Times”, 26 March 2008. Post-merger, Long grew TUI Travel's profits in sometimes challenging market conditions by offering more differentiated holiday products - hotels and activities that not available through other operators - to its customers.Thomas, Natalie. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/leisure/9784583/Monday-Interview-TUI-Travel-chief-Peter-Long.html “Monday Interview: TUI Travel chief Peter Long”],”The Daily Telegraph”, London, 6 January 2013.

TUI Travel merged with TUI AG in December 2014 to form TUI Group, the world's largest tourism company. Long was joint chief executive of TUI Group, and is deputy chairman of the supervisory board.https://www.tuigroup.com/damfiles/default/tuigroup-15/en/about-us/management/lebenslauefe-en/aufsichtsrat-en/sb_curriculum-vitae-long.pdf-daa7c17c849c217a08d6c929315f765e.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}

In October 2013, Long was appointed president of the Family Holiday Association, a UK-based charity which provides short breaks away from home for more than 2,000 disadvantaged families.Davies, Phil. [http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/Details/45477 “Tui's Peter Long takes up role as FHA president”], “Travel Weekly, London, 1 October 2013. Long became chairman of Royal Mail in September 2015.{{cite web|title=Peter Long: Chairman|url=http://www.royalmailgroup.com/about-us/management-and-committees/royal-mail-plc-board|website=Royal Mail Group|accessdate=12 September 2017}}

In January 2018, Long who is chairman of Countrywide, replaced Alison Platt the CEO, who resigned after the company issued its second profit warning in three months, and its shares fell to an all-time low, while a successor is sought.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/24/countrywide-boss-resigns-as-shares-hit-new-low|title=Countrywide boss resigns as shares hit new low|first=Angela|last=Monaghan|date=24 January 2018|website=the Guardian|accessdate=2 February 2018}}

• Medal of the Order of Isabella the Catholic for contributions to services to Spanish tourism (2009).E-tid. [http://www.e-tid.com/Long-picks-up-award/ "Long picks up award"], London, 29 May 2009.
• Member of the British Travel Industry Hall of FameEastcastle Publishing. [https://www.kingley.co.uk/the-british-travel-and-hospitality-industry-hall-of-fame "British Travel Industry Hall of Fame"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820160338/http://kingley.co.uk/the-british-travel-and-hospitality-industry-hall-of-fame |date=2013-08-20 }}. (inducted in 2001).Travel Weekly. [http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/2001/05/01/15522/top-men-head-for-the-hall-of-fame.html Top men head for the hall of fame].
• Odyssey Award from the Institute of Travel and Tourism (received twice, 1998 and 2008).Institute of Travel & Tourism. [http://www.itt.co.uk/about/OdysseyAwardWinners.php "Odyssey Award Winners"].

Long is married, with three sons.

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Category:Living people

Category:1952 births

Category:British chief executives

Category:British corporate directors

Category:British chairpersons of corporations