Julian Eccles has joined Travelport as its new vice president for public relations and corporate communications.

He replaces Kate Aldridge who has decided to leave the company later this year.

Eccles’ previous roles include time as vice president for corporate communications at the international telecoms and media company Millicom.

He also worked in communications director positions at the European broadcaster Sky, the UK communications regulator Ofcom, and the English Football Association, as well as a special adviser at the UK department for culture, media and sport.

He began his career working at the agency Hill & Knowlton working with a variety of global clients.

Travelport, the UK-based, NYSE-listed business-to-business travel tech business, recently announced it had increased its revenue by six per cent to $2.35bn in 2016 as the company expanded its range of products and services to clients in over 180 countries.

It leads its industry in the provision of mobile commerce, business-to-business commercial payments, airline merchandising capabilities and other travel distribution products provided to corporate and leisure travel agencies, airlines, hotels, car rental companies and rail service providers who interface in to its travel commerce platform.

Travelport chief executive, Gordon Wilson, commented: “I am delighted Julian will be joining the Travelport team. His background in promoting rapidly-changing companies combined with an exceptional breadth of experience will help us tell our growth and transformation story in even more compelling ways.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the fantastic work done by Kate in her time at Travelport.

“She has been a major contributor to the company’s reputation globally and was pivotal in the communications element of our successful IPO in September 2014.”