Thomas Cook has expanded the role of Peter Fankhauser to include control of its UK operations as part of a major management reshuffle.

Fankhauser is presently responsible for the German-speaking continental divisions of the company and will now take responsibility for the UK & Ireland business.

It is believed this is only the first phase of a shake-up of the business under new group chief executive Harriet Green.

Fankhauser is a Swiss national, presently based in Germany.

However, when he takes on the UK role he will spend 80 per cent of his time in the UK.

Green said: “Transforming the performance of our UK & Ireland business will, in essence, transform the Thomas Cook Group’s performance overall.

”Peter has extensive experience and proven track record of successfully leading and transforming businesses and I am confident that by bringing our UK and Continental European operations together we will achieve far greater synergies for the group and significantly improve operational efficiency, the sharing of best practice and driving out siloed behaviour.”