Gekko, (www.gekko.com) the online personal shopping assistant for hotels has announced that Alex Cheeseman has joined as Commercial Director from the BBC’s Lonely Planet where he was Business Development Manager.

He will be responsible for driving Gekko’s revenue opportunities, with a particular focus on Gekko’s recently launched service - Gekko Links (www.gekko.com/gekkolinks/signup).

Reflecting on the new role, Alex said: “Gekko is going to be a game-changer. I’m really excited to be working with such a high calibre team and innovative services. We have the opportunity here to redefine the way customers book travel and publishers commercialise their travel content.”

Alex brings a wealth of travel and new business experience to the role having been responsible for driving partnership initiatives for Lonely Planet across print, digital and mobile with global brands such as Barclays, Nissan and Ellesse.

Michel Cassius, GEKKO’S CEO, added:  “With the recent launch of Gekko Links, Alex is joining us at the right time to develop our Business to business proposition and to maximize the revenues opportunities with partners in the travel and media space. Alex is a great addition to an already very strong team and brings all the relevant experience to grow our business.”