Citing an intense travel schedule, family challenges and
ambitious expansion plans, AndBeyond founder Joss
Kent says he is relinquishing his CEO title to move into the newly created
position of executive chairman.
In a letter to industry partners, Kent said the luxury
African travel company has retained the firm Russell Reynolds to lead the
search for a new CEO.
Joss Kent
The new CEO, he said, will “sit alongside and complement”
his new role, bringing “new skills, experiences and perspectives” as the
company works to carry out its five-year strategic plan.
“My travel schedule over these last eight years has been
relentless and involved me essentially being on the road for six months of
every year,” he wrote. “I have also had to contend with some very real family
challenges related to the wellbeing of one of my children. These balancing
tensions are, I know, very common in this wonderful industry we all work in, as
by default we always need to be in six places at once!
“However, in the last year it has become increasingly
apparent that balancing the demands of the CEO role and offering consistent and
available support to my family has become much more difficult. So, after
thoughtful consultation with the AndBeyond shareholders, we have decided on a
forward plan that we believe will not only resolve some of these personal
issues for me, but also make the leadership structure of AndBeyond even
stronger as we pursue the ambitious plans we have for the company across
Africa, Asia and South America.”
Kent said there is no rush to the process, but that he hopes
to have the new CEO in place by the end of the year.
Kent is the son of Abercrombie & Kent founder Geoffrey
Kent.