We are pleased to continue our partnership with Next Capital Private Equity on the appointment of Simon Birkenhead as Chief Executive Officer of Travvia. 

Travvia now includes its iconic JUCY and StarRV brands and is well-positioned to accelerate its growth across New Zealand and Australia following a recent $30 million investment by Next Capital. 

Simon brings over 20 years of global executive experience spanning private equity-owned businesses across education, SaaS AdTech, business intelligence, digital marketing and telecommunications. His most recent role was as CEO of HQTravel Group.  

Simon also has a strong track record in leading transformation and growth, particularly in private equity environments, with proven ability to navigate complex challenges and delivers successful commercial outcomes. 

Simon joins Travvia at a pivotal time, tasked with leveraging an expanding Australasian tourism market that will provide a unique market opportunity to drive revenue growth, enhance customer experience, and lead the next era of commercial focus and sales expansion.  

Thank you to Simon Monks, Natalie Stones, Vanessa Bathe, Sophia Hotten and Wendy Sole for their dedication and insightful work on this appointment. 

You can find the full company announcement here