Jump to. [11], British businesswoman and former civil servant, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, "Meet the couple behind Hays Travel as they offer hope to thousands of Thomas Cook staff", "ESFA welcomes new Management Board Chair Irene Lucas CBE", "Who are Hays Travel? (11 October). Please log in below or join now for access. ... Ram raiders smash into two Sunderland shops in early-morning crime spree. Japanese airlines warn of Typhoon Hagibis cancellations, Flylolo cancels Glasgow flight programme for the weekend, Win Apple Airpod Pros and a Spotify Premium subscription with Onee Luxury Travel, The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel Virtual Roadshow, Online meetings event Luxpo returns this April, acquired all 555 former Thomas Cook stores, has already reopened more than 20 former Cook stores, International travel to resume 17 May earliest following taskforce report, Greece, Cyprus and Israel strike Covid travel bubbles deal. Catch up with John & Irene's full interview with Good Morning Britain this morning! Hays Travel announced plans to acquire Thomas Cook’s retail estate of 555 shops on Wednesday morning. Mike Sweeney — John and Irene Hays. Dame Irene Lucas-Hays DBE DL (née Lucas; born 4 February 1954) is a British businesswoman and former civil servant, and the chair of Hays Travel, the largest independent travel agent in the UK, which she jointly owned with her husband John Hays until his death in 2020. The tragic information on the death of John was made known to us by friends and family who came out on their social media platform to announce and drop condolence messages on the departure. John and Irene Hays light up Good Morning Britain. Hays Travel owners John and Irene Hays appeared on Good Morning Britain this morning following the reopening of five of the Thomas Cook … THE funeral of the founder and managing director of Hays Travel, John Hays will be taking place today. [6], She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours for services to local government[2][3] and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to training, education and young people. In 1980, Hays founded Hays Travel in the back of his … He later earned an MBA from Manchester Business School.. Thomas Cook ceased trading with immediate effect on September 23 after the travel firm was unable to pay £200million to its creditors. Hays earned a degree in mathematics from the University of Oxford. Owners John and Irene Hays spoke on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme about the impact of the Spain quarantine rules on their business. John Hays was born in July 1949 in the UK. Having to go to the job centre was really upsetting. American dream: a new chapter for US tourism? bookmark_border. [1], Hays worked in local government, rising to chief executive of South Tyneside Council and Sunderland City Council. Since issuing Metro Radio with the brief for 30 seconds of sunshine pop some twenty odd years ago, the Sunderland-based travel agent has become a stalwart of the regional high street and is synonymous with suntans and sandals for North East holidaymakers. image caption John and Irene Hays run the business, set up 40 years ago All 555 Thomas Cook shops are to be bought by rival Hays Travel in a move that could save up to 2,500 jobs. Owners John and Irene Hays said Spanish travel restrictions meant hundreds of thousands of holidays were cancelled. [7], In December 2018, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Sunderland. John and Irene Hays from Sunderland have been inundated with messages of praise from strangers after swooping in to snap up Thomas Cook's 555 high street shops, saving 2,500 jobs. John and Irene Hays on This Morning. He died on November 13, 2020 in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. John and Irene had to provide evidence of their financial resilience to the Civil Aviation Authority, opening up Hays Travel’s books to rigorous stress testing. [1] John was the company's CEO. John & Irene Hays on BBC Radio 5 live. [citation needed]Career. John & Irene Hays. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. This morning… [9].She was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Tyne & Wear in 2020. She was born Irene Lucas in Newcastle upon Tyne on 4 February 1954, the daughter of Vincent and Isabelle Lucas. Hays' buyout saved 130 jobs locally but Irene Hays said the Northern Ireland shops need more staff. Related Videos John, who ran the North East-based holiday firm alongside his wife Irene… [5], Hays has been the chair of Hays Travel since 2011. [2] John Hays died on 13 November 2020, after collapsing from a cardiac arrest at the company's Sunderland head office. Speaking to the media yesterday, just hours after the agreement was signed, Hays Travel owners John and Irene Hays pledged to re-open every single store as soon as possible. Hays has already reopened more than 20 former Cook stores and reemployed more than 1,200 former Cook staff. Hays Travel's bosses returned to This Morning on Monday to react to the chaos caused by the Government's new laws on Spain. [2] She was later an advisor to Ministers and Secretaries of State in Whitehall, and a Permanent Secretary. amp video_youtube. Overseas summer holidays 'unlikely' – Sturgeon, P&O and Cunard pause bookings for cruises before 21 June, Historic TMC Baxter Hoare Travel ceases trading, Northern Irish agents in line for new govt grants, 'We need a common European roadmap for return to travel', Govt assessing various travel certification schemes – Shapps. Chelsea At Breakfast ... 09:00. John Hays sadly died on November 13 at work. 12:00. Published on Tuesday, August 4, 2020 Hays Travel owners issue new plea for 'sophisticated' travel policy. John and Irene Hays, Managing Director and Group Chair of Hays Travel Limited, said: "Thomas Cook was a much-loved brand employing talented people. [4] John Hays owned 56.42% and Irene owns 43.58%. John Hays (22 July 1949 – 13 November 2020) was a British businessman, and the founder and chief executive (CEO) of Hays Travel, the largest independent travel agency in the UK. The couple were in good spirits after their sensational swoop for Cook's entire retail network on Wednesday. Hays Travel -the UK's largest independent travel agent -has its head offices in Sunderland and bosses John and Irene Hays appeared on This Morning to talk about what they've been doing to reassure their customers, with many holidays and flights cancelled over the past few months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Just in case you missed it, listen in to John & Irene Hays speaking with Clare McDonnell on BBC Radio 5 live about future travel. Hays Travel Credit: ... They’ve saved a family, basically, yeh, one minute out of a job, texts 3am in the morning, out of work … Managing director John Hays, and chair Irene Hays, spoke to Ben Ireland. The business success story as firm set to save 2,500 jobs with deal to buy 555 Thomas Cook stores", "Hays Travel founder John Hays dies after collapsing at Sunderland office while 'doing the job he loved, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Irene_Hays&oldid=1005602449, Civil servants in the Department for Communities and Local Government, Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Pages containing London Gazette template with parameter supp set to y, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 8 February 2021, at 14:52. Hays Travel - the UK's largest independent travel agent - has its head offices in Sunderland and bosses John and Irene Hays appeared on This Morning to talk about what they've been doing to reassure their customers, with many holidays and flights cancelled over the past few months due to the coronavirus pandemic. share. Back to top Afternoon. John Hays: On September 23, when we were first notified of Thomas Cook’s failure, obviously we were saddened. "We look forward to working with many of them." When did you begin considering the deal? [10], In 1997, she married John Hays, and they have one son and one daughter. John and Irene Hays have been hailed as heroes of the high street after they stepped in following the collapse of Thomas Cook saving hundreds of jobs. Catch up with John & Irene's full interview with Good Morning Britain this morning! John Hays, the founder and co-owner Hays Travel, has died after collapsing while at work, it has been announced. [8] Hays has been awarded an honorary MBA. The Hays were hailed “heroes of the high street” by presenters Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard (video above) after the couple acquired all 555 former Thomas Cook stores on Wednesday (9 October). John and Irene Hays light up Good Morning Britain The Hays were hailed “heroes of the high street” by presenters Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard (video above) after the couple acquired all 555 former Thomas Cook stores on Wednesday (9 October). Sections of this page. Mike chats to John and Irene Hays who stepped in to save Thomas Cook. 5. Dame Irene Lucas-Hays DBE DL (née Lucas; born 4 February 1954) is a British businesswoman and former civil servant, and the chair of Hays Travel, the largest independent travel agent in the UK, which she jointly owned with her husband John Hays until his death in 2020. John and Irene Hays, managing director and group chair of Hays Travel, said: "Thomas Cook was a much-loved brand employing talented people. more_vert. ... Hays Travel is to cut up to 878 jobs out of a total workforce of 4,500 people, the firm announced. John and Irene Hays outside the firm's Keel Square offices. Owners John and Irene Hays said: "We are devastated that after all of our efforts and the huge investment we've made we now face losing some of our valued employees, through no fault of their own." Read more: John and Irene Hays are a … [2][3], In 1980, her late husband John founded Hays Travel in the back of his mother's children's wear store in Seaham, Durham. Click cookie settings to find out more. In a joint statement, John and Irene Hays, managing director and chair of Hays Travel, said: “Thomas Cook was a much-loved brand employing talented people. We saw it on the news that morning and none of us knew what was going to happen. “Not only have have the British public gone into those places where we opened the first shops yesterday and cuddled the staff, but the coffee shops around thought ‘they might not have a kettle and coffee yet’ – let’s make sure they are looked after. Accessibility Help. John Hays, Self: The One Show. [1], Since January 2019, Hays has been a non-executive board member and chair of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) management board. He was married to Irene Hays. bookmark_border. But John and Irene who own Hays … 06:00. John and Irene Hays appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Friday morning with presenters Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard. Hays a kind loving type of person has passed away.At this moment the family and friends of the deceased are passing through trauma, at the unexpected departure of their beloved, Hays. Morning. Founder and director, John Hays says it was the best bit of marketing he has ever done. “I was running back to our head office yesterday and this woman jumped in front of me and said: ‘You’re Irene Hays and I saw you on the telly!’". This Morning … John and Irene Hays continued their good news tour de force on Friday with a cheery appearance on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Friday morning (11 October). “It’s been just amazing,” Irene said. "I think we are still about 70 to 80 staff short in the shops," Mrs Hays told Good Morning …