EF News
In our One Thing I've Learnt series, Entrepreneurs’ Forum ambassadors and honorary members reveal the one game-changing lesson they’ve learnt in their entrepreneurial journey. Providing a source of inspiration for anyone pursuing a similar path, our guest editors share some of the critical business challenges they’ve faced and how they overcame them. In this edition, Dame Irene Hays DBE DL, Chair of Hays Travel, shares the pivotal lesson she’s learnt during her illustrious career: the power of a values-led culture.
In today’s hyper-competitive and increasingly digital world, it can be tempting to view business purely through the lens of data, forecasts, metrics, and margins. At Hays Travel, our culture trumps strategy every day of the week, and twice on Sundays. The heartbeat of Hays Travel has always been its people. From the colleague welcoming a customer into a high street branch, to the apprentice learning the ropes, or the cleaner ensuring our spaces are inviting – everyone plays their part. Every one of our people is valued. In fact, the most important person in our business at any given moment is the one delivering for the customer be that internal or external.
Our values are not just nice words on paper; they are underpinned by behaviours and demonstrated through action. When Hays Travel hit a record £3 billion total transaction value in March 2025, we celebrated our people – and everyone received £100 for every year they had worked with us. That is how we show gratitude for loyalty, hard work, and the culture they help to shape every day.
Many will remember how Hays Travel stepped in to acquire the former Thomas Cook agents and branches after the business collapsed. Some questioned the sense of investing in bricks-and-mortar when the high street is supposedly dying. But we saw the value of people. We saw an opportunity to bring thousands of skilled, passionate travel professionals into our Hays Travel family, where they could flourish. Even as we scale and innovate, our values are the golden thread connecting everything we do. The business has grown significantly, reaching £500 million total transaction value in 2012, £1 billion by 2020, £2 billion in 2024, then £3 billion in March 2025. Throughout this growth our vision has remained steadfast: to become the UK’s most profitable, privately owned travel company, through valuing our people, our customers and the communities where we operate. There is no shame in admitting the
importance of profit, that is how we succeed, provide jobs, and contribute to the economy – how we achieve that profit, however, and what we invest in, are the important differences at Hays Travel.
As we have grown, we have protected our values by placing them as the foundation stone of our strategy. Our in-year objectives may evolve, but what underpins them remains constant – our values and commitment to invest in our people, support our communities, conduct our business sustainably, and deliver customer service excellence every time. We continually provide learning, development and progression opportunities for our people that enable them to reach their full potential. As a ‘Good’ Ofsted rated training provider, with ‘Outstanding’ outcomes for young people, we welcome hundreds of apprentices into our business every year and help them prepare for fulfilling careers in the best industry in the world… travel.
We are immensely proud that some of our most senior team began their careers as apprentices; they inspire the next generation. We invest in our customers to ensure their experience of booking their holiday with us is excellent, every time. We do this in multiple ways, including training, mentoring and motivation, investment in technology and infrastructure, maximising our data, and much more. One of the most misunderstood ideas in modern business is that scale must come at the expense of community. We reject that entirely. Since Hays Travel first began selling holidays in 1980, John and I always felt a deep understanding of community and responsibility, and of giving opportunities to young people. Each branch is given £500 annually as seed funding to invest in a local community charity or project of their choosing. Through the Hays Travel Foundation, we support young people in sport, the arts, health, and education. Why? Because, what I term ‘benevolent capitalism’, builds stronger businesses and stronger societies.
A values-led culture is not about lofty statements in a company handbook. It’s about consistent behaviours that run through every interaction or decision and are understood and demonstrated by every one of us. At Hays Travel we champion leaders who embody qualities like integrity, positivity, flexibility, and creativity. We invest in coaching and development, not only to grow talent but to ensure that every individual feels seen, heard, and capable of reaching their full potential.
Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion ensures that everyone belongs. We celebrate neurodiversity and embrace the unique strengths that different ways of thinking bring to our business. Everyone, from the newest apprentice to the most senior leader, deserves the opportunity to thrive. We don’t just say thank you; we show it. Our annual ‘Hays Travel Big Thank You’ initiative rewards employees with meaningful awards and recognition. We hold performance reviews not to judge, but to support and develop.
Our culture supports high performance, because we know people give their best when
they feel valued. In business, there is enormous strength in leading with heart. When we repatriated customers during the 2010 ash cloud crisis, and refunded customers during the pandemic we acted not because it was profitable (it was the polar opposite), but because it was the right thing to do. Being 100% privately owned allows us to act decisively and with integrity, without needing to answer to shareholders demanding quarterly returns.
A final word – the late Bill Shankly once said that every time you touch the ball, it could be the most important moment of your game – so make it count. That principle guides how we show up at Hays Travel every single day.
A values-led culture isn’t fluffy. It’s not a ‘nice to have.’ It’s the strongest, most strategic asset any organisation can build. It inspires loyalty, powers resilience, and turns workplaces into communities. Above all, our values are why we are still growing, still succeeding, and still a family.
