Harriet Green, the CEO of LSE-listed tour operator, Thomas Cook, will be stepping down from her position with immediate effect, it emerged on Friday.

Thomas Cook sells many African countries as tourist destinations, including Egypt.

Green, who has led the company’s two-year turnaround strategy, will be succeeded by Peter Fankhauser, the current COO of Thomas Cook.

“I always said that I would move on to another company with fresh challenges once my work was complete. That time is now,” Reuters quoted Green as having said.

Her departure came as Thomas Cook, the world’s oldest travel firm, warned that its pace of growth would slow next year to reflect a tougher trading environment, Reuters reported.

Thomas Cook was one of the first tour operators to resume tours to the strife-torn Egypt after it looked as if political stability had returned to the North African country.

Numerous tour operators had stopped selling Egypt as a tourist destination following political fighting that started in that country in 2011.
This move harmed tourism, one of the country’s most important revenue generators.

Since travel industry outsider Green joined two-and-a-half-years ago, Thomas Cook has been put on a more sound financial footing, reported strong growth in profits, and overseen a 892 percent rise in its share price, according to Reuters.