REG - Hostelworld Grp PLC - Appointment of Non-Executive Director and Chair

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RNS Number : 9961Q  Hostelworld Group PLC  30 January 2026

LEI:213800OC94PF2D675H41

 

30 January 2026

Hostelworld Group plc

APPOINTMENT OF NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHAIR

Hostelworld Group plc ("Hostelworld" or the "Group") announces that Marieke
Bax will join the Hostelworld Board as a Non-Executive Director with effect
from today's date and will assume the role of Chair with effect from 31 March
2026.

Marieke brings extensive leadership experience in both executive and
non-executive roles with a strong track record of delivering long-term
shareholder value creation in listed, private equity-backed and digital and
AI-enabled international customer-centric businesses. She has held senior
executive positions across a range of sectors, including consumer goods,
e-commerce, and corporate governance consultancy, including roles as European
Head of M&A at Sara Lee Corporation, Chief Financial Officer of e-commerce
start-up Hot-Orange and Managing Partner of corporate governance and
communication firm Gooseberry. Most recently, Marieke served as a senior
adviser to KPMG and Deloitte on innovation and disruptive M&A.

An experienced Non-Executive Director, Marieke is currently Director and Chair
of the Audit Committee of InPost S.A., a Euronext Amsterdam-listed e-commerce
platform specialising in e-commerce distribution, Director and Chair of the
Audit Committee of MEDIQ, a PE-owned European provider of healthcare
solutions, and Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of the
Superbet Group, a tech-enabled multi-channel sports gaming operator. In the
five-year period prior to her appointment, Marieke served as a Non-Executive
Director of Xior Student Housing NV (Euronext Brussels) and Fastned B.V.
(Euronext Amsterdam), and as Non-Executive Director and Chair at Climate
Transition Capital B.V. (Euronext Amsterdam). A multi-linguist, Marieke has
lived and worked in multiple countries and has a longstanding interest in
connecting people across cultures, aligning closely with Hostelworld's global
social travel community.

Her broad boardroom experience, digital and e-commerce insight, and focus on
innovation and governance will support the ongoing evolution of the business
into the world's leading social travel platform and the execution of the
Group's strategic roadmap outlined at its April 2025 Capital Markets Day.

Carl G. Shepherd, Interim Chair, commented:

"The Board conducted an extensive search process, and we are delighted that
Marieke is joining the Board and taking on the Chair role. Marieke was the
unanimous choice of the Board and brings a strong record of supporting
shareholder value as well as deep experience of customer-focused, high-growth
platform businesses and a proven commitment to high standards of corporate
governance. I am confident that Marieke will provide the Group with the
expertise and leadership needed as we continue to execute on our strategic
roadmap".

Marieke Bax commented:

"I am delighted to join the Hostelworld Board as a Non-Executive Director and
as its Chair from 31 March next, and I look forward to working with the Board
and the management team to deliver on the exciting strategy announced in April
2025. The additional capabilities delivered during 2025, together with the
Group's uniquely differentiated position as a social travel platform, I
believe will provide a strong foundation for achieving the Group's next phase
of growth and delivering value for its shareholders and other stakeholders."

On appointment, Marieke will be a member of both the Remuneration Committee
and Nomination Committee. With effect from 31 March 2026, Carl G. Shepherd
will step down from his roles as Interim Chair and Interim Chair of the
Nomination Committee and will resume his previous roles as Senior Independent
Director and member of the Audit Committee. With effect from 31 March 2026,
Marieke will become Chair of the Nomination Committee.

This announcement is made in accordance with Rules 6.1.5 to 6.1.7 of Euronext
Dublin's Listing Rules and Rules 6.4.6 to 6.4.8 of the UK Listing Rules. The
Group confirms that there are no other matters requiring disclosure under Rule
6.1.7 of Euronext Dublin's Listing Rules/Rule 6.4.8 of the UK Listing Rules.

 

For further information, please contact:

Hostelworld Group plc
 
                     Corporate@hostelworld.com

Gary Morrison, Chief Executive Officer

Caroline Sherry, Chief Financial Officer

 

Sodali & Co
                                          hostelworld@sodali.com

Eavan Gannon / Oliver Banks
      Tel: +44 (0) 20 7250 1446

 

About Hostelworld Group

Hostelworld Group PLC is a ground‐breaking social network powered Online
Travel Agent ("OTA") focused on the hostelling category, with a clear mission
to help travellers find people to hang out with. Our mission statement is
founded on the insight that most travellers go hostelling to meet other
people, which we facilitate through a series of social features on our
platform that connect our travellers in hostels and cities based on their
booking data. The strategy has been extraordinarily successful, generating
significant word of mouth recommendations from our customers and strong
endorsements from our hostel partners.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Ireland, Hostelworld is a well‐known
trusted brand with almost 270 employees, hostel partners in over 180
countries, and a long‐standing commitment to building a better world. To
that end, our focus over the last few years has been on improving the
sustainability of the hostelling industry. In particular, over the last two
years we have commissioned independent research to validate the category's
sustainability credentials and recently introduced a hostel specific
sustainability framework which encourages our hostel partners to move to even
more sustainable operations and also provides the data points for our
customers to make more informed decisions about where they stay. In addition,
our customers are now able to offset their trip's carbon emissions should they
wish to do so, and we have maintained our 'Taking Climate Action' label
awarded by South Pole.

 

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