This week in the cruise industry major cruise lines have announced new executive appointments. Here’s a look at who’s where.
MSC Cruises is continuing its expansion in North America with two new hires to its sales team: Holly Sievers as manager of host and home-based accounts, and Brett Draper as manager of corporate and incentive sales.
Sievers was most recently at Exclusive Travel Group, where she was the southwest and central region business development manager. Draper previously worked on the sales specialist team for Lindblad Expeditions – National Geographic.
In river cruise news, American Queen Steamboat Company has announced three new sales and management hires of its own. Nicola Volpe has joined as vice president of hotels, Barbara Davis as business development director, and Krystle Sampson as regional sales director.
Volpe has served as director of new builds and hotel operations at Prestige Cruise Holdings, where he helped launch Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Explorer. Davis, who joined the line in April, has traveled in 60 countries. Sampson started with the company onboard the American Empress and assumed her new position in May.
Finally, Australis Cruise Lines has announced a new U.S. sales team, directed by Felipe Castro, the former GSA with Marriott International in Chile. The new team will be:
- Chris Hanna, channa@australis.com, Northeast
- Kathy Simpson, ksimpson@australis.com, Southeast
- Chris Ventura, cventura@australis.com, Midwest
- Steven Bass, sbass@australis.com, Southwest
- Jeffrey Tsai, jtsai@australis.com, West Coast
The new team is launching along with plans for new expedition ship, which will set sail in January.
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