By Virginia López Valiente
Managing Director of Cruises News Media Group and Editor of CruisesNews magazine
Editorial from CruisesNews magazine no. 41 – June 2017
Memory is fragile, especially these days if you haven't been active on social media, in the press, or online. Today, I want to dedicate this editorial to Toni Riera as a tribute to a discreet man, a brilliant entrepreneur, and a truly wonderful person. I hope that, at least within the industry, this remembrance of him will be read and that it will leave a written record on the internet, the one we all look to every day.
I learned of his passing on the other side of the Atlantic, like so many others, and although I cannot boast of having known him well, I have personal and professional respect for him.
I believe that the Balearic maritime port sector, the Spanish sector in general, and the cruise industry in particular, owe him a great deal.
As I said, I didn't know him well enough to talk about friendship, but that's what my friend Mario talked to me about when we were reminiscing together a few days ago in Palma.
Their relationship began in 1991 when they partnered to found Baleares Consignatarios. A relationship based on "friendship and trust," according to their heartfelt words.
After his time in the navy, in the United States and many other countries, Antoni Riera acquired knowledge of the complex logistics of the American navy. Already a professional shipping agent, he boldly decided to approach them and offer all the services he could provide to their fleets.
And, being the smart thing to do, partner with those who can cover what you can't, so he began a business relationship with the Sennacheribbos, who were travel agents, among other things. The alliance with Toni opened doors for them to offer consignment services to their cruise line clients, thus developing a group of companies dedicated globally to cruise tourism, consignment, excursions, yachts, provisioning, and more.
I'm not going to describe the business growth that is unleashed because today I'm writing about Toni.
He was the intrepid one, the most commercially minded, and the one who knocked on every door.
It's important to understand that business was done differently back then; everything was done differently. People mattered. Personal relationships mattered a great deal, almost more than profitability, which, while seemingly impossible today, had to be calculated differently. He and his partner knew how to exploit that, along with their knack for seizing opportunities.
So much growth and so many ships in this country wouldn't have been possible without Toni Riera. I never saw him boast or make a show of things, like true leaders.
People leave and never touch. It's something I know. We are left with memories.
With all my love and respect…
