There has been a major reorganization of management positions in cruise ship companies to adapt to the new post-Covid-19 reality.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 58 – September 2021
In cruise lines, management teams tend to have (or rather, used to have) very long tenures, as is the case with Richard Fain, who has been at the helm of Royal Caribbean for over three decades. However, the industry had never faced a pandemic like Covid-19.
With cruise ship fleets idled for an extended period, cruise lines had time to reflect and undertake an unprecedented executive restructuring. Among those affected were several brand leaders, some of them true legends in the cruise industry: Seabourn President Richard Meadows and Holland America Line President Orlando Ashford, who received their severance packages at the end of May 2020; Azamara Cruises CEO Larry Pimentel, who resigned in April of last year; and Neil Palomba, who was transferred within the Carnival group. Other veteran executives, though at lower levels, who also left their positions include Terry Thornton, after more than thirty years with Carnival Cruise Line; Rai Caluori, after three decades in operations at Princess Cruises; Camille Olivere, who resigned from her executive sales and marketing position at Norwegian Cruise Line in June 2020; and Gordon Ho, who left Princess in May 2020. or the director of Crystal Cruises' land program for 17 years, John Stoll.
In reality, this renewal had begun before the pandemic, when Andy Stuart stepped down as CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line in December 2019 and John Delaney retired as president of Windstar in February 2020.
Most of these departures have been filled through internal promotion. At NCL, Harry Sommer was chosen to replace Stuart, and during the pandemic, the most notable departures have been Holland America's president, Gus Antorcha, and Seabourn's president, Josh Leibowitz, both formerly with Carnival Corp. Another common thread among all the replacements is their consulting experience. And while that analytical and problem-solving background brings important skills, Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald said it wasn't a prerequisite. “Carnival has a complex organization and operation, and you always work within a team,” Donald said. “So what you need is diversity on the team. Diversity of thought, of skills, of perspective. You definitely need those analytical capabilities on a team, but it's not a critical requirement. That analytical ability has to be present on the team, and the CEO has to appreciate and value it.” This internal promotion approach aligns with what cruise lines have historically done. But the new leaders face enormous challenges, such as revitalizing the cruise market and making their product attractive again. All analysts agree that the new talent at major cruise lines like Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean is highly valuable. This new generation of talent is entering the industry at a time when it faces the toughest challenge it has ever seen. It's one thing to grow a business when the entire industry is booming, and quite another to grow a business when it's imploding. These are difficult but also exciting positions in an industry battered by the pandemic. Marketing and sales roles, in particular, have a Herculean task ahead, and ironically, these are the positions experiencing the highest turnover in recent months.
What Donald said was that the profiles he was seeking with these changes weren't so different from the two strong leaders who had previously run those brands. He emphasized that the fundamental qualities at Carnival Corp. were integrity and commitment. Donald said he expected the new leaders to “work even more effectively with travel agents and be true owners of the brands they lead. Our brands are very differentiated. They serve different market segments. Having people who understand that and can empathize with how to attract the target customers for each brand requires a skill set that's what we're looking for.”.
Neil Palomba, president and CEO of Costa, continued his meteoric career by being appointed COO of Carnival Cruise Lines in July 2020.
It's clear that the changes at Costa, Holland America, and Seabourn aren't dramatic. Those promoted are executives with solid experience and training in Carnival Corp.'s operations, not external marketing gurus. And any cruise line executive, at this historical moment, must be clear about their role: It's not about growth, promotions, and partnerships. It's about getting down to work and running the business and operations. Efficiency and finances matter more than ever. Innovation is taking a back seat, and the people who can adapt the size of the business to current demand, reduce a "noiseless" fleet, and improve efficiency and ensure survival are now the leaders of the moment. That's why the profile most associated with operations, the COO, "Chief Operating Officer," is the one most frequently promoted to president or CEO. The role of cruise line executives in the next five years will be to rebuild the business, and then we'll talk about innovation again. Right now, the cycle is one of survival.
Line
began changes in its senior management with the departure of Camille Olivere in May 2020. Interestingly, it was the second time Olivere had left NCL. Her boss at the time, CEO Katina Athanasiou, stated that Olivere was “instrumental in the conception and development of our ‘Partners First’ philosophy, and in strengthening our relationship with sales channels.” Olivere worked at Norwegian Cruise Line from 2009 to 2014, leaving the company as senior vice president of sales. After working at Club Med and World Travel Holdings, she returned to Norwegian in November 2016.
Katrina Athanasiou: “I will always be grateful to the extraordinary people I have worked with and the opportunities I have been fortunate enough to experience over the past ten years. I am grateful to Frank Del Rio, Andy Stuart, and Harry Sommer for trusting me and allowing me to help build this special brand alongside them.”.
Olivere said that while she believes management renewal is healthy and leads to innovation, it can be difficult to manage with wholesalers, agents, partners, and so on. Often, it's a long-standing relationship built on mutual trust, which can be complicated to rebuild. In a display of pragmatism, she noted that “there are new faces now, and more will likely come, and it will be very important that wholesalers and agents don't lose touch, so that shipowners appreciate their value.” Olivere fully understood what executives face. She entered the cruise industry in 2009 in the wake of the financial crisis, when Norwegian, then in the midst of its downturn, wanted someone from outside the industry to rethink its relationship with its sales channels. “We reorganized,” she said, adding that one of her proudest achievements was creating a sales team dedicated exclusively to groups. “The model was really effective, and it hadn't been done before. These were new and innovative things from a sales perspective, and that's what needs to happen now.” Given how long some cruise executives have been with their companies, "at some point it's healthy to have new blood and fresh eyes.".
And shortly after, in early July, Olivere's boss, Katina Athanasiou, was dismissed as director of sales for Norwegian Cruise Line, and Todd Hamilton was promoted to vice president of sales. The reason: Athanasiou refused to get vaccinated, and any NCL employee working in customer or public-facing roles in the United States at that time was required to do so. She left praising NCL's vaccination policy, and in a press release, NCL President and CEO Harry Sommer expressed "his incredible respect for the great work she has done and the great team she built during her time with our company." He also noted that Athanasiou would remain with NCL as a consultant until November. Athanasiou became director of sales, a newly created position, in August 2019, appointed by then-NCL President and CEO Andy Stuart. She had been executive vice president of charters, meetings, incentives, and events, overseeing sales efforts for full-ship charters and corporate and incentive groups across all NCL Holdings brands. Previously, she led the sales teams for Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas.
“Katina is an absolute force of nature and has had a significant impact on our level of commitment and support for NCL over the last couple of crazy years. She did a phenomenal job building relationships with sales channels in a short amount of time, while running the business through the most challenging circumstances,” said Alex Sharpe, president and CEO of Signature Travel Network.
His successor, Todd Hamilton, vice president of international sales, was promoted to vice president of global sales, taking over from Athanasiou and continuing to report directly to Sommer, with whom he has worked closely for the past five years. Hamilton has held various positions for 14 years at Norwegian Cruise Line, including vice president of business and commercial planning for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and the NCL, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands. In that role, he oversaw the execution of the revenue and sales strategy, driving growth in international markets for all brands.
Oceania and Regent Seven Seas Cruises:
In July 2021, two veteran sales executives left their leadership positions at two companies within the NCL Holdings group. Randall Soy, Regent's executive vice president of marketing and sales, left the company after more than 30 years. He was part of the team that launched Regent Seven Seas Cruises in 1992. Almost simultaneously, James Rodriguez, who held the same position, resigned after a 19-year career.
Camille Olivere: “It has been a great honor to be part of the original team that brought NCL out of bankruptcy and to return in a second stage of unprecedented growth.”.
“I cannot overstate the contribution Randall has made not only to Regent Seven Seas Cruises, but to the cruise industry as a whole,” said Jason Montague, CEO of Regent. “He has been instrumental in building the brand, creating an exceptional team, and delivering world-class results. The Regent family will miss Randall immensely. We will always be grateful for his 30 incredible years of service and dedication.” Effective August 1, Randall Soy was succeeded as head of North American sales by Shawn Tubman, who was promoted to vice president of sales.
Regarding James Rodriguez, Oceania President Bob Binder stated, “Like many of us, James spent much of the last 16 months evaluating and reevaluating his priorities and quality of life. After much thought and reflection, he has decided to follow his heart and return to his family to the place he has always longed to be: Colorado. Personally and professionally, this makes me very happy for James and his family.” Rodriguez was part of Oceania’s founding management team in 2002, having joined from Crystal Cruises. Binder said that Oceania “would not be the tremendously successful company it is today without his contributions. James has always been a champion for our travel agent partners, and his passion for the industry is second to none. While James spent most of his time focused on developing our business together with our partners, he has also been involved in virtually every facet of the brand, including passenger services, onboard product development, new ship design, e-commerce, and technology,” Binder said. She was replaced by Nikki Upshaw, an executive with ten years of experience at Oceania, who was appointed vice president of sales and will lead the Oceania sales organization alongside Tricia Wolf, Scott Kluesner, and Nathan Hickman. Upshaw has extensive experience with cruise lines such as Cunard and Seabourn between 1994 and 2000, and at Residensea, where she worked for ten years until 2011 promoting The World.
With the departures of Soy and Rodríguez, and the previous resignation of Katina Athanasiou, all three NCL Holdings brands have changed their sales manager in recent months.
Carnival
Corp., the world's largest cruise line, replaced its general secretary and head of legal affairs, Arnaldo "Arnie" Pérez, in March 2021. He was succeeded by deputy general secretary Enrique "Rick" Miguez, at a time when the company was exploring legal avenues to resume its cruise operations following the shutdown due to Covid-19. The significance of the change was underscored by the fact that Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald himself communicated it both internally and externally.
The three cruise brands of the NCL Holdings group (Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas) have changed their commercial director during the pandemic.
Pérez remains with the company as senior vice president and corporate secretary, ensuring a smooth transition during a challenging time for the corporation. Carnival has been severely impacted by the pandemic and was facing several lawsuits from passengers exposed to COVID-19 on board its ships. Carnival, along with other cruise lines, has also been lobbying federal regulators (particularly the CDC) to lift the no-sail order due to the pandemic. Pérez, who has served as Carnival's general counsel since 1995, did not respond to a request for comment on his decision to step down as corporate secretary. Bloomberg data from that time indicated that Pérez owned more than $4.6 million worth of Carnival stock and had sold $356,000 worth of Carnival stock through March 2021, according to securities filings. Pérez received nearly $2.1 million in bonuses from Carnival in 2019. He earned $450,000 in salary, nearly $338,000 in bonuses from the non-equity incentive plan, as well as more than $1 million in stock awards. Pérez was a partner at the Miami-based law firm of Weil, Lucio, Mandler, Croland & Steele before joining Carnival as assistant general secretary in 1992. Carnival promoted him to interim general counsel in 1995.
Miguez, Carnival's new chief legal officer, has worked for the cruise line since 1997. He was hired as assistant general counsel that year and promoted to assistant general counsel in 2003. Miguez previously worked at White & Case and McDermott Will & Emery, where he specialized in maritime corporations and multinationals. His first and primary role was handling all the contractual and legal aspects of the stock, bond, debt, loan, and other securities that Carnival had to issue to continue financing itself after Covid-19 disrupted the cruise industry.
Another challenge for the legal department was labor relations. In May 2020, Carnival announced it would lay off hundreds of employees, furlough others, and reduce the salaries of certain executives due to the economic challenges related to Covid-19. Kelly Wilson Clark, Carnival’s former deputy director of ethics and legal compliance, left the company that same month. José Fernández, a former in-house counsel and vice president of strategy and business development at Carnival, left in June 2020 to become vice president of strategy, development, and port operations at Disney Cruise Line. Josh Weinstein, another former in-house counsel at Carnival, was appointed in June as the company’s chief operating officer. He had previously served as Carnival’s treasurer. Carnival also hired Peter Anderson, formerly head of the legal compliance group at Beveridge & Diamond, as its newly created director of ethics and legal compliance in 2019. Anderson's appointment was mandated by a federal court ruling that found Carnival Corp. guilty of pollution and ordered it to pay a $20 million fine.
Holland
America Line, was dismissed after approximately five and a half years at the helm. During his tenure, Ashford spearheaded a strategy to rejuvenate the brand's image by emphasizing onboard entertainment, live music (with the "Music Walk" concept), and culinary experiences, while maintaining its traditional hallmarks, such as its itineraries. The onboard experience of the three Koningsdam-class ships will bear his signature. It was precisely this emphasis on itineraries, taking advantage of the suspension of cruises following the declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic, that prompted a reassessment by the senior management of this century-old cruise line. Before the pandemic, Holland America Line had a fleet of fourteen ships carrying more than 900,000 passengers annually to seven continents. The fleet had to be drastically reduced, and Carnival Corp.'s leadership felt Ashford was not the right person for the job. By the end of the pandemic, HAL had sold four ships to other operators and had received only the new Rotterdam. Orlando Ashford's boss, Stein Kruse, CEO of Holland America Group and Carnival UK, stated, “Orlando has made a substantial contribution to Holland America Line during his tenure, bringing renewed energy to the premium cruise line, which was recognized with numerous awards and accolades. His unique expertise as an innovator and global leader in human resources was highly respected within our organization, and his dynamism will be greatly missed.” Gus Antorcha stated that he will maintain the innovations introduced by Ashford's team while also striving to enhance destination immersion, with a strong focus from his team “on the connection, cultural or otherwise, with the ports we visit and how we bring that experience onboard.”
Rick Meadows, president of Seabourn Cruise Line, retired in 2020 after 35 years working at Carnival Corporation.
Before joining Holland America Line, Ashford was president of the talent business segment at Mercer, a leading global consulting firm specializing in talent management, health, retirement, and investments. “Today, a global pandemic has impacted our industry in unprecedented ways,” Ashford added. “However, I believe it is part of human nature to travel and explore new places and cultures and meet new people. I have no doubt that Holland America Line will soon thrive again and its passengers will be ready when cruise operations resume. I look forward to being one of the first to sail again.”.
His successor as president of Holland America Line was Gus Antorcha, who joined Carnival Corp in 2010 from Boston Consulting Group, a global management and strategy consulting firm, where he was a partner and managing director in the leisure and tourism business segment. Prior to his promotion, Antorcha was COO of Carnival Cruise Line. He also previously held positions such as executive vice president of passenger services, responsible for onboard operations; and senior vice president of guest commerce.
Seabourn:
Coinciding with Orlando Ashford's departure, Rick Meadows' retirement as president of Seabourn was announced on May 12, 2020, at the end of that same month. Richard Meadows had been with Carnival Corporation for over 35 years.
Meadows was president of Seabourn and held full executive responsibility, leading all commercial operations for the luxury brand since 2011, when the company moved its headquarters from Miami to Seattle. In the press release announcing his departure, Meadows stated, “I’ve had incredible opportunities throughout my career, passionately leading several global cruise brands and working with a team of incredibly talented travel advisors and partners. It has been a true honor to help create those memories, those special moments, that last a lifetime for our guests, through the power of cruising, which unites people and cultures.”.
Stein Kruse, CEO of Holland America Group and Carnival UK, who was Meadows' boss, added, “Rick’s contributions to the cruise industry and his leadership in elevating Seabourn to the ultimate ultra-luxury cruise experience, without exception, are legendary. He will forever be a part of our Carnival Corporation history and has made us all better through his professionalism, integrity, and leadership.” Meadows was responsible for the Seabourn Encore/Seabourn Ovation project and the brand’s entry into the expedition cruise segment with the Seabourn Quest’s Antarctic voyages and, most notably, with the commissioning of the Seabourn Venture and its sister ship.
Gus Antorcha and Leibowitz, the new presidents of HAL and Seabourn respectively, come from the world of consulting: Antorcha from Boston Consulting Group and Leibowitz from McKinsey & Co.
Between 2014 and 2016, Meadows also served as president of Cunard North America, assuming responsibility for the entire North American continent. Prior to his appointment at Cunard, Meadows held a dual role as president of Seabourn and executive vice president of marketing and sales for Holland America Line, where he also oversaw global revenue. His previous roles included senior vice president of sales and marketing for Seabourn; vice president of corporate marketing for Carnival Corporation; and vice president of sales and marketing for Windstar Cruises, a former subsidiary of Holland America Line. He also served as director of sales for Carnival Cruise Lines, beginning his career with Carnival Corporation in 1985.
His replacement, Josh Leibowitz, like Gus Antorcha, earned an internal promotion at Carnival Corp. His career with this multinational began as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) in 2013, and like Meadows, he also served as Vice President of Cunard in North America from December 2016. Leibowitz's primary task is to get Seabourn's ships up and running. At the beginning of the summer, he visited every ship in the fleet and personally oversaw his company's first post-pandemic cruise, the July 3rd departure of the Seabourn Ovation. That voyage achieved the highest passenger satisfaction rating in Seabourn's history. Leibowitz commented that his leadership philosophy is to "turn negatives into positives," and he applied this proverb to himself when explaining how the pause caused by the pandemic helped him grow and develop in his new role as Seabourn's leader.
“In many ways, if you try to look on the bright side, as the new leader of such an extraordinary brand, this new role during this pandemic allows me to spend even more time listening than I would if we were operating at full capacity,” he said. “Spending time with the crew on board—that’s what makes these challenging times so special. Spending time with my team ashore, spending time with the guests, while listening, observing, taking notes, and understanding what makes Seabourn so unique—that’s what makes this time positive.”.
,
Larry Pimentel's resignation as president and CEO of Azamara Cruises was made public. This bombshell coincided with the announcement that Azamara's parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (now Royal Caribbean Group), was laying off 26% of its U.S. workforce, approximately 1,300 of its more than 5,000 employees. Pimentel decided it was the right time to leave the company amidst rumors not only about the impact of the cuts that would befall Azamara during the crisis, but also about its very survival as a brand within the Royal Caribbean group. Many executives believed, as ultimately materialized in January 2021, that the only way to survive was to liquidate (or stop funding the losses of) entire cruise brands, rather than selling individual ships across all brands, which was the strategy adopted by its rival, Carnival Corp. The victims of this strategy were first Pullmantur and then Azamara. Naturally, Pimentel did not share this view, so his departure was a foregone conclusion, as he had previously complained indirectly about the lack of investment from his parent group in Azamara.
An active advocate for the cruise industry, Rick Meadows was a member of the CLIA North American board of directors.
Larry Pimentel was a true living legend of the cruise industry. Before being brought on board to turn Azamara around in January 2010, Pimentel was president and CEO of SeaDream Yacht Club from 2001 to 2009. He also served as president and CEO of Cunard Line and Seabourn Cruise Line from 1992 to 2001, and as president and CEO of Classic Hawaii, a tour operator, from 1983 to 1992.
Since taking the helm in 2009, Pimentel and his team created a new niche in cruise travel with their "Destination Immersion" product, a concept based on longer stopovers, more overnight stays and night tours in ports around the world.
Windstar
Cruises President John Delaney stepped down on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. The cruise line stated that Delaney would be focusing on his personal life and announced that Andrew Todd, president and CEO of the cruise line's parent company, Xanterra Leisure Holding, would serve as interim CEO. Delaney, who joined Windstar in 2016 with extensive prior experience at Seabourn Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, and Holland America Line, remained with Windstar Cruises as an external consultant until the end of March to ensure a smooth transition. Christopher Prelog, Windstar Cruises' vice president of fleet operations and former vice president of Seabourn Cruise Line, then assumed the role of chief operating officer for Windstar Cruises. Additionally, Betsy O'Rourke, Xanterra's chief marketing officer and former senior vice president of marketing for Royal Caribbean, "lent her expertise" to Windstar during this time.
In particular, the executive changes occurred amidst the $250 million Star Plus project, which involved lengthening three of its ships—representing half of the cruise line's fleet—in Italy to incorporate new suites, restaurants, and public spaces. These included Steven Raichlen's Star Grill, a casual outdoor barbecue restaurant developed in partnership with the celebrity chef, as well as a new infinity pool and a three-bedroom, three-bathroom owner's suite. The Star Plus program began in October 2019 and was disrupted by the discovery of asbestos on board, an unforeseen issue that increased costs and delayed the lengthening process. The first of the refurbished ships, the Star Breeze, is now operational. Rumors circulated that the problems with the Star Plus program were largely responsible for Delaney's departure.
Larry Pimentel left Azamara Cruise Line months before its sale by Royal Caribbean Group.
In September 2020, Christopher Prelog was appointed president of Windstar Cruises, reporting to Andrew N. Todd, CEO of Windstar Cruises and Xanterra Travel Collection. Prelog began his career working at various Hilton hotels in his native Austria. He started his career in the cruise industry with Seabourn, working first as a waiter, then as a purser, and finally as director of hotel operations, before joining Windstar five years ago. More specifically, Prelog entered the cruise world when he signed on to work aboard the Seabourn Legend. There, he rose through the ranks to maître d', restaurant manager, and purser (all on the Seabourn Legend) before becoming director of hotel operations, and finally vice president of operations and purchasing for Seabourn Cruise Line.
This knowledge of the original Seabourn fleet, which Windstar purchased in its entirety, made Chris Prelog the perfect person for this role. As Windstar's COO, he had led the Star Plus program during the pandemic. His experience and knowledge of the small luxury ship segment, along with his delegation and leadership skills, had earned him the respect of Windstar's crew and employees.
Crystal
Cruises. Its president, Tom Wolber, did not renew his three-year contract with Crystal, citing family reasons. He was replaced by another veteran cruise industry executive, Jack Anderson, who took the helm of Crystal as interim president and CEO. Tom Wolber had been president and CEO of Crystal Cruises since September 2017, succeeding Eddie Rodriguez.
Wolber was hired for his extensive experience in cruise ship construction and management, honed during his tenure at Disney Cruise Line, to lead the expansion of the Crystal fleet across all its brands, from river cruises to the expedition ship Crystal Endeavour. Since 2017, Anderson had overseen Crystal's commercial operations as Wolber's advisor, having previously served as Crystal's chairman and vice president of marketing and sales. Tom Wolber joined Crystal after 28 years with Disney, 10 of them with Disney Cruise Line, where he was vice president of operations. Wolber transformed Disney Cruise Line from a company that initially only offered cruises from Cape Canaveral into a global cruise line. During his time at Disney, Wolber was heavily involved in the design and construction of the second pair of Disney ships, the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy. He also served as president and CEO of Disneyland Paris.
Jack Anderson, who had been with Crystal for nearly a decade, brings over 30 years of experience in the cruise industry and a deep understanding of the luxury cruise market. Prior to joining Crystal, Anderson was senior vice president of marketing and sales at Seabourn, Holland America, and Windstar Cruises, and senior vice president of marketing at Carnival Corporation. Anderson stated, “It is an honor to be entrusted with leading Crystal during this transitional period in our industry. It has been a pleasure working alongside Tom, growing this brand that I care so much about, and I wish him all the best in his personal life.” Anderson had served as an advisor to Wolber for the past three years, during which time Crystal took delivery of four river cruise ships and its expedition ship, the Crystal Endeavour, leveraging Wolber’s expertise in this area.
Costa Cruises
announced significant organizational changes as part of its parent company Carnival Corporation's efforts to optimize operations and mobilize its global organization during the pandemic before resuming commercial activity. Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia, added the role of CEO of Costa Cruises to his responsibilities, while Mario Zanetti was appointed the new Chief Commercial Officer of Costa Cruises, effective immediately.
Tom Wolber, the creator of Disney Cruise Line, left Crystal Cruises three years after joining in October 2020.
For his part, Neil Palomba, then president of Costa, returned to the United States as the new vice president and COO (Chief Operations Officer) of Carnival Cruise Line. However, in the months following his appointment, Palomba oversaw Costa Cruises' return to operations to ensure a smooth and gradual transition. Neil Palomba had previously worked under Rick Sasso at MSC Cruises' US offices before returning to Europe in 2010 to become COO of the Geneva-based cruise line.
“The current pause in our cruise operations has given us the opportunity to redesign every aspect of our business, from commercial strategy to product design and the reorganization of our internal structure, to ensure we come back stronger,” stated Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia. He added, “We all thank Neil for his outstanding contribution to the success of Costa Cruises over the past six years and wish him all the best in his new role at Carnival.” In his new position, Mario Zanetti will be based in Genoa and will be responsible for the company’s overall commercial operations, reporting to Michael Thamm, while also retaining his position as Managing Director of Costa Group Asia.
Mario Zanetti joined Costa Cruises in 1999 and held several key management positions. As Managing Director of Costa Asia, a post he assumed in 2017, he secured the company's leading position on the continent through innovative business strategies and fleet renewal.
The restructuring of Costa's senior management took place in two stages. The second stage came in March 2021 with the appointment of Mario Zanetti as president. He assumed the role that had been temporarily held by Michael Thamm, CEO of the Costa & Carnival Asia Group, while Roberto Alberti was appointed commercial director, a position previously held by Zanetti. Roberto Alberti has a long and distinguished career with Costa Cruises, spanning more than 15 years and holding positions of responsibility both in Italy and abroad.
TUI Cruises:
In October 2020, the TUI Board of Directors, chaired by Dieter Zetsche, agreed to significant changes in its management team. Sebastian Ebel, a TUI executive with many years of experience, was promoted to Chief Financial Officer. He was previously responsible for the Holiday Experience division, which included hotels, cruise ships, and leisure activities at destinations. During this time, he also chaired the tour operator TUI Deutschland and the board of directors of the group's subsidiary, TUI fly.
Mario Zanetti, a veteran after more than twenty years at Costa Cruises, became president of the group in March 2021.
Birgit Conix, who was head of finance, had already decided in the summer of 2020 not to extend her contract and had announced that she would leave TUI at the end of the year. She had joined TUI in 2018 and had spearheaded the restructuring of the TUI Group's finance department, focusing in particular on strengthening TUI's balance sheet structure before the pandemic crisis.
Peter Kruger has taken charge of a newly created division within the board of directors, which will consolidate TUI Group's core assets: its hotel and cruise ship holdings, airlines, and its previous mergers and acquisitions responsibilities. Kruger joined TUI in 2017 from Deutsche Bank and initially headed the investor relations and M&A department. In the summer of 2018, he was appointed to the TUI Group's board of directors and has since been responsible for the group's strategy, including mergers and acquisitions. Among his achievements is the sale of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises to TUI Cruises, the joint venture between TUI Group and Royal Caribbean Group.
