AmaWaterways announces the retirement of Gary Murphy, senior vice president of sales, effective April 1. He will be succeeded by Alex Pinelo.
“It’s difficult for me to use the term ‘retirement,’ but I have two passions in my life—AmaWaterways and my family. The time has come to dedicate more time to the latter,” Murphy said. “With AmaWaterways’ strong management team, the company is well-positioned to capture a larger share of the river cruise market as the travel industry recovers in the coming year.”
Following in the footsteps of his father, Jimmy Murphy, who co-founded AmaWaterways with Rudi Schreiner and Kristin Karst in 2002, Gary joined the river cruise line in 2009. In 2013, he was appointed Vice President of Sales. In 2019, he was named Senior Vice President of Sales. Prior to joining AmaWaterways, he spent more than 30 years working for Group Voyagers in Europe, Brendan Vacations, and as Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Miami Air International.
“Gary has been a valued member of our team and the AmaWaterways family,” said Kristin Karst, Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of AmaWaterways. “We will miss Gary’s wisdom, enthusiasm, and passion on a daily basis, but as a co-owner of AmaWaterways, he will remain an active member of our board. The AmaWaterways sales team has grown under Gary’s leadership, and we are very excited to see what the future holds when Alex steps into his new role.”.
As Senior Vice President of Sales, Pinelo will continue the momentum she has built since joining AmaWaterways in 2017. Leveraging her experience in the cruise industry, she will continue to lead the AmaWaterways sales team in North America to deliver intimate ships, enriching shore excursions, convenient air arrangements, and pre- and post-cruise land packages that provide travelers with the seamless luxury experience they deserve.
The company is preparing to launch its 2022 European season in mid-March. Fleet expansion plans are underway, including the new AmaMagdalena, which is scheduled to debut on Colombia's Magdalena River in early 2024.
“AmaWaterways is approaching the 2022 river cruise season with confidence and peace of mind, knowing that our ships are fully paid for and our financial security remains strong. Last year we successfully operated 320 river cruises, and bookings for 2022 look very solid, especially for the second half of the year. Good things are on the horizon for the travel industry, and we are ready,” commented Rudi Schreiner, President and Co-founder of AmaWaterways.
