Atlas Ocean Voyages is adding new members to its sales and guest services team, gaining valuable industry experience as the brand continues to boost its support for travel advisors.
Kelly Popovski is joining as senior director of field sales for North America; Richard Whitaker is now director of national accounts; Logan Steele will support travel partners as regional sales director for the Southeast U.S.; Juan Lopez is the new director of guest services; and Pedro Jaimot is the brand’s director of charter and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions operations.
Isabel Galvan has been appointed vice president of commercial operations and systems development as Atlas Ocean Voyages establishes a new department to oversee the day-to-day operational functions of the business.
“In a short time, Atlas Ocean Voyages has redefined the expedition style of cruising, initially refined polar expeditions and then developing innovative epicurean and cultural experiences for year-round exploration across the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean and beyond on our state-of-the-art fleet of luxuriously designed, world-class yachts,” says Kristian Anderson, executive vice president of global sales for Atlas Ocean Voyages.
He adds: “This talented sales team enhances our resources and strengthens our valued partnerships with the travel advisor community, which remains an essential partner in our ongoing success as we continue to grow as a company.”
Kristian C. Anderson, the new EVP of Global Sales for Atlas Ocean Voyages. (Photo Credit: Atlas Ocean Voyages)
The news comes just a few weeks after Anderson’s hiring. Prior to joining Atlas Ocean Voyages, Anderson worked for top travel brands, including The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Silversea Cruises and Qatar Airways.
“Even with the success we’ve had in just three to four years, we’re still the new kid on the block and we don’t have a lot of brand recognition right now, so the addition of [Anderson] to our team is a big step forward for us,” James A. Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer of Atlas Ocean Voyages, tells TravelPulse. “His name is really synonymous with the luxury market out there. Travel agents respect him. So, him coming on board, his reputation, really helps us not only with the luxury aspect of the business, but also just our trade-first strategy. His addition to our team is really important at this point in our growth.”
Anderson, for his part, says he’s excited to be joining a company with “glaringly obvious” potential.
“There’s just enormous potential for what we want to do at Atlas and how we go forward,” he tells TravelPulse. “This is a rare opportunity.”
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