Silversea posted this press release today regarding the change in management:
SILVERSEA ANNOUNCES SENIOR MANAGEMENT CHANGES
(2 April 2009) Silversea Cruises announced today two new key executive appointments: Kenneth W. Watson, as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and Fabio Agostini, as Vice President and Chief Information Officer.
"I'm delighted to announce these appointments", declared Amerigo Perasso, President and CEO of Silversea. "These will help consolidate the corporate organisational structure and enhance our ability to meet new business challenges, and ultimately our long-term strategic goals."
Reporting to Mr. Perasso, Kenneth W. Watson will be based in the company's Fort Lauderdale office. In his new role, starting today, he will assume a broad range of responsibilities, overseeing all worldwide sales and marketing activities as well as leading the departments of revenue management and performance, reservations, air/sea and guest relations. Mr. Watson has just completed a six-year assignment with Regent Cruises and Carlson Companies, operating in the cruise, travel and hotel businesses as Executive Vice President, with a special mandate to increase international sales. Prior to that, he served as President and CEO for companies such as Little Switzerland (a publicly traded retail jewellery company later acquired by Tiffany & Co.), Cartier Inc. and Gumps Inc.
Fabio Agostini's responsibility will be to direct the development of information technology. He will be reporting to Alvarino Biasotti, the company's Worldwide Financial Controller based in Monaco, and travel extensively between the Monaco and Fort Lauderdale offices. Mr. Agostini brings with him a 25-year experience in IT operations. Most recently, he was responsible for leading the travel business unit in one of the largest system integrators in the world. In this capacity, he led both the CRM and Business Intelligence units, developing large projects for major companies such as Costa Crociere (Carnival Group), L'Oreal, Ferrero, AstraZeneca, Vodafone, Q8, Treccani and Piaggio.
These senior managerial changes have come in the wake of the departures of David Morris, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing; Marilyn Conroy, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Americas; and Tim Rand, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, all of whom have served Silversea for many years. "We thank them for their past commitment and wish them the very best in their professional and personal endeavours", said Amerigo Perasso.
Silversea Cruises is recognised as an innovator in the luxury segment, offering guests large-ship amenities aboard its intimate, all-suite vessels: Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper -- and launching in December, Silver Spirit -- all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance. With the addition of the regal expedition ship Prince Albert II, the company's itineraries encompass all seven continents.
In the U.S., Silversea has been voted "World's Best" by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (nine times) and Travel + Leisure (seven times), and rated Number-One luxury cruise line by high-net-worth consumers in the 2008 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI). International awards include "World's Leading Luxury Cruise Line" from World Travel Awards (2007) ; "Five Star Diamond Award" from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (2009); "Number One" small-ship line in the Readers' Choice" survey conducted by Britain's Condé Nast Traveller magazine (2007); "Best Luxury Cruise Line" by Spain's Cruceros & Destinos magazine (2008); "Best Luxury Cruise Line" by Australia's Luxury Travel & Style Magazine (2009); and "Best Luxury Cruise Operator" according to Asia's Travel Weekly (2008).
