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TravelAustraliaHead of Sales
One of the most important hires in the history of the company. The appointee would relocate to Australia and establish the commercial presence from scratch in a market where the business had never operated.
The firm is an established premium cruise specialist based in the UK, advising high-value clients across luxury and ultra-luxury sailings from the world’s leading cruise lines. The business had a strong US base and a clear strategy for international expansion. The decision to grow into Australia was driven by a belief by the leadership team that the premium cruise retail segment is under-served in the Southern Hemisphere. The right individual would already be known to the major cruise lines and already active in the Australian travel market, and could build something meaningful from a standing start.
This was a founding hire in the truest sense. One person would represent the brand in Australia, building preferred partner relationships with the world’s leading cruise lines, building an advisor client base, and growing the business with the full backing of UK headquarters but no local infrastructure to lean on. They would have no existing team, no inherited book of business, and no local profile to leverage. The brief called for someone who had already built a commercial cruise operation in the Australian market and who had the personal standing with the luxury and ultra-luxury lines to credibly represent a new brand from the first conversation.
The search focused on experienced cruise and luxury travel professionals active in the Australian market, with a track record of building commercial operations from inception. A prerequisite was direct experience in the luxury and ultra-luxury cruise segment, as well as the personal relationships with the major cruise lines that the position required.
We found a commercial leader who has spent her entire career in Australian travel and specialises in the cruise niche. She built a cruise vertical from the ground up to become the fastest growing category on one of Australia’s leading travel platforms, secured preferred partnerships with all the leading global cruise lines, and delivered consistent double digit revenue growth across subsequent leadership roles in Australia and New Zealand. Her work on the campaign had gained the highest recognition in the Australian travel industry. She was already known to the cruise lines she was about to work with.
The commercial director told the Keller Executive Search team, with onboarding complete at UK headquarters and as she prepares to leave for Australia: “She has been with us in the UK and now we are sending her on her way to launch Australia basically on her own. Thankfully you found someone who is equipped to do all that.” Australia now has a commercial leader with the track record and cruise industry relationships to build what the business set out to do there.
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