Who’s Where in Travel: Tour Operators, Cruise Line Add Sales Leaders

Exodus Travels, which operates small group active adventure tours, announced the appointment of Shannon Posiviata to the position of business development manager for the western region in the U.S.

In her new role, Posiviata will cultivate existing relationships with agency partners and will manage the growing number of accounts with new advisors in the region.

Posiviata joins Exodus Travels with 25 years of travel industry experience. She most recently served as director of sales and marketing for Southwind Adventures where she was responsible for marketing and sales in the U.S. Her other travel and hospitality leadership positions have included her role as regional sales director for the Rocky Mountain Region for Globus Family of Brands, director of sales and marketing for the Hyatt Place Denver Tech Center, business development manager for Norwegian Cruise Line and business development manager for Sandals & Beaches Resorts.

Elsewhere, as tour operator Scott Dunn gears up to open its office in New York later this month, the brand announced three key appointments to further strengthen its bi-coastal presence.

First, the company has promoted incumbent General Manager Bridget Lackie to senior vice president sales and product. She will oversee the team across both the San Diego and New York offices, continuing to focus on the growth and development of the U.S. market. Casey Holt has additionally been appointed as sales and service manager and will be at the helm of the New York team, bringing six years of travel expertise with her, having held a previous position with Audley Travel in Boston, MA. Furthermore, Sarah Beecham will transfer from Scott Dunn U.K. HQ to San Diego as operations director, to work collaboratively with Scott Dunn’s USA and global functional leads.

Scott Dunn will now offer a bi-coastal operation, having established its presence in San Diego, CA, in 2016, and now opening in Bryant Park, Manhattan. The Scott Dunn New York office will be the East Coast hub for sales, marketing and business development. A new role of vice president business development is also being recruited to lead geographically positioned teams covering California, Texas, the Tri-State area, Massachusetts and Florida.

Lastly, Australia-based Aurora Expeditions has appointed David Tanguay as the business’ new global head of sales. The newly created role will be responsible for driving revenue growth in Aurora’s key markets as well as developing its sales strategy for potential emerging markets.

Bringing more than a decade of sales experience within the polar expedition industry, Tanguay will work closely with the company’s regional leaders Lisa Bertini, vice president of sales, North America; Steve McLaughlin, sales director, Asian-Pacific; Jos Dewing, managing director, Europe, Middle East, Africa; and their teams to grow Aurora’s market share and support the scaling of its operations.

Based in Toronto, Tanguay’s appointment also reflects the importance of the North American market to Aurora’s future growth plans, as it continues to raise its profile as a leading expedition operator among the region’s trade industry.

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