Virtuoso, a leading luxury travel network with $5.1 billion in annual sales, released plans for reorganizing the company’s infrastructure to better serve its worldwide network of 300-plus member agencies and portfolio of 1,000 plus high-end suppliers.
In a statement, Virtuoso said the changes were motivated by the current economic climate and the drive to address immediate market needs while continuing the network’s leadership role in the industry. “Virtuoso has redeployed its resources to focus on the group’s core strengths: increasing sales at a higher yield and providing award-winning, customized marketing to its member agencies,” the statement read.
“This company has always embraced change,” said Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso. “This reorganization addresses current market conditions by empowering our extremely talented staff against the core needs of our membership: new client growth; competitive sales advantage; advisor development; and a global sales platform. The results will sustain our network well in to the future.”
Notable changes include the elevation of Virtuoso’s Senior Leadership Team, comprised of 13 industry professionals, which occurred after the departure of the group’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. The move allows for better integration of the organization’s key business units, Virtuoso said.
Virtuoso also announced its new Worldwide Member Sales Team, as well as a Sales and Service Team to support it, signifying a more unified approach to servicing its global membership.
“The Worldwide Member Sales team, which combines the North American and International Sales Teams with Member and Advisor Training, positions the company for its continued global expansion,” Virtuoso said. This will offer “better aligning teams of field sales, training, and inside Sales and Service with the Product teams, ultimately leading to a more direct impact on Member sales and advisor development. The Sales and Service Team, comprised of top account managers from all departments, provides the network’s Members and suppliers with one point of contact for issue resolution, inquiries, services and support. “
Additionally, Virtuoso said it transferred many operational functions to a shared Centralized Services team. The Centralized Services team primarily manages consumer alliance leads and addresses Member demand for 24-hour a day, 365 days per year, airline ticketing and processing, a function that creates a viable revenue stream for the network’s Membership.
Virtuoso has over 300 agencies with more than 6,000 travel specialists in 22 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand.
Visit www.virtuoso.com.