Viking River Cruises Announces New Additions to Senior Management Team

Viking River Cruises has announced changes to its marketing and sales organization in North America, with the appointments of three senior executives. Eric Welter has joined as senior vice president of marketing and sales for North America. Prior to joining Viking River Cruises, Welter was senior vice president of marketing services at J. Jill, a multi-channel retailer of women's apparel. Tom Russell has been appointed senior vice president of sales for North America and international. He will work hand in hand with Mike Wiersema, who remains responsible for North American retail sales. Russell comes from Uniworld, where he was senior vice president of marketing and sales. Prior to that, he held senior marketing and sales positions with Holland America Line, Windstar Cruises and Princess Cruises. In addition, Russell was also one of the founding managers of Silversea Cruises. Also, Richard Marnell has been appointed vice president of market planning, where he will coordinate the overall marketing planning for Viking River Cruises. Marnell also comes to Viking from J. Jill, where he served as operating vice president of direct marketing. Additionally, he has more than 12 years experience in the travel industry, having worked at Grand Circle Corporation and Oversees Adventure Travel.