Our newly established luxury travel brand, Explora Journeys, is seeking a dynamic Executive Director to oversee and drive the overall strategic direction and growth of our UK & Ireland operations. This key leadership role involves managing the commercial team, identifying and unlocking new business development opportunities and ensuring operational excellence across all functions.
Under the direction of the Global Head of Commercial Strategy & Sales Operations, the Executive Director UK & Ireland will be responsible for setting long-term goals, developing business strategies, and positioning Explora Journeys as the most desired brand in the luxury travel industry.

The position is located at our office in Woking.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a similar role in the luxury cruise, travel, or hospitality industries
• Excellent sales network or well-known contact base and good knowledge of partners\/major customers in the travel industry in UK & Ireland
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to inspire and develop talent.
• Excellent presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite, particularly PowerPoint
• Travel up to 50% of the time
• Leads and executes the overarching go-to-market strategy for the UK, focusing on optimizing trade partner relationships and driving sustainable business development in the B2C channel.
• Identifies and establishes high-value strategic partnerships aligned with our brand’s positioning, aimed at expanding brand awareness, driving direct sales and enhancing market presence.
• Fosters and nurtures long-term business relationships to elevate brand visibility and desirability, underpinned by a comprehensive and targeted communication strategy.
• Collaborates closely with key stakeholders across the MSC Group to leverage distribution networks, marketing platforms, and cross-functional synergies, ensuring consistent brand messaging and alignment with company policies and pricing integrity.
• Drives data-informed decision-making by conducting strategic business analysis, using key performance indicators to support revenue growth and successfully meet both gross and net revenue targets.
• Champions group, incentive and charter business development across the UK & Ireland market, positioning Explora Journeys as the leading luxury brand in this segment.
• Oversees and optimizes the budget management and forecasting processes, applying a deep understanding of channel mix dynamics and acquisition cost efficiency to maximize profitability.
• Leads, mentors, and empowers the commercial team in UK & Ireland, fostering a culture of excellence and high performance while driving alignment with the overall strategic goals of Explora Journeys.
• Collaborates with headquarters in Switzerland on strategic initiatives, business reviews, and long-term growth plans to ensure seamless execution and alignment with corporate objectives.

VISA REQUIREMENTS (if any)

• Full Right to Work in the UK required

Part of the MSC Group, MSC Cruises is the market leader in the Mediterranean, South Africa and South America, and sails year-round in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Its seasonal itineraries cover northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, South America, southern Africa, and the Persian/Arabian Gulf. MSC Cruises was born in the Mediterranean, and draws inspiration from this heritage to create a unique experience for holidaymakers worldwide. As a result of a euro 6.5 billions investment programme launched in 2003, MSC Cruises’ fleet comprises 13 state-of-the-art cruise ships belonging to four different classes: Lirica, Musica, Fantasia and Meraviglia. The fleet’s average age is 7 years, the youngest in the industry. In 2014, MSC Cruises launched a euro 9 billion, 10 year investment plan to support the second phase of its growth through the order of up to 11 next generation mega cruise ships. As a result, MSC Cruises’ fleet will double by 2026, while the passenger capacity will triple to reach five million passengers per year. MSC Cruises is the first cruise company to develop an investment plan of this length and magnitude. MSC Cruises feels a deep responsibility for the environments in which it operates, and was the first company ever to earn the Bureau Veritas “7 Golden Pearls” for superior management and environmental stewardship. In 2009, MSC Cruises began an enduring partnership with UNICEF to support various programmes assisting children worldwide

Please refer the Job description for details