Former Silversea president for EMEA, Steve Odell, has left the business to set up an Australian office for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
Odell will be joining the company as senior vice president and managing director Australasia for sister brands Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
He takes up his role on October 1 and will help to grow each brand’s presence in the region.
Confirming Odell’s appointment, Harry Sommer, executive vice president of international business development for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, said: “In view of the growing international interest in cruising combined with our strong growth strategy, the new office in Australia is a natural next step in our global expansion of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
“It reflects our confidence in the growing Australia and New Zealand markets and we believe that our three brands – Norwegian with Freestyle cruising, Oceania Cruises as an upper premium product and Regent Seven Seas Cruises in the luxury sector – are all a perfect fit for the Australian market, offering a wide variety of experiences and worldwide itineraries.”
Silversea last week denied he had left the business, but today a spokesman said: “Silversea can confirm that Steve Odell, President, UK, EMEA and Asia-Pacific has decided to repatriate back to Australia and will pursue new activities there, after a 17-year successful career at Silversea.
“We wish Steve well in this new transition and thank him warmly for his contribution to Silversea¹s success and growth in recent years. Steve¹s current direct reports will now report to Enzo Visone, chief executive officer of Silversea.”