Vice President, Commercial - North America

Cunard is one of the world’s leading international premium cruise lines, carrying millions of guests each year to hundreds of destinations around the globe. Owned by Carnival and a sister brand to Princess, Cunard is one of the oldest and most famous ocean liners in the world, well known for its White Star Service and Trans-Atlantic Crossings.   

The role of Cunard's Vice President, Commercial for North America will deliver the revenue, commercial and brand targets for the North American market. You will need to be a recognized expert in market and industry trends, competitors, and leading trade partners strategies to inform business, commercial and sales strategy. You will be leading Sales and Distribution to ensure that organization’s financial objectives are met and exceeded through effective management of all sales channels, partners, and shared services. This will be achieved through detailed understanding of the current commercial, trading, brand, and distribution challenges in each of the international markets. Designing and delivering optimal sales and marketing strategies across all international markets to achieve revenues at appropriate cost. To implement the global marketing communications and media strategy, ensuring this is locally tailored and effectively establishes Cunard’s position as an iconic luxury brand in North America to deliver the commercial targets.

Here’s a summary of what Cunard is looking for in its VP, Commercial North America. Is this you? 

Responsibilities

• Create and drive the Cunard sales and marketing plan for North America
• Lead the development and execution of strategic departmental plan to deliver company revenue objectives across 3rd party and in house sales and distribution functions 
• Establish both 3 year and annual sales objectives and provide quarterly updates, revisions and modifications to the Plan
• Drive a sales environment with a customer focus in order to support the organization sales activities today and in the future 
• Lead excellence in customer service through collaboration and leadership of local contact center
• Represent North American guest perspective and opportunity in global reviews, eg deployment, sourcing share, tailoring of proposition and communications
• Establish both market and target customer strategies for Cunard in North America
• Build and maintain strong, long-lasting customer relationships at senior levels across key 3rd party partners
• In conjunction with the global marketing teams, develop a local brand communication and media plan covering both offline and online media ensuring that Cunard occupies a distinct position in the market – clearly identifiable from its competitors
• In conjunction with the global marketing teams, using the customer segmentation developed for Cunard, develop communication plans for individual customer segments to deliver customer segment profitability targets.
• Ensure the local communications plan supports the trading requirements of the business in terms of individual product launches (program launch, round the world cruises, and various fly cruise programs) as well as responding to short term trading challenges as and when required.
• Responsible for digital cost of sale and marketing effectiveness, ensure digital experience reflects the local markets differences / requirements
• Foster effective working partnerships with key stakeholders at senior level 
• Recognized as the company ambassador across the travel trade for Cunard in local markets  – take an active role in industry and customer events seeking out opportunities to positively promote the business
• Actively drive liaison with other areas of the business internally to ensure consistent and collaborative approach to the company’s sales strategy e.g. Commercial, Marketing, Customer Insight, Finance customer services
• Evaluate and analyze competitor activity, market information and trade feedback, to enhance the functions delivery and shape future sales strategy
• Lead and create a commercially focused performance culture across the department and organization to ensure that business revenue objectives are met/exceeded
• Role model leadership and management across the function and business to ensure that line management excellence is fostered throughout the departments management population
• Positively challenge processes/status quo and design new solutions for improved and more efficient ways of working 
• Develop effective working relationships with stakeholders across wider business to encourage collaborative working
• Effective analysis and identification of current activities and creating/driving process structures to going forward
• Contribute to the strategic direction to the brand through leadership and innovation, encouraging the a