Swan Hellenic welcomes top travel industry professional Gordon Dirker as Vice President of Sales, North America
Seasoned senior professional with strong trade and customer focus joins cultural expedition cruise pioneer’s North America team
Cyprus. Tuesday the 2nd of August 2022: Swan Hellenic announced today that Gordon Dirker has been appointed Vice President of Sales, North America. Gordon will be joining the company from 8th August, reporting directly to Alfredo Spadon, Swan Hellenic’s Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing.
Dirker brings Swan Hellenic over 24 years of senior-level cruise and travel industry experience, most recently as Vice President of Business Development, Americas, at Celestyal Cruises, and as Vice President Americas of Hurtigruten. Prior to this, Gordon spent 18 years in progressively senior roles at TTC, a leading global travel and leisure group. Gordon has an impressive track record of strategic high-end brand and team building, which have combined with strong internal and external customer service values to drive outstanding sales and marketing achievements.
Alfredo Spadon, Swan Hellenic’s Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Gordon Dirker to our North America Team. Gordon is a dynamic professional with strong strategic vision who really “gets” what Swan Hellenic offers sophisticated modern cruise-goers with a thirst for knowledge and taste for adventure. He’s a perfect fit for the pioneering spirit and high service standards that have always distinguished Swan Hellenic. Gordon is taking over from Lori Sheller, who I’d like to take this opportunity to thank for her valued work.”
“I’m really fired up to join such an iconic high-end brand,” said Dirker. “The only one to offer cultural expedition cruises across all 7 continents worldwide and to the most inspiring locations on elegantly indulgent ice-class ships”.
About Swan Hellenic
Swan Hellenic was relaunched in July 2020 to proudly continue the spirit of cultural expedition cruising the company pioneered in the 1950s. Building on its British roots, the new company has a global cultural cruising outlook dedicated to providing guests with the opportunity to ‘see what others don’t’.
Swan Hellenic's purpose-built ships feature elegant Scandi-design interiors, extensive outdoor spaces and dedicated expedition facilities. SH Minerva and SH Vega, two new 5-star Polar Code PC 5 expedition cruise ships with ice-strengthened hulls, respectively launched in December 2021 and arriving in July 2022, each accommodate 152 guests in 76 spacious suites and staterooms, the majority with large balconies. A slightly larger PC 6 ice-class vessel, SH Diana, accommodating 192 guests in the same distinctive comfort and style in 96 staterooms and suites will be arriving in early 2023.
All three ships feature 3 dining venues – the Swan Restaurant, Club Lounge and Pool bar & Grill – and are being built in full compliance with SOLAS Safe Return to Port requirements. Dedicated to guests with a passion for adventure and cultural exploration, the company’s meticulously planned itineraries explore the wild landscapes, wildlife, peoples and unique cultures of the world’s less travelled regions.
The crews each include a team of 12 seasoned expedition guides, expert speakers and lecturers, for a total complement of 120 and 140 persons respectively, offering outstanding staff-to-guest ratios to deliver the highest standards of attentive personal service.
Headquartered in Cyprus with offices in London, Dusseldorf, Monaco, Fort Lauderdale (serving the North America market), Hong Kong (serving Greater China and South-East Asia), Sydney (serving Australia-New Zealand) and Copenhagen (serving Scandinavia and Iceland), as well as partnerships serving India and Japan, Swan Hellenic supports the travel trade with specialist local partners to provide customers with expert personal service worldwide.
For more information about Swan Hellenic, please visit www.swanhellenic.com
or call +44 (0) 207 846 0271
For Swan Hellenic, please contact:
Mario Bounas, VP, Marketing: Mario.bounas@swanhellenic.com
My review of Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Orion
