Former Fred Olsen Cruise Line sales and marketing chief and National Geographic travel director Nathan Philpot is to head specialist cruise services firm Excursions.
He takes over as chief executive of the company, which specialises in shore excursions, turnaround services and pre- and post-cruise tours for the small, luxury and expedition cruise sector throughout the UK.
Rupert Woodard, who co-founded Excursions in 1999 with his wife Anna, is to move onto the board of the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), with Philpot taking the helm on Wednesday (November 27), the the day before the company marks its 25th anniversary.
The trust was created in 2021 to ensure that the company ethos will continue far into the future for the benefit of its customers and employees.
Philpot spent the last seven years running National Geographic’s licensed travel businesses which included working with Ponant and Lindblad within the expedition cruise sector as well as launching National Geographic Day Tours, a new brand in shore excursions.
His previous cruise experience includes five years with Fred Olsen Cruise Lines; launching a new luxury retail business while at Wexas; and starting his own online cruise comparison business.
Woodard said: “We are all delighted that Nathan will be joining Excursions to continue the company’s evolution.
“Twenty five years have gone by very swiftly and it is now time to hand over the reins.
“Nathan’s broad industry experience will be a great asset and we are confident he will be the perfect fit for our brand. We are extremely proud of our loyal and dedicated staff, who are now all employee owners, and we look forward to watching them thrive under Nathan’s guidance.”
Philpot added: “Excursions is a very successful business with an excellent reputation and I can’t wait to get started.
“Great experiences are increasingly important in the consumer’s decision making process. Excursions have a great team and Rupert and Anna should be so proud of what they have achieved – especially giving all employees a vested interest by setting up an EOT.”