Princess Cruises has expanded its trade sales team with two appointments.
Yasmin McKechnie (pictured left) has taken up the role of senior sales manager while Josh Smith (right) has been appointed to sales development and engagement manager, bringing the line’s trade sales team to a total of 17 people all led by sales director Hayley Moore.
McKechine, who started her role on April 22, joined Princess Cruises after an eight-year tenure at P&O Cruises where she held positions as a strategic business manager and e-commerce manager. Prior to her work at Carnival UK, she spent six years at Virgin Holidays.
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In her new role she has been tasked with supporting Princess UK sales team’s strategic plans, which the line said would “allow the sales managers to focus on individual accounts, strategic partnerships and business development across the UK”.
“I am delighted to be joining the Princess Cruises team at such an exciting time,” said McKechnie. “The arrival of Sun Princess this year and Star Princess next year gives our agent partners even more reason to support our fantastic brand and I cannot wait to be part of it moving forward.”
Smith, who will begin his new role on May 7, has seven years’ experience in the travel industry, having held roles at Royal Caribbean International, Virgin Atlantic and Tui.
The line said Smith will act as “the voice of Princess Cruises to the trade”, and he has been given a remit to share key information with front line travel agents and execute training plans in support of the line’s key accounts while pursuing new business opportunities.
“I am thrilled to be joining Princess Cruises at such a milestone in the company’s history,” said Smith.
“Taking delivery of a new ship is exciting at the best of times but taking delivery of a whole new class of ship is something that I cannot wait to share with our trade partners.
“I am also very much looking forward to getting back out on the road and talk all things Princess.”