Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has expanded its sales team with three appointments.
The operator said the hires are in response to “increased demand” and will “strengthen its position as the leading UK trade sales team in river cruise”.
Edwina Coppock has joined as key account manager for the south, having previously worked for 11 years as head of trade sales at Titan Travel.
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In her 30-year career in the travel industry, Coppock also held roles at Hidden Croatia, Holiday Options and Kuoni.
Lucy Hone has come out of retirement and joined Uniworld as sales manager for the south. Hone worked for the operator before retiring, and has also held roles at Scenic and Fred Olsen.
Margaret McCorriston has been appointed sales manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and is Uniworld’s first dedicated sales representative based in Scotland.
The operator said McCorriston will be responsible for “bolstering the key accounts” in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and was hired in response to an “increase in luxury business from those markets”.
Uniworld head of sales Angela Sloan said: “We retained our sales team throughout the pandemic which has really helped us to maintain that continuity of service, brand knowledge, experience and strength of relationships that our trade partners really value.
“The new appointments are not replacing lost head count, they are building on the strong foundations we already have in place and will enable us to grow our business and that of our partners by continuing to provide industry-leading customer service.
“Edwina, Lucy and Margaret already know and love the Uniworld brand having worked with us for many years. They bring highly relevant experience and extensive contacts in our space so they are a perfect fit and can hit the ground running.”
In a joint statement, the three new appointments said: “We can’t wait to get out on the road and talk to agent partners about Uniworld, which really is the best in class in river cruise.
“For our partners, it’s a great time to be working with Uniworld, with some fantastic agent fam opportunities, benefits and pricing, and with lots to look forward to on the back of a bumper summer season and a very promising 2023.”