Scenic Group has recruited luxury tourism industry professional Claudius Docekal, who has joined the global senior leadership team as Vice President of Product – Ocean.
The hire is part of a larger restructure which enables the business to achieve its ambitious future growth plans, said the company in a statement.
Docekal joins the Scenic Group with more than 30 years of industry experience. His most recent role was Vice President, Deployment at Crystal Cruises where he oversaw the Crystal Yacht & Expedition Cruises brands.
Prior to this, he held senior positions at Azamara Club Cruises and Seadream Yacht Club.
The Scenic Group have also announced the internal promotion of Elisabeth Sadler to Vice President of Product – Rivers.
Having joined the group back in 2014 as part of the initial Emerald Waterways start-up team (now Emerald Cruises), Sadler will oversee all river products on behalf of both Emerald Cruises and Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours.
Sadler will be reporting to Rob Voss, Scenic Group’s Chief Operating Officer.
Voss commented: “Claudius joins us at a very exciting time, as we continue to focus on growth in global markets and our unwavering delivery of first-class guest experiences across our cruising portfolio.
“Elisabeth has been instrumental in the development of the Emerald Cruises brand showcasing best-in-class product development.
“Her passion and knowledge for river cruising ensures we will continue to innovate and stay ahead of the competition. I look forward to working very closely with them both over the coming months.”
The group has also recently appointed Bert Goebel as Vice President of Hotel Operations – Ocean.
Goebel joins the business from Crown & Champa Resort Hotel Group in the Maldives and has many years of hotel operations experience working for various cruise lines such as Oceania, Regent and Aida.
Goebel will report to Mark Robinson, senior vice president of operations for the Scenic Group.
The group has also made some internal promotions. Captain James Griffiths, formerly Director of Marine Operations, has been promoted to Vice President of Marine & Port Operations for the Group.
Sepp Dendl, who was previously Director of Hotel Operations – Rivers, has been promoted to Vice President of Hotel Operations – Rivers. Both Griffiths and Dendl will continue to report to Robinson.
Robinson commented: “I’m delighted that Bert has joined the Group at such an exciting time, as we expand from two ocean vessels to four in 2023.
Goebel brings a wealth of diverse operational knowledge to the group, having worked for the past four years in the luxury hotel sector, in addition to holding various senior operational roles in luxury cruise lines for the past 25 years.
He will lead our onboard operational teams, enhancing our service offerings on our ocean fleet and ensuring our award-winning service continues to develop and deliver ‘wonder’ to our guests.”
For more information, visit Scenic.co.uk.
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