By
Rebecca Gibson |
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. has appointed that company veteran Andy Stuart as president and COO of Norwegian Cruise Line, following the resignation of Drew Madsen.
Hospitality veteran Madsen was appointed to head Norwegian Cruise Line in October 2014 after the resignation of the line’s former president and CEO Kevin Sheehan, who held the position for seven years. It was hoped that Madsen would help to improve the line’s operating margins and increase guest satisfaction, market penetration and employee fulfilment.
“Given the recent restructuring of the role and job responsibilities, Drew has decided to step down and we thank him for his contributions and wish him well,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “As we continue to build the newly merged organisation, we are tapping into the tremendous company and industry knowledge that Andy has, along with the strong relationships he has built with our travel partners.”
Stuart has held a number of leadership positions since joining Norwegian Cruise Line in 1988 and most recently served as executive vice president of sales. He will now report directly to Del Rio.
“Having seen Norwegian grow significantly during the course of my career, I am thrilled and proud to lead this incredible company as we continue to enhance and build the brand,” said Stuart. “The future is extremely bright and I am looking forward to continuing to work with our travel partners through our expanded sales team, delivering an exceptional product to our guests in conjunction with our hard-working officers and crew and ensuring that our team members are motivated and engaged, all the while building value for our shareholders.”
According to the company, Stuart has been ‘instrumental in building the Norwegian brand’ and has helped to strengthen relationships with travel partners by introducing the line’s Partners First initiative. He also served as chief product officer, where he was responsible for delivery of the Freestyle Cruising product across the Norwegian fleet.
“Andy and Norwegian are virtually synonymous,” said Del Rio. “He is very well known and respected by our guests, travel partners, officers, crew, and team members. I am extremely confident that he is the perfect leader for the next phase of Norwegian’s growth.”