By
Rebecca Gibson |
Long-time senior MSC Cruises executive Roberto Fusaro has been appointed as president of MSC North America, replacing Rick Sasso, who has been promoted to chairman.
Fusaro joined MSC Cruises in 2005 and has spent 11 leading the line’s business in South America.
“With the ultra-modern and beautiful MSC Divina homeporting in Miami, the revolutionary MSC Seaside to be christened in Miami in December 2017 and to also home-port there as well as the development of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve – the most exciting new private destination ever built by a cruise line, it is clear that MSC Cruises is committed to the North American market,” said Fusaro. “I am honoured to have the opportunity to take on this new challenge and excited to work with Rick and the rest of the North American team as we look to further grow our business in the region and deliver a unique vacation experience to guests on board one of the most modern and elegant fleets at sea.”
Sasso led MSC Cruises North America for nearly 12 years, successfully positioning the company for growth in the market and overseeing the debut of MSC Divina to PortMiami, from which it now sails year-round to the Caribbean. He will now serve as chairman with immediate effect.
“I’m pleased to welcome Roberto to the team and am looking forward to working closely with him going forward as we enter the next stage of MSC Cruises’ growth in the North American market,” said Sasso. “I know what’s to come in the future will be even more impressive than anything we’ve seen yet.”
Adrian Ursilli and Javier Massignani will become, respectively, managing director for Brazil and Argentina. In their new positions, Ursilli and Massignani, who were previously commercial directors for the same two markets, will look to further consolidate the leadership position that MSC Cruises has gained in South America over the years.
“This is an exciting time for MSC Cruises as we are in the midst of the second phase of our company’s growth, which includes an industry-unprecedented eleven new next-generation smart cruise ships entering into service between June 2017 and 2026, for a total investment of €9 billion (US$10.2 billion),” said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises. “As we grow globally, North America is naturally more and more a strategic market for MSC Cruises. For this reason, we are thrilled to have Roberto take the leadership of MSC Cruises’ business in the region and work hand-in-hand with Rick to further our ability to capture the significant additional opportunities for growth that this market presents.”