By
Rebecca Gibson |
CLIA Europe’s vice chairman Pierfrancesco Vago is to succeed Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio as chairman of the European association on 1 January 2014.
Lefebvre d’Ovidio, also chairman of Silversea, has been in the position for three and a half years and will remain a member of CLIA’s Global Executive Committee.
“Chairman Lefebvre d’Ovidio helped the cruise industry navigate many critical areas during a challenging time,” said Robert Ashdown, CLIA Europe secretary general. “He helped to create the conditions for the industry’s continued record growth in Europe and he was instrumental in the efforts to establish a global structure for CLIA that unified the industry under one voice throughout Europe and the world. This included the smooth and rapid transformation of the various European cruise industry associations into CLIA Europe, which continues its strong history of effectiveness in representing the interests of the cruise industry.”
Pierfrancesco Vago, also executive chairman of MSC Cruises, played an instrumental role in the development of CLIA Europe, which serves more than six million Europeans on its cruise ships and generates around €38 billion in economic revenue for the region.
Commenting on Lefebvre d’Ovidio’s legacy Vago said: “He has been an extraordinary chairman and will be a hard act to follow. He has built strong relationships with governments and regulators, most notably the European Commission and European Parliament, contributing significantly to the development of the positive and credible reputation the industry enjoys today.