Swan Hellenic Welcomes Three New Senior Leaders to Its Team

Swan Hellenic is making big moves to grow its presence in North and South America. The expedition cruise line just announced three new senior hires focused on the Americas market.

Swan Hellenic Expands Its Americas Sales Team

Swan Hellenic has brought on three experienced travel industry veterans. Each new hire will focus on a different part of the Americas market. Together, they’re meant to help the brand grow its relationships with travel advisors and agencies.

Gordon Dirker Returns as Senior VP of Americas

Gordon Dirker is back at Swan Hellenic. He previously served as vice president of sales for North America during the company’s 2022 relaunch. Now he’s stepping into the senior vice president role for the entire Americas region.

Dirker brings over 25 years of cruise and travel industry experience. He has held leadership roles at Celestyal Cruises, Hurtigruten, TTC Group, Clipper Vacations, and Cruise Norway – Worldwide Expeditions. He’ll report to Chief Commercial Officer Mario Bounas and lead regional sales strategy and trade partnerships.

Because Dirker has worked at Swan Hellenic before, he already knows the brand well. That familiarity should help him hit the ground running. Swan Hellenic noted his knowledge of their “product, brand values and commercial philosophy” as a key advantage.

Jennifer Zammit Takes On Canada Sales

Jennifer Zammit joins as senior director of Canada sales. She comes from Rocky Mountaineer, where she was a key account manager. She also has prior experience at Huntington Travel Group and Globus Family of Brands.

Her work will center on building Swan Hellenic’s footprint in Canada. She’ll focus on growing the brand’s relationships with Canadian travel trade partners. Luxury travel is her specialty, which fits well with Swan Hellenic’s upscale expedition product.

Jane Martin Leads National Host Accounts in the U.S.

Jane Martin steps in as sales director for National Host Accounts. She will manage relationships with host agencies, travel consortia, and national accounts across the United States. Her background includes senior roles at Norwegian Cruise Line, Apple Vacations, Keytours Vacations, and Delta Air Lines.

Her focus will be on strengthening Swan Hellenic’s reach through large host agency networks. This is an important channel for reaching independent travel advisors across the country. Her appointment signals that Swan Hellenic is serious about growing its U.S. advisor community.

Why This Matters for Expedition Cruise Travelers

Swan Hellenic specializes in small-ship expedition cruising. Their itineraries often visit remote destinations that bigger cruise lines skip. A stronger sales team in the Americas means more travel advisors will be informed and equipped to sell Swan Hellenic voyages to U.S. and Canadian travelers.

If you’ve been curious about expedition cruising, having more knowledgeable advisors in your corner is a good thing.