Riviera appoints Saga retail lead Steven Taylor as international sales manager
Riviera Travel has appointed former Saga head of retail Steven Taylor as its new international sales manager with immediate effect
Taylor will oversee the river cruise and escorted tour operator’s sales and product strategies in Ireland, Australia and the US, and support the brand’s required passenger, revenue and profit targets, while finding new markets to enter.
Taylor, who was previously head of retail at Saga and prior to that business manager of partnership development at P&O Cruises, will report into trading director Stuart Milan.
“We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Steven at a particularly exciting time for Riviera,” said Milan. “We recently celebrated our 40th anniversary, and across river and ocean cruising and escorted touring we are adding new itineraries and initiatives that provide something unique for both new-to-brand and repeat customers.
Taylor to help Riviera capitalise on distribution opportunities
Milan acknowledged the potential for Riviera to grow its distribution further, explaining how Taylor will “play a key role” in supporting the brand in capitalising on those opportunities.
Taylor added: “I’m very proud to be part of Riviera’s sales team and looking forward to supporting our sales strategies in the growing Ireland, Australia and US markets.”
His appointment comes after the line introduced a new app to enable its trade team to dedicate more time to engaging with its agent partners.
The system allows key account managers to track their agent visits and outcomes, with the resultant data being used to coordinate schedules and target specific partners who are keen to work more closely with Riviera.
