Holland America's Orlando Ashford Talks Executive Team Changes
byLynn Elmhirst/
Earlier this month, when Holland America Line announced the departure of Vice President of Sales Eva Jenner and Senior Director of National Accounts Charlie Dunwoody, the cruise line also advised that President Orlando Ashford would be assuming both roles in addition to his current slate of responsibilities.
阿什福德(Ashford)对这次改组的洞察力几乎没有任何见解,除了该系列合作伙伴Facebook页面上的帖子,他说:“我期待与您更加紧密地合作。”
In Toronto this week, for a “Live with Holland America Line” event for area travel advisors, he met first with the media, and expanded on that statement, implying the changes were part of the bigger plan all along.
他解释说:“ 12月1日标志着我与荷兰美洲系列的五周年纪念日,我的头五年是关于产品的变化。现在,我对该产品感到非常好,我想专注于贸易伙伴和客人。我打算进行组织变革的目的是让个人更接近交易,以向贸易和消费者传达这一信息。这就是为什么我在感恩节一周在多伦多的原因,而不是在西雅图推过论文。”
Getting the message out to the trade
参加多伦多活动有160名顾问。此后,阿什福德(Ashford)也参加了本月初在温哥华参加的类似活动。
The advisor events are the face-to-face follow-up of a webinar initiative that saw a whopping 12,000 advisors log in to learn about the line’s updates.
荷兰美国认识到强大的贸易支持。阿什福德指出,该系列业务的四分之三是由行业产生的。但是他仍然看到他可以在新角色中取得的进步机会。
Citing what “works and resonates,” including strong destination programming, cuisine (including HAL’s Culinary Council and brand partners), entertainment (like live music, which he calls the “best in the industry”), and service, Ashford committed to continuing to “elevate each of those swim lanes.”
他谈到了哈尔与奥普拉·温弗瑞(Oprah Winfrey)的关系,以对旅行如何丰富人民生活的共同信念,并与奥普拉·温弗瑞(Oprah Winfrey)的关系进行了关系。“她只做她相信的事情,她不需要钱。”媒体/自助/生活方式大师宣布她与其他2400名其他女性共享的巡游是“与她所经历过的任何事物都不一样”。
“我感觉很好its purity,” Ashford said.
At the same time, he acknowledged “frustration” with continued misperceptions and how well advisors and consumers understand “the new Holland America Line.”
“我们的客人是55多个,那太好了。我们爱我们成熟的客人,”他说,“当我感到沮丧时,那是等同于古老,无聊或慢的时候。”
“If an agent last sailed with us 10 years ago,” he claimed, they may not see how HAL has brought “new energy to the brand while maintaining loyal customers.”
“I’m completely confident in the product,” Ashford clarified, “And I’m now delivering it personally.”
这转化为阿什福德(Ashford)花费“更多时间在现场和贸易活动中”,以帮助“加速”顾问和帐户中对“新版本HAL”的理解。
Framed that way, the president of HAL has no concern that the recent executive team shake-up will have a negative impact on travel advisors’ confidence in Holland America or its leadership.
相反,阿什福德(Ashford)掌管销售团队的领导将确保贸易问题的重中之重,并且“决策速度”将促进贸易和HAL成功。
Canadian BDM Mary Goldsmith jumped in to agree with these assurances. “With Orlando at the helm, we’ll have direct access and fewer barriers to discussing trade (and Canadian) needs,” she said.
顾问反应
Advisors that Travel Market Report spoke to seemed to agree with this positive assessment of the executive team changes.
For Expedia Cruise Ship Centers’ Marilyn Mirabelli, the recent changes in top leadership are a non-issue. “I’m happy with the service when I call; and if I need anything, I call Mary [Goldsmith, BDM]. In fact, I just emailed her happy client feedback.”
她说,阿什福德(Ashford)在多伦多举行的现场活动中表现出来,“表明他对特工的支持。”
她的分析得到了其他顾问的回应。戴维·肖(David Shaw)是一名出售假期的旅行顾问,他以前从未见过阿什福德(Ashford),他的首要任务是从决策者直接获得有关新的发展和新船的新闻。
“Orlando Ashford coming in person shows two things,” says Jim Livingston of Expedia Cruise Ship Centers. “One, that HAL cares about Canada. And two, that he cares about agents.”
荷兰美国计划继续加快将这个消息传给北美的顾问,并提供更多活动,网络研讨会和与整个HAL销售团队互动的一对一机会。