Virtuoso has added two seasoned executives to its team. Melissa Araya is the new senior director, cruise, while Michael Goldenberg is director, customer relationship management. These appointments represent the latest in strategic hires for the organization and its focus on delivering deeper engagement with its travel agency members and travel advisors, preferred partners and its clients. Earlier this year, Virtuoso had also announced new global general managers in Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Europe Middle East and Africa, to expand its global footprint and elevate brand awareness with affluent travelers.
Araya returns to Virtuoso, where she previously served in a sales capacity, with extensive experience in the cruise, travel and financial industries, including time with Silversea Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. In this new position, Araya will lead Virtuoso’s implementation of the annual sales strategy and budgets for its cruise department, overseeing member production and ensuring annual goals are met. Duties will include negotiation of agreements around member commissions, conducting reviews of cruise revenue forecasts and collaborating with regional general managers to activate global partnerships.
While at Crystal, where she was director of strategic partnerships (national and key accounts) until her promotion to vice-president of sales and marketing for international, Araya managed the cruise line’s relationship with Virtuoso. Her career began at American Express, where she spent 15 years in executive roles in Mexico City and New York. A large part of her success has been in building and maintaining strong relationships.
Goldenberg joins Virtuoso "with a bold entrepreneurial spirit and a wealth of experience in customer relationship management." In his new role, he will further develop targeted marketing strategies and analytics that foster profitable long-term relationships with existing Virtuoso clients and prospects, creating deeper engagement and a higher value of return for the network’s members and partners.
Prior to joining Virtuoso, Goldenberg spent over a decade with Cendyn in senior leadership roles in the U.S. and abroad. Before joining Cendyn, he co-founded Statability, a web-based reporting and analytics company with products used by more than 5,000 hotels, restaurants, car-rental outlets and hospitals across 15 countries.
Araya and Goldenberg will work remotely from their home offices in Naples and Boca Raton, Florida, respectively. Araya will report to Beth Butzlaff, vice-president, cruise, and Goldenberg will report to Helen McCabe-Young, senior vice-president, marketing.
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