NCL is bringing Francis Riley to Miami to see if he can do for the rest of the world what he did in the UK. The number of passengers from the UK has doubled in the last two years, and NCL attributes that success to Riley, as he became General Manager of NCL's UK office two years ago in 2005. Coincidence? NCL doesn't think so. During that time, Riley oversaw the launch of three new Freestyle Cruising ships in the UK.
He will be moving to Miami to fill the newly-created position of VP of International Business Development, where he will be responsible for business development outside the US and Canada and report to Andy Stuart, NCL's EVP of sales, marketing and passenger services. NCL said that the new new position was created "to continue NCL's rapid expansion ouside of North America that will accelerate in 2008 with the first-ever dedicated sailings for the UK market out of Southampton aboard Norwegian Jade and the largest NCL European deployment ever." Riley joined NCL in 2004 as sales director.
Riley will be replaced as GM in the UK by Stephen Park on September 3, who will return to the company after a two-year absence.
