The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has made several strategic appointments and internal promotions across its global sales team, underscoring the brand’s ongoing investment in commercial growth and its commitment to delivering best-in-class service to travel partners worldwide.
These updates follow the company’s most successful ‘Wave’ season to date and come ahead of the highly anticipated debut of Luminara, its newest superyacht, launching in July.
Luminara will sail close to Australia, with voyages in the Asia region debuting later this year from Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
New Appointments
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Jeremy McClellan has joined as Vice President, Trade Sales & Support, bringing extensive experience in luxury travel trade engagement and B2B distribution. Reporting to Kristian C. Anderson, Senior Vice President, Global Sales, McClellan will oversee Trade Sales, Inside Sales, and the Partner Assistance team across the Americas. He previously served as Director of Luxury Sales at Marriott’s Luxury Group and Director of Sales across various Ritz-Carlton properties.
Julio Lopez has been appointed Vice President, Sales Enablement – Global Reservations. He will oversee global reservations operations and drive operational excellence across key contact centres worldwide to ensure a seamless guest reservation experience. Based in Fort Lauderdale and reporting to Kristian C. Anderson, Senior Vice President, Global Sales, Lopez brings over two decades of experience in BPO and in-house customer care for leading cruise and hospitality brands, including Airbnb, MSC Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line.
As revealed exclusively by LATTE, Anastasia Kotanidis takes on the role of Director, Travel Partnerships, Australia & New Zealand, responsible for leading market strategy and trade partnerships across the ANZ region. Based in Melbourne and reporting to Seb Seward, Vice President & General Manager, Asia Pacific, Kotanidis brings deep local expertise and a proven track record in luxury travel sales. Prior to joining The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, she served as Key Account Manager at Seabourn, focusing on driving business growth and cultivating strategic relationships across the region.
Joao Filho has been named Manager, Trade Sales, South America, bringing multilingual expertise and a strong background in sales and client relations. Filho will manage agency partnerships across South America and report directly to McClellan. Prior to transitioning shoreside, Filho served onboard as a Future Voyage Concierge for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, providing guests with personalised guidance in planning and booking their next voyage—delivering a seamless, service-driven experience that reflects the brand’s commitment to excellence
Internal Promotions
Harold Torres has been elevated to Vice President, Charters & Incentives, where he will lead the sales strategy and execution for Meetings, Incentives, Charters, and Events (MICE) as a key member of the commercial executive team. Since joining the company in 2023 as Market Director of Sales, Groups, he has played a pivotal role in expanding the brand’s presence in the groups and incentives space.
Stephanie Seghers-Narvaez assumed the role of Director, Charters & Incentives, leveraging her extensive background in ultra-luxury hospitality and event planning. Previously serving as Strategic Accounts Manager for the western U.S. and Canada, she has significantly contributed to strengthening relationships with key accounts across the region.
“As we close a record-setting wave season and look ahead to the launch of Luminara, our third superyacht, we remain focused on expanding both the strength and scale of our global sales team,” said Kristian C. Anderson, Senior Vice President, Global Sales.
“With industry veterans like Jeremy, Julio, and Anastasia joining, and exceptional internal talent like Harold, Stephanie, and Joao rising into expanded roles, we are well positioned to ensure even greater service to our travel partners around the world.”
These strategic updates reflect The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s continued focus on cultivating top talent and enhancing the partner experience across key global markets. In recent years, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has steadily expanded the resources available to its travel partners through localized, in-market sales representation, a dedicated global Partner Assistance team, and an Inside Sales team—all designed to deliver the highest level of support and service in the industry today.
More on the brand at ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com.
