Damian Perry, Managing Director Asia Pacific for Hurtigruten/HX will expand his skill’s scope for the historic Norwegian brand, taking on the added responsibilities as Vice President of Sales, solely for Hurtigruten, LATTE can exclusively reveal. The move will take effect from January 2025.

Steve Smotrys, recently appointed Senior Vice President, Americas for HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) — and highly-regarded in the Australian cruise sector following his decades of service with Carnival Corporation, most recently at Seabourn — will expand his remit to include Australia and New Zealand, under the new structure.

Perry has steered the regional operations of Huritgruten Group since 2017, laying down the foundation for the business of both Hurtigruten Norway and HX Hurtigruten Expeditions.

This year, both arms of the business separated as individual independent units (officially in November 2024), and it was under Perry’s expertise that this divide between the brands was relayed transparently to trade partners throughout 2024.

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Last week Hurtigruten announced the company had been acquired by a consortium of existing investors, which will pump 110 million Euro in new long-term funding of the coastal business. The transaction will complete the process of the separation of Hurtigruten from HX. The business will operate as a standalone company, headquartered in Oslo with a fleet of 10 ships under the Norwegian flag.

“The transaction allows us to continue to deliver our long-term goals, enable sustainable growth, and enhance our customer experience,” Hedda Felin, Chief Executive Officer at Hurtigruten said last week.