Ponant Brings Aboard New Sales Team
by Daniel McCarthy /Ponant's L'Austral Pula. Photo: Orlovic.
With new products hitting the market, Ponant is growing its North American sales team with five new hires.
Kathy Johns, an 18-year travel veteran, will join as Ponant’s new director of sales for North America. She has spent her career in luxury and experiential travel with companies such as Brownell Travel and Linblad Expeditions and with Virtuoso.
Dale Woods, who has been with Ponant since January 2015, will now serve as director of business development for the Northeast Region. In the past, Woods has worked with Rail Europe and Virgin Atlantic Airways. For the past 10 years he has specialized in niche small-ship cruising for companies such as Quark Expeditions and Travel Dynamics International.
Dave Hoshin is Ponant’s new director of business development for the Western region. Previously, he held sales and leadership roles with Travel Impressions.
Cindy Christen, a former sales manager for Uniworld River Cruises, is the new director of business development for the Southeast region. She has held sales positions with CroisiEurope River Cruises and management positions with First European Cruises, Premier Cruises, and Carnival Airlines.
And Rita A. Chenique, who has been with Ponant since 2011, is the new director of business development for group and charter sales. She has more than 25 years of experiences in the charter market, at Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Seabourn Cruise Line.