Mark Conroy, Silversea Cruises managing director of the Americas, will transition into a senior advisor role in support of the cruise line's sales team.
Conroy, who this year celebrates his 50th year in the travel industry, joined Silversea in 2016 overseeing reservations and sales activities in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Prior to that he had spent 20 years with Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
"At the forefront of our U.S. operations, Mark has played a vital role in our company's growth in the market since joining in 2016," said Barbara Muckermann, CEO of Silversea Cruises, praising Conroy for "continuously building strong personal relationships with travel agents throughout the region. Few people possess Mark's depth of knowledge, experience and expertise in the luxury cruise segment; he has undoubtedly left a lasting impression on our industry."
Conroy, one of the industry's longest-serving executives, is also among those who has worked most closely with the travel trade. He thanked Silversea's trade partner community, saying that their "support has been, and will continue to be, of fundamental importance to the cruise line's sales strategy."
Muckermann said Conroy would support the leadership transition in the U.S. market. In his new role, Conroy will report to Massimo Brancaleoni, senior vice president of global sales. Joe Leon will become Silversea's head of sales in the Americas, also reporting to Brancaleoni.
Conroy helped launch the startup Diamond Cruises, which later merged with Seven Seas Cruise Line to become Radisson and then Regent Seven Seas Cruises. He served as president of the line from 1992 to 2013. Prior to that, he worked in sales for both Royal Viking Line and Norwegian Cruise Line.
He was chair of the executive committee of CLIA between 2002 and 2004, and he was inducted into CLIA's Cruise Industry Hall of Fame in 2013.