Senior Director, Sales

The Role

The Director of Sales, UK & Ireland is the senior trade sales leader and primary market representative for Silversea, fully accountable for delivering profitable growth through the travel trade channel.

The role leads a high-performing team of six and serves as the key commercial voice in the market, combining deep trade expertise with a strategic, forward-looking view of the UK & Ireland landscape.

As a highly recognised and well-connected industry figure, the Director represents Silversea at the highest level, acts as senior in-market leadership, and steps in for the Managing Director when required.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute a best-in-class trade sales strategy delivering sustainable, profitable growth
• Lead, motivate, and inspire a team of six, establishing a strong performance culture and clear accountability
• Drive consistent delivery of revenue, guests, and value through trade partnerships

Strategic Market Leadership

• Maintain a clear, strategic view of the UK & Ireland market, identifying trends, risks, and growth opportunities
• Translate market intelligence into actionable commercial strategies and priorities
• Position Silversea strongly within the ultra-luxury competitive landscape

Market Presence & Representation

• Act as the face of Silversea within the UK & Ireland trade community
• Leverage an extensive network and strong personal reputation to drive influence and competitive advantage
• Maintain a visible and active presence with key partners, consortia, and industry bodies
• Serve as the senior escalation point in-market, including covering Managing Director responsibilities where required

Strategic Trade Partnerships

• Build and develop senior-level relationships with key trade partners and accounts
• Lead and oversee commercial negotiations and long-term partnership frameworks
• Ensure clarity, discipline, and consistency across agreement structures and execution
• Prioritise and grow high-value, strategically aligned partnerships

Distribution & Growth Development

• Drive a focused and disciplined trade distribution strategy, aligned with brand positioning
• Identify and develop additive distribution opportunities, expanding reach while maintaining brand integrity
• Explore new commercial channels and innovative models to unlock incremental growth
• Ensure all new initiatives are profitable, scalable, and strategically aligned
• Work in close partnership with the Director of Consumer Sales, ensuring full alignment between trade and direct channels
• Balance channel priorities and opportunities to optimise overall business performance (“for the greater good”)
• Contribute to a unified market approach, avoiding channel conflict and ensuring cohesive execution

Enterprise & Tri-Brand Leadership

• Act as the key trade touchpoint for tri-branded initiatives with Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises
• Represent Silversea within the broader enterprise ecosystem, ensuring strong collaboration and alignment
• Leverage cross-brand opportunities to maximise market impact and commercial return
• Support and deliver strategic enterprise initiatives within the UK & Ireland market

Trade Engagement & Enablement

• Ensure partners are equipped with the right tools, insights, and support to succeed
• Lead trade communication, engagement, and training strategies
• Build strong brand advocacy within the trade, positioning Silversea as the ultra-luxury partner of choice
• Ensure robust forecasting, pipeline management, and performance tracking
• Drive commercial discipline and clear focus on profitable growth
• Work cross-functionally to ensure alignment across pricing, marketing, and revenue strategy

Leadership Profile

• Highly recognised and respected within the UK & Ireland travel trade market
• Strong, established industry network and reputation
• Proven track record of leading trade sales teams and delivering growth through partnerships
• Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen
• Exceptional influencing and stakeholder management skills
• Entrepreneurial mindset, with ability to unlock new distribution opportunities

Leadership Style

• Commercially sharp, decisive, and accountable
• Highly visible and engaged market leader, with strong external presence
• Highly engaged, inspirational team player, fostering collaboration and shared success across teams and functions
• Collaborative mindset, working across channels and brands for the greater business outcome
• Demanding but supportive leader, inspiring high performance and accountability
• Operates with credibility, confidence, and industry authority

Why This Role

• Lead Silversea’s trade business in one of the most important global markets
• Act as a recognised industry leader representing a top ultra-luxury brand
• Shape both distribution strategy and enterprise-level collaboration
• High degree of autonomy, influence, and market ownership

Experience Knowledge and Skills

• Building Relationships – demonstrates gravitas and has an ability to present themselves effectively at all levels both internally and externally.
• Team Management – proven leaderships skills and is a team player with the ability to focus themselves & the team to deliver account plans, results, and key priorities.
• Influencing – able to persuade and take others on the journey.
• Motivational – self-motivated. Engages and motivates their team & the wider sales team.
• Style – leads with integrity, empathy and is self-aware. Innovate and creative thinker.
• Enthusiasm – demonstrates passion, enthusiasm and is eager and excited towards own goals and development of the team.
• Analytical – logically analyses facts, data, and situations.
• Commercial – proven commercial skills and results driven. Proactively uses commercial creativity to pre-empt possible commercial issues and encourages others to do the same.
• Negotiation – can use advance negotiation techniques to achieve joint financial goals in complex negotiations.
• Takes initiative – understands what needs to be accomplished and proceeds within the accountabilities of the job. Good at identifying the problems and always look for a solution.
• Organization and Planning – can formulate ideas related to the steps of achieving the objective and capable of juggling many tasks at once. Can place and maintain order in a busy environment and urgent situations.
• Selling – has a skill to convince and influence others to purchase a product or service.
• Persistent – is tenacious despite encountering setbacks and obstacles.
• Written/Language – clear and concise communication & presentation skills detailing the level of interest in formulating words that convey the meaning.
• Proven experience and success of managing and motivating a team of people.
• Matrix organization experience preferable.
• Leisure or travel industry experience preferable.

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