Europe river cruise operator Riviera Travel has reorganized its North American leadership, promoting Stuart Milan to president of North America, appointing Marilyn Conroy executive vice president of business development, and naming Francis Riley senior vice president of trade sales and partner relations.
Riviera said it aims to "bolster Riviera Travel's U.S. footprint" with the reorganization. CEO Phil Hullah said there is "a significant opportunity for expansion" in North America.
Stuart Milan
Milan had been Riviera's trading director and vice president of international sales.
"Stuart has been instrumental in driving our growth in the U.K.," Hullah said. "Moving forward in his expanded role, he will be able to leverage his deep understanding of the Riviera brand and translate the outstanding work he is doing in the U.K. into success in the U.S. market, as we collectively push to strengthen Riviera's presence in this key region."
Milan will split his time between the U.K. and the U.S., focusing on operational growth in America while remaining a "key figure" for the company in the U.K., the announcement said.
Marilyn Conroy
"It is an honor to work alongside such a terrific team, particularly as Riviera focuses on expanding our brand footprint across the U.S., which presents an exciting opportunity for us all," Milan said. "I look forward to deepening my knowledge of the U.S. market even further and learning from our valued partners here, in order to ensure Riviera Travel is the brand of choice for luxury European river cruising."
Conroy had been Riviera's executive vice president of sales and marketing for North America for the last seven years. In her new role, Conroy will collaborate with the company's marketing, PR and sales teams to develop initiatives for North America growth.
Francis Riley
Riley, who has 25 years of experience in cruise sales leadership and industry partner relations, will oversee Riviera's North America trade sales efforts. He will be tasked with driving passenger growth, increasing revenue and expanding the brand's market share.
Francis joined Riviera last year to help grow North America as a source market. He had previously held senior leadership roles with Margaritaville at Sea and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Riviera Travel says it is the U.K.'s largest river cruise operator. The cruise line has 13 ships that sail Dutch waterways and the Danube, Douro, Rhine, Moselle, Main, Rhone and Seine rivers.
All of its ships are named for British literary figures, such as Lord Byron and William Shakespeare. The company is changing that tradition beginning with the 2025 arrival of two new ships, the 178-passenger Riviera Radiance and the 114-passenger Riviera Rose. A second 178-passenger newbuild, the Riviera Resplendence, is due in 2026.
Late last year, the company rebranded in North America from Riviera River Cruises to Riviera Travel. The company recently opened a new U.S. headquarters in Fort Lauderdale.