UK. Leading global cruise retail specialist Harding+ has named Bill Showalter as Chief Financial Officer, effective from September. In another senior hire, Mikos Taylor joins as the company’s first Executive level IT Director.
Harding+ said the moves mark the latest step in a growth strategy that has seen the business double in size post-Covid, with the concessionaire now serving a fleet of over 90 ships.
Showalter joins from the £700 million annual turnover horticulture business, Flamingo Group, where he spent three and half years as CFO, after three and a half years as Young’s Seafood CEO. This followed senior finance roles at Starwood Hotels, Heinz and Findus. His remit is to focus on “growth and business efficiency, and the impact of direct costs in tough economic climates”.
Harding+ Chief Executive Officer James Prescott explained: “This is a significant signing to help us match our ambitions and retain our edge when we know we are in a world of both great opportunity for the sector, coupled with well reported global challenges.
“Bill’s impressive track record of leadership and experience in complex retail businesses will help us tighten up commercial relationships, costs of doing business and the best of forward thinking financial planning.”
He added: “Effective collaboration is vital in any partnership, and we live and breathe that in our purpose to make every cruise better, and to consolidate our position as the industry’s first choice retailer. We can’t stand still, and as part of that, collaboration needs to be a live discussion, where Bill will add great value alongside our great partners who have always worked with us on solutions matched to the climate.”
Speaking at the recent DFNI Cruise conference in Mallorca, Harding+ Deputy CEO and COO Mark Birnie talked about the importance of industry collaboration, and about the significant investment Harding+ has already made in technology as part of its infrastructure strategy.
This includes a new ERP system, which the retailer said will leave it better placed to model pricing, business profitability and leverage data to support state of the art stock replenishment systems.
Harding+ will shortly be rolling out its commitment to a next generation retail planning platform, Dataviva, adding smart AI to ensure improved supply chain planning and optimisation.
Mikos Taylor joins as IT Director with a focus on maximising this technological investment.
He comes from high street retailer Morrisons, where he had spent almost two years as Head of Technology, following eight and a half years at footwear retailer Clarks, and two years at digital transformation consultant Capgemini. He will focus on tech efficiency, agility and Harding+ data that helps drive decision-making.
James Prescott added: “Our next stage IT and data capabilities will help with the positive fluidity we need as a retailer to match guests needs, lead on retail trends and shape brand experiences that will continue to turn heads. I know all our partners will benefit from this and the energy Mikos will bring to these developments.”
Alongside these senior hires, Harding+ has welcomed over 40 more colleagues into the business since January. The company said these central hires recognise “the importance of people at the heart of the ‘surprise and delight’ cruise industry,” and said that additional hires are planned.
In the past year, Harding+ has launched retail offerings on six new ships and four refitted and rebranded ships. The next 18 months will see another seven new ships go live and 16 refits with Harding+ as the retail partner. 
