UK. Leading cruise retailer Harding+ has announced a range of strategic new hires and internal promotions. The company said the latest personnel moves reflect core brand pillars, business growth and goals, and its long term strategy.
In a newly-created role, Michelle Weeks has joined Harding+ as its first Chief People Officer. The company noted that this reflects the critical nature of people both shipboard and landside in the cruise industry, and the strong Harding+ focus on reward, recognition and emerging talent.
Weeks has performed similar roles at Diageo, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Prezzo and The Economist. She also brings experience as an independent Change Consultant.
Katie Floyd has been recruited as Head of Marketing, joining from Dufry where for the past five years she worked as Global Contentainment Manager.
Before this she spent ten years at BAA, including a Head of Retail Marketing role at Terminal 5 where she created the business and communications strategy for the launch of the terminal’s retail operations.
Tom Fitzgerald has joined as Head of Insight from Dyson, where he worked as Senior Insight Manager for seven years. Before this, he worked for almost eleven years in senior roles at various research agencies working on global projects.
Harding+ said Fitzgerald brings a collective brand and consultancy perspective on customer behaviours, need, trends, frustrations and desires.
Meanwhile, Daniel Greaves, formerly Head of Merchandising, has been promoted to Director of Merchandising. Greaves has introduced and led best practice merchandising processes, procedures and reporting. He also rebuilt a high performing merchandising team post COVID during his five years with Harding+.
The retailer said he will oversee a team that includes six other promotions and five new joiners as a core hub of the business grows in line with growth.
Finally, Phil de Caux has joined in the newly created role of Senior Technology Business Partner. He brings expertise in technology transformation and programme delivery. He most recently worked with Kingfisher for four years as Business Partner & Portfolio Lead, working with colleagues to translate business objectives into technology roadmaps and use cases.
Reflecting on the raft of appointments and promotions, Harding+ Chief Executive Officer James Prescott said: “We have a bold five-year strategic plan in place to benefit our cruise partners, our brand partners and our employees, as well as the core Harding+ business. We are growing fast, and we need to make sure the right talent and right leaders are in place to match the needs that come with that.
“This is about continuing to develop best-in-class teams through a mix of key internal promotions and smart senior hires from the likes of Dyson, M&S, Morrisons and Diageo, as well as from our competitors.”
He added: “Having a Chief People Officer in Michelle as part of our HR and wider business strategy underscores our Harding+ commitment to the vital people pillar that champions values, career progression and the one team shipboard to landside mentality.
“Katie, Danny, Phil and Tom will add something extra from the high profile challenges they have managed, alongside exemplary delivery records, adding the best thinking from both inside and outside of cruise and travel retail worlds. We are fortunate to have a rich vein of talent running through teams in the business at all levels”
Concluding, Prescott said: “We are not standing still as the market leader and the combination of new talent, newly-focused executive roles, and new systems means that the new Harding+ platform is already pushing boundaries to match our ambitions in all the right ways.”
