Quark Expeditions has announced the appointment of Robert Halfpenny to the position of Director of Sales for Australia as part of its expansion of the Australia sales teams, which includes several new appointees.
Quark Expeditions says its global sales team expansion is aligned with the polar operator’s upcoming inaugural launch of the game-changing ship, Ultramarine.
Under the leadership of Thomas Lennartz, Vice-President of Sales, and Meg Murgatroyd, Global Partnership Director, the expanded Australian sales team—with their impressive years of experience and expertise in expedition cruising—will enable Quark Expeditions to build closer, more effective partnerships with tour operators, as well as wholesale and retail travel partners globally.
“Since 1991, Quark Expeditions has been pioneering polar expedition travel and remains committed to specializing in the Polar Regions,” said Lennartz.
“Being specialists requires a specialist sales team and these recent appointments of high-calibre sales professionals signal our commitment to provide our partners with the best expedition cruise sales team to support and grow their business.”
Robert Halfpenny, who assumes his new position on 1 October 2021, brings vast travel sales expertise to the role of Regional Sales Director, APAC.
Halfpenny was most recently Managing Director of Aurora Expeditions and APAC Sales Director and Key Global Accounts Director with the Rocky Mountaineer.
He has previously held senior sales positions with the Globus Family Brands, and Virgin Blue and Pacific Blue Airlines.
“I have admired Quark Expeditions’ commitment—over the last 31 years—to consistently pioneer new life-changing polar experiences for their guests,” said Halfpenny.
“I am thrilled to join the Quark Expeditions team and continue to build the brand and sales with the trade here in the APAC marketplace.
“Quark Expeditions has robust plans for developing and building the brand in the APAC region and I am extremely excited to work with the global sales team and reconnect with my travel industry network.”
The Australia sales team also welcomes a new Polar Travel Sales Team Lead as of September 2021.
Thomas Hosemans, who was most recently Australasia Sales Consultant with Exodus Travels, a sister company to Quark Expeditions, previously worked as Store Manager for The Flight Centre’s My Adventure Travel enterprise in Hawthorn, Australia.
Also joining the team in September is Polar Travel Sales Advisor Alana Lewthwaite, who brings eight years of polar travel sales experience which she acquired at Tailor-Made Journeys, during which time she travelled to the Antarctic with Quark Expeditions.
Lewthwaite also spent two years in sales with the Flight Centre in Brisbane and Melbourne.
In April, Quark Expeditions’ Australia operations welcomed Monize Diniz to the Customer Experience team. The multilingual Diniz has worked in administrative, customer service and sales-support roles at Tailor-Made Journeys/ South America Travel Centre and TUI’s Hotelbeds Group.
Additionally, in May 2021, Quark Expeditions appointed Tenille Hunt to the position of Business Development Manager, Australia for Quark Expeditions.
The Melbourne-based Hunt has 20 years of industry experience with G Adventures and Chimu Adventures. She’s also a seasoned polar traveller having explored the Arctic and twice-visited Antarctica.
The newly-expanded sales team will be excited to showcase Ultramarine to their partners.
Quark Expeditions says the technologically advanced ship—equipped with two twin-engine helicopters, 20 quick-deploy Zodiacs, advanced sustainability systems, superior onboard amenities and the largest portfolio of off-ship adventure options in the industry—will change the way travellers experience the Polar Regions.
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