Virgin Voyages hires Sean Russo as first Canadian sales manager

With over a year of operations under its belt for Richard’s Branson’s new cruise line, Virgin Voyages is expanding its North American sales footprint, welcoming Sean Russo to the growing team. 

As the first Sales Manager for Canada, Sean, who is based in the Toronto area, will oversee the entire Canadian sales territory and work closely with Virgin Voyages’ Vice President of North American Sales, John Diorio.

The cruise line says that together, the powerhouse duo will introduce travel advisors - aptly called First Mates - to Virgin Voyages’ exclusively adult sailing experiences, incredible destinations, and differentiated fleet.

“Virgin Voyages is a bold, inspiring brand that’s challenged the status quo and created an incredible experience that Canadian travel advisors and their clients should be eager to learn more about,” said Sean. “I'm excited to grow my current network and showcase that cruising with Virgin Voyages is uniquely different and needs to be explored by cruisers and non-cruisers alike.”

A world traveler with a penchant for adventure, Sean studied Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism at Humber College in Toronto. 

He joins the Virgin Voyages Crew from Jobber as their Sales Development Manager. In this role, he managed a team to optimize sales results, collaborated with the marketing, success and product departments, organized all sales training sessions, analyzed sales metrics and oversaw team forecasting.

Prior to this, Sean spent 10 years with G Adventures. Initially joining their team as a Business Development Manager, Sean managed and expanded multiple territories across Ontario, participated in various panels and global conferences, and developed a brand ambassador training program. 

Having grown the region to unprecedented levels, he was promoted to National Sales Manager of Canada.

During this time, he increased brand revenue, helped launch the global ChangeMakers conference and became a regular contributor to several Canadian-based travel trade publications.

“Sean is an epic addition to our North American sales team and will help shape our sales strategy in one of our key feeder markets,” said John Diorio. “His passion for travel, compelling sales experience and personal relationships within the region are unparalleled. We have an exciting year ahead, launching both Resilient and Brilliant Lady, and Sean is the perfect representative in a new region for the brand.”

Sean is an adventure buff who loves exploring the earth’s vast, breathtaking landscapes including The Galapagos, the African savannahs, and Antarctica. 

When he’s not travelling, you can find Sean whipping up a new recipe, watching soccer, or playing with his two French bulldogs.

For more information on Virgin Voyages and the brand’s exciting plans for 2023, visit here. 

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.