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Coral Expeditions appoints three senior executives to ‘grow opportunities’Coral Expeditions appoints three senior executives to ‘grow opportunities’

Jeff Gillies, commercial director of Australia’s Coral Expeditions, made three new appointments to 'grow opportunities and scale up the organisational capability in the rapidly expanding expedition sector.’

Helen Hutcheon, Australasia correspondent

May 23, 2024

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

All three are based in the company’s Cairns headquarters.

Andrew Thwaites

Andrew Thwaites joined in the new role of global director of sales.

Thwaites spent 15 years with Carnival Australia where he was head of sales, overseeing Seabourn, Holland America and P&O Cruises Australia.

Chris Jahnsen

Chris Jahnsen returned to Cairns from Sydney as marketing manager, leading the marketing team and responsible for digital transformation initiatives and integration projects with the National Roads and Motorists Association, which bought a minority stake in Coral Expeditions in 2021.

Jahnsen spent several years in Cairns working for Tourism Tropical North Queensland.

Katherine Plohl

Longtime Cairns local Katherine Plohl is reservations and revenue manager, responsible for guiding the sales and service team, guest relations and inventory management.

Plohl has worked for the Shangri La Cairns and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, which runs between Cairns and Kuranda above the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

Enthusiasm and skills

‘I look forward to the enthusiasm and skills that Andrew, Chris and Kath will bring to the team and to see them help us build on the reputation and legacy we have created as the pioneers of expedition in the Australasian and Asia Pacific region,’ Gillies said.

He said Coral Expeditions, now in its 41st year of operation, offers over 100 itineraries and carries more than 7,000 passengers annually.

About the Author

Helen Hutcheon

Australasia correspondent

Helen Hutcheon did her cadetship on a shipping magazine and worked in P&O’s Sydney office for seven years as a public relations journalist.

For 19 years she was deputy editor of Travel Week, which was Australia’s leading trade newspaper that covered major local and international industry events.

In 2008 the late legendary Rama Rebbapragada presented her with an award from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd ‘in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the cruising industry.’

In 2010 she won the Neil Frazer Award for ‘outstanding contribution to the cruise industry,’ elevating her to CLIA Australasia’s hall of fame.

She has been the Australasia correspondent for Seatrade Cruise Review since 1997 and for Seatrade Insider (now Seatrade Cruise News) since its launch in 2000.

 

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