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Longtime VP Hansjörg Kunze bows out at AIDA Cruises

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Leaving AIDA Cruises after 18 years, Hansjörg Kunze, left, will be succeeded by Sven Jacobsen, right
AIDA Cruises' Hansjörg Kunze, VP communication & sustainability, is leaving the line after more than 18 years.

Sven Jacobsen, a corporate communications veteran who most recently ran his own agency, will succeed him.

Kunze is expected to provide consulting to AIDA.

AIDA President Felix Eichhorn said Kunze did a great job with strategic communications and helped shape a positive public perception of the company. He positioned AIDA as a strong brand with trusted communication, open to dialogue, Eichhorn continued, thanking Kunze for this 'passionate commitment' and wishing him well.

Respected cruise industry face

Kunze joined AIDA Cruises in 2004, assuming responsibility for public relations and environmental issues. Working closely Michael Thamm, who became AIDA president the same year, he developed one of the most successful communication strategies in German shipping, earning an excellent reputation among journalists for his professionalism, communication skills, credibility and knowledge.

Kunze was a key contributor in shaping AIDA's reputation as a cruise line that cared about sustainability issues early on. He was there for the brand's massive growth, and maintained clear and transparent communications during the COVID pandemic.

Journalist and Olympian

Before his cruise career, Kunze was a journalist focused on sports. This came after his own athletic accomplishments. A gifted track and field athlete, he represented East Germany as a long-distance runner from the the mid-1970s until the late 1980s, winning a bronze medal in the 5,000-meter race at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul.

Kunze joined the Rostock Olympic Bid Committee in the early 2000s when the city aspired to host the sailing competitions for the 2012 Olympic Games which Germany intended to hold in Leipzig. When the Olympics hosting ambitions did not materialize, Kunze joined AIDA Cruises in September 2004.

Sven Jacobsen

Eichhorn also welcomed Jacobsen who, though new to the cruise sector, brings extensive corporate communications experience in the automotive and food sectors.

Past positions were with Beiersdorf and Media-Saturn-Holding as well as the Salzburg-based automotive supplier Benteler. In 2015 Jacobsen assumed responsibility for corporate communications at Haribo, the family-owned gummy candy company. Most recently, he ran his own PR agency.