Sture Myrmell to become Adelaide-based COO for Journey Beyond

He will report to CEO Chris Tallent and will take on the overall leadership of the company’s operational businesses.

Journey Beyond operates 16 brands across Australia, including the iconic trains The Ghan and the Indian Pacific.

It also operates harbour cruises in the Whitsundays, Darwin and Sydney.

Parent company reorganises

US-based private equity firm Crestview Partners retained sole ownership of Journey Beyond during the recent Hornblower Group reorganisation.

On June 7 the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas approved the reorganisation plan and Hornblower expects to complete its financial restructuring and emerge from the court-supervised process in the coming weeks.

Former Carnival UK president

Myrmell, who moved to England to become president of Carnival UK in October 2021, left last year after a restructure within Carnival Corp.’s UK operation.

Before that, in 2017 he was appointed president of Carnival Australia and a major achievement in this role was reaching a commercial agreement in 2018 with Port of Brisbane to build the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal.

Path to the presidency

Norwegian-born Myrmell worked in cruise ships while studying in the UK for an applied science in hospitality administration and management degree from Thames Valley University.

In 2000 he became director food and beverage for Cunard, based in Miami, and in 2004 he joined Princess Cruises in Los Angeles as director hotel operations.

‘Body-snatched’ by Sherry

Ann Sherry, who was CEO of Carnival Australia at the time, ‘body-snatched’ Myrmell and brought him to Sydney in 2008 as the newly-created VP hotel operations for P&O Cruises Australia.

In December 2015 when Sherry was named executive chairman of Carnival Australia, Myrmell, then SVP of P&O Cruises Australia, became its president.