Silversea Cruises taps a veteran figure as new chief executive

He replaces Enzo Visone, who has held the role since 2011 and, before then, had been executive chairman starting in 2010.

Martinoli has been a board member of Silversea since 2013. He most recently was chairman and ceo of Grandi Navi Veloci, a leading ferry company in the western Mediterranean. He retains his chairman role there.

'Roberto is a dedicated professional with a long track record of driving great companies to even higher heights. I am certain that he will be instrumental in pushing Silversea Cruises to consistently deliver unrivaled levels of luxury, service and business performance,' Silversea executive chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio said.

'I have known Manfredi for many years as a peer and a colleague, I have worked closely with the Silversea team in my role as a board member for the past four years, and I am excited to have been given the opportunity to further develop my relationship with this fantastic brand as it enters this new phase of growth,' Martinoli said.

Martinoli starts Sept. 19. He'll be based in the company’s headquarters in Monaco and report directly to Lefebvre.

A highly respected figure in the shipping world, Martinoli was president and chief operating officer at NCL from 2009 to 2010 and adviser to Apollo Management from 2008 to 2009. Prior to that, he was with Carnival for eight years, starting as svp and ultimately as evp. He was svp at Costa from 1997 to 2000.

From 1976 to 1997, Martinoli owned and operated Martinoli SAM, a ship management and consulting company.

Martinoli serves on the board of Confitarma, Rome and Interferry Europe, Brussels.

He also chairs the Short Sea Shipping Commission in Confitarma and is a member of the association's executive committee. Plus, he chairs the European Short Sea Network.