Senior commercial and operations leader with extensive experience across cruise, retail, logistics, and multi‑unit operations. Currently serves as Director, Onboard Revenue at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, leading retail business operations, supporting space planning for newbuilds and refurbishments and port commercial operations across Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas.

Previously held senior operational leadership roles at Harding Retail, REEF Technologies, and Amazon, overseeing P&L ownership, regional and global retail operations, last‑mile logistics, experiential retail, and large‑scale teams. Proven track record driving profitability, executing growth strategies, optimizing space and assortment, and scaling operations. Holds a BBA and MBA in International Business from Florida International University.

Alexa Darpino oversees travel and speciality partnerships at What Goes Around Comes Around, a pioneer in the pre-owned luxury and vintage space. For over six years, she has led strategic growth within the company’s travel division, leveraging her expertise in pre-owned luxury and the unique dynamics of the hospitality industry to scale key partnerships. With a vision for long-term expansion, she is focused on shaping development across two rapidly evolving industries.

Alisha Shah is Director of Strategy at HFDF, where she leads strategy and partners with the merchandising team to bring a curated assortment for each guest at the right time. She brings over five years of experience in corporate strategy and business operations, with prior roles at Saks Global and McDonald's Corporation. 

Retail Director at Costa Cruises, responsible for overseeing all operations and merchandising activities across the fleet’s retail shops. Previous experience includes roles at Luxottica and PVH.

Andrea Cappellazzo is an Account Manager in the Travel Retail division at EssilorLuxottica. Based in Milan, he manages key international clients across airports and cruise channel, developing strategic partnerships and supporting the growth of the Group’s portfolio of eyewear brands in global travel retail markets.

Anthony Richards is a cruise industry leader of over 23 years, starting his career onboard ships, becoming a Cruise Director, then transitioning shoreside with a major cruise line in Hotel Operations,  to now specialising in guest experience, sales optimisation, and onboard retail experiences across global cruise lines with the leader in cruise retail, Starboard Group. He has driven performance across luxury and premium categories while leading high-impact retail activations and new initiatives like the Luxury Influencer program - designed to elevate engagement, conversion, and create unforgettable guest experiences.  

Clara Susset is Chief Operating Officer at m1nd-set. She has been with m1nd-set for 10 years and leads the team of analysts working on travel retail, airport and airline research projects. She also manages m1nd-set’s subscription-based service B1S and the agency’s consultancy work for global brands, as well as industry associations and several leading retailers.

Clara brings her solid expertise in ad-hoc travel market research and reporting, and is responsible for the overall team coordination.

After graduating with a Master's Degree in Management from the prestigious HEC Business School in Lausanne, Clara gained several years' experience as a project manager and then Research Director before being promoted to her role as COO.

As well as her Master's Degree, Clara also has a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland and is fluent in French, Spanish and English

Courtney Sherwood oversees Business Development at What Goes Around Comes Around, a pioneer in the preloved luxury and vintage space. Tasked with bringing pre-loved luxury to the global consumer, she drives the elevation of the customer experience across omnichannel platforms and premium travel retail channels.

A specialist in international expansion, Courtney brings a proven track record of scaling premium brands; she was key to the launch and development of Kate Spade’s travel retail division and drove international growth across 30+ markets for American Eagle Outfitters. Driven by curiosity and a passion for the customer, she focuses on unlocking authentic market opportunities through deep collaboration and robust retail partnerships.

Emily has spent more than 10 years at Diageo, building her career across marketing, customer marketing, and now leading Cruise and Airlines within Global Travel. Throughout that journey, she has focused on pushing boundaries, challenging traditional ways of working, and finding new opportunities to test, learn, and grow.

She is especially passionate about the in-store experience and believes the best brand experiences happen when innovation is paired with a deep understanding of the consumer. In her current role, Emily oversees cruise and airline channels globally, with a particular interest in the cruise sector because of its unique ability to connect on-trade and off-trade experiences for spirits brands.

What excites Emily most about cruise is the chance to connect with passengers at so many different points throughout their journey. Whether through bars, restaurants, retail spaces, or onboard experiences, cruise creates opportunities for brands to engage people in ways that simply are not possible in most other retail environments.

Inspired by Youngme Moon’s book Different, Emily is always looking for ways to break barriers, stand apart from the crowd, and help brands connect with people in fresh and memorable ways.

Hannah Whitehouse is Co-Founder of Raconteur, an enrichment company operating at the intersection of guest engagement, storytelling, and revenue activation. With over a decade of experience in global cruise retail, including senior leadership roles across leading concessionaires, Hannah has worked across multiple cruise lines driving performance, leading teams, and delivering high-impact onboard initiatives. Her background is rooted in commercially driven retail, with a strong focus on guest behaviour, conversion, and experience design. She founded Raconteur to challenge traditional enrichment models—transforming passive programming into immersive, story-led experiences that drive traffic, engagement, and spend across the ship. Today, she partners with cruise lines, brands, and operators to create activations that connect guest experience directly to commercial performance, positioning enrichment as a powerful revenue-generating tool.

With over 14 years of experience in the cruise retail industry, Ioana is a seasoned professional with a strong business acumen and a deep passion for redefining the luxury retail experience. As a Regional Manager for Breitling in the cruise retail sector, she is dedicated to transforming the way customers engage with the brand—turning the buying process from a simple transaction into an unforgettable, immersive experience.

Driven by a vision to revolutionize the Breitling cruise retail experience, Ioana is focused on upgrading the retail spaces to reflect the brand’s core values of casual luxury and inclusivity. By pushing the boundaries of traditional retail, she strives to create environments where every customer feels valued and engaged, resulting in stronger emotional connections with the brand.

A firm believer that the core of any successful business is the people behind it, Ioana places great emphasis on building and empowering high-performing teams. Her leadership philosophy centers around collaboration, trust, and the idea that success is a collective effort.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism, Ioana blends academic knowledge with practical experience, always seeking new ways to innovate and drive growth. Her guiding motto—"If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary"—inspires her to challenge norms and embrace new opportunities, continuously pushing the boundaries to ensure that both her brand and the retailers thrive.

Jennifer’s passion for retail and the cruise industry led her to EFFY Jewelry, where she has made a significant impact over 2 decades. Starting her career in the retail industry in 1996, Jennifer’s journey culminates in a 20-year milestone with EFFY Jewelry in 2025. In 2014, she played a pivotal role in introducing EFFY Jewelry to the onboard retail market, which successfully expanded the brand’s reach to a new and dynamic cruise audience. After years of growth and leadership, Jennifer was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2022. By 2024, she was instrumental in the growth of Hematian Family Duty Free, overseeing Effy’s expansion from fine jewelry to general cruise retail. Jennifer is dedicated to evolving the cruise retail experience, ensuring it meets the changing needs of consumers at sea.

Katie Floyd is the Marketing Director at Harding+, where she leads the global marketing and communications strategy to deliver the company’s vision of “making every cruise better.” With a wealth of experience in travel retail, Katie has held senior roles at World Duty Free and BAA Airports before joining Harding+. She is passionate about driving innovation with data-led insight and creating impactful campaigns that enhance the guest experience across Harding+’s 85+ cruise ships worldwide.

Creating logo merchandise that captures moments, creates memories, and drives commercial impact, Lars-Hendrik Pirck brings 28 years of experience developing high-performing programs for the cruise and automotive industries, with a strong focus on the luxury market. His work helps brands strengthen identity, deepen customer connection, and create products people want to buy, keep, and remember.

CAICON serves leading international clients including Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, BMW, Mercedes, BRABUS, TUI Cruises – Mein Schiff, and many more across Europe and the U.S.

Meghan Quinn is a cruise industry leader with more than a decade of experience spanning onboard operations, talent acquisition, revenue generation, and guest experience innovation. She began her career in 2013 with Starboard Cruise Services as a Fast Track Manager, completing nearly four years onboard across Europe, the Caribbean, and China itineraries. Meghan later transitioned shoreside, overseeing recruitment for shipboard employees across the organisation before joining Norwegian Cruise Line as Talent Acquisition Manager for shipboard operations.

Seeking to return to operational leadership, Meghan joined Squid Ink as Director of Operations, leading the tattoo studio concept onboard Virgin Voyages and helping lead one of the industry’s first immersive tattoo and lifestyle revenue experiences at sea. She recently joined Holland America Line and Seabourn as Director of Onboard Revenue, supporting retail, spa, art, celebrations, and onboard communications programs.

Nicolas Hoeborn has been CEO of Heinemann Americas since 2025, following his role as Managing Director, which he held from 2022. He rejoined the Heinemann Americas Inc. team in 2018 as Director Sales & Operations. He first joined Gebr. Heinemann in 2008 and served as Category Manager for Liquor, Tobacco, Confectionery, supporting the Wholesale Channel, and between 2011 and 2018 he gained experience on the vendor side within the Bacardi GTR team in several sales roles. Nicolas started as Sales Manager for Bacardi in charge of the German customer base before taking over the France, Benelux, Italy Region. In 2016 Nicolas was promoted to Senior International Key Account Manager in charge of the global Gebr. Heinemann Account. A strategic thinker and accomplished team leader, he has continued his success in expanding Heineman Americas’ market reach. Nicolas has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Hamburg.”

Oliver Gottschling has been Sales Director Inflight & Cruises at Gebr. Heinemann since January 2024. In this role, he is responsible for all inflight as well as cruise retail and wholesale activities across the EMEA region. Oliver started with Gebr. Heinemann over 15 years ago and brings more than 20 years of experience in retail, wholesale and category management, including more than a decade with a strong focus on the cruise and ferry sector. Prior to his current role, he served as Head of Category Management Liquor, Tobacco, Confectionery and Fine Food, as well as Head of Sales Cruises & Ferries. Known for his collaborative and hands-on leadership style, Oliver combines strategic thinking with a strong operational mindset and a clear focus on team development. He has a degree in Business Administration/Retail Management from the European University of Applied Sciences (EUFH), Brühl

Pascal Batan is a seasoned cruise retail and revenue leader with a distinguished track record across several of the industry’s most respected brands. Currently serving within the revenue organization at Silversea, Pascal oversees key commercial areas including spa, retail, fine jewelry, and art programming across the fleet.

With over a decade of onboard and corporate experience—including senior roles at Celebrity Cruises and deep partnerships with leading concessionaires—Pascal has built a reputation for transforming guest experiences while driving sustainable revenue growth. His expertise spans retail strategy, luxury brand integration, onboard wellness, and the development of high-performing teams in complex, global environments.

A passionate advocate for elevating the luxury cruise guest journey, Pascal brings a unique perspective at the intersection of hospitality, retail innovation, and operational excellence.

Experienced business professional in the luxury goods industry with deep knowledge of retail business and brand management. With over a decade of experience in the Travel Retail industry, I have built my career at the intersection of commercial strategy, brand leadership, and global business development. Passionate about shaping high performing teams, driving sustainable growth, and elevating brand presence across complex international markets.

I currently serve as Head of Travel Retail Americas at Swarovski, where I also lead the entire global cruise business (one of the most dynamic channels in retail), overseeing strategy, commercial performance, and long term category development through strategic retail partnerships.

Suzanne Fiore is the founder of Studio Fiore, a creative practice for the cruise and travel industry, with more than two decades of experience across the world’s leading cruise lines and luxury brands. She combines creative intuition with behavioural and demographic insight to design onboard experiences that are sharper, more specific, and more commercially effective than the industry standard. She partners with brands ready to think differently about how guests engage, spend, and remember.

Todd Howard is Senior Director of Global Business Development at FASHIONPHILE, the leading destination for pre-loved ultra-luxury accessories. He oversees international wholesale partnerships across travel retail in cruise and airport channels, as well as major department stores worldwide.

His work is focused on strategic expansion, brand elevation, and strengthening long-term partnerships. Todd brings nearly a decade of experience in luxury resale, backed by over 30 years of executive leadership in the luxury and fashion industries.

He served as President of Tommy Hilfiger USA, NYDJ (Not Your Daughter’s Jeans), and Buffalo David Bitton, guiding each through periods of significant growth while leading product and brand strategy, merchandising, and international market development.