One cruise outfit has appointed a new chief executive, while another has named a new top attorney.
Herve Gastinel, a high-end boating veteran and sailor, will soon take the helm of French luxury cruise provider Ponant, replacing co-founder Jean-Emmanuel Sauvee as chief executive.
Ponant, acquired by Artemis Group in 2015, will make Gastinel's CEO appointment official on 29 March.
“I am delighted with the arrival of Herve Gastinel. He is a true sailing enthusiast who has all the skills to transform this wonderful company and facilitate the resumption of operations," Artemis founder and Ponant supervisory chairman Francois Pinault said in a statement.
"After a difficult year, the next months will be decisive in accelerating Ponant’s development for the coming financial years.”
Ponant, which has doubled its fleet in the past five years to 12 vessels with plans to add another ship, appointed Gastinel as CEO as part of a transition plan developed by Sauvee and Artemis.
"This transition plan was activated a few months ago in response to the crisis that is affecting our economies worldwide and particularly the cruise sector," Ponant said.
Gastinel, whose father was a shipbuilding engineer, is a former officer-cadet and watch captain who owns a yacht "well-known on the regatta circuit", Ponant said.
Gastinel was previously chief executive of French pleasure craft builder Beneteau Group from 2015 to 2019, boosting annual profit to €1.3bn from €970m.
He studied management at ESSEC, finance at Dauphine and public management at Sciences Po and ENA.
Before joining Beneteau, he worked on various projects at the General Inspectorate of Finance before becoming technical advisor to the president of the French senate responsible for the economy, finance and new technologies.
He previously served as planning and strategy director for French manufacturer Saint Gobain and manager for French building materials company Terreal.
He is also a senior advisor for French consulting firm EIM.
'A great perspective'
"Contributing to the restart and international development of Ponant in a sector undergoing rapid transformation is a great perspective," Gastinel said in a statement.
"I look forward to joining the Ponant team, the employees on board as well as ashore, in France and abroad, and to continuing the great entrepreneurial adventure led by Jean-Emmanuel Sauvee.”
US-based cruise major Carnival Corp, which has postponed most cruises to July, has brought on Enrique Miguez as general counsel to replace Arnoldo Perez, who is stepping down as its top lawyer since 2002.
Miguez previously served as vice president and deputy general counsel at Carnival since 2003, following his tenure as assistant general counsel from 1997 to 2003.
Prior to joining Carnival, Miguez worked in corporate and international maritime law for White & Case, as well as McDermott Will & Emery.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida International University in 1985 and a juris doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law in 1988.
