• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
Virgin Voyages promoted SJ Walker to market director, UK, with immediate effect, following the brand's strongest summer performance on record.
The UK represents Virgin Voyages' second-largest market globally, with recent figures showing significant growth momentum.
In her expanded position, Walker will oversee Virgin Voyages' commercial growth across the UK market, taking responsibility for sales, trade partnerships, distribution and market development activities.
She will continue managing Virgin Voyages' nine-person UK trade sales team while providing strategic oversight to three additional colleagues working in trade engagement and international marketing.
She remains under the leadership of Stephen Hopkins, VP of growth and international sales & marketing.
The appointment follows Virgin Voyages' landmark summer performance in the UK, with August delivering record-breaking revenues that increased 30% compared to the previous year.
The results coincide with Virgin Voyages' expanded relationship with the UK travel trade. More than 1,200 agents experienced Valiant Lady's updated features, including new spaces and Ariya restaurant, during the brand's largest UK and Ireland trade activation programme.
Virgin Voyages' strong UK performance reflects broader company growth. On August 13, the line recorded its highest single-day revenue in company history, exceeding the previous record set on Black Friday 2025, following the launch of its inaugural Scandinavia and Baltics programme for 2028.
Walker commented: "The momentum behind Virgin Voyages in the UK right now is incredible and I'm hugely excited to have the opportunity to lead the market through its next phase of growth. We've had a record-breaking summer, but what is most exciting is what sits behind those numbers. More First Mates are experiencing the brand, their confidence in selling us is growing and we're seeing customers come back to Virgin Voyages time and again."
She added: "Our First Mates have been fundamental to that success. We have invested significantly in giving them the tools, support and first-hand experiences they need to sell Virgin Voyages with confidence and that will remain at the heart of our strategy."
Hopkins said the UK "has become a powerhouse market for Virgin Voyages," adding, "we have always believed Virgin Voyages has the potential to redefine what an adults-only holiday at sea can look like. In the UK, that proposition is resonating more strongly than ever and we are seeing that translate into record revenue, higher-value bookings, exceptional repeat rates and growing demand as we introduce the brand to new audiences and destinations."
He concluded: "SJ has been instrumental in that journey. She combines a deep understanding of the UK trade with commercial ambition, infectious energy and a genuine passion for our brand and our partners. Expanding her role recognises the way she already thinks about the business as a whole, and I'm incredibly excited about what she and the team will deliver next."