MSC Cruises names Riccardo Casalino as new CMO
MSC Cruises S.A., the world’s largest privately-owned cruise line, and market leader in the Mediterranean appointed Riccardo Casalino as the new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) who will join the Company’s executive leadership at its global headquarters, in Geneva, Switzerland, the Company said in a press release.
Mr Casalino, 46, has lived and worked internationally for 20 years, leading various international marketing teams for Procter & Gamble Co., eBay (Europe) and, most recently, eDreams ODIGEO. He will report to Chief Executive Officer, Gianni Onorato.
CEO Gianni Onorato said: “MSC Cruises is an ambitious young company that grew 800% in its first 10 years, quickly becoming the fourth biggest cruise line in the industry. We’re now on course for further exponential growth through a €5 billion plan to double our current fleet capacity by 2022, including through the introduction of seven ultra-modern ships in two state-of-the-art prototypes.
“Riccardo’s broad international experience spanning travel, e-commerce and consumer goods will be pivotal as we continue to build the MSC Cruises brand in step with the company’s rapid and aggressive expansion programme. We need a world-class management team to ensure that we continue to provide distinct, best-in-class cruises experiences, even as we evolve and grow.”
Having served most recently as Group CMO for leading online travel company eDreams ODIGEO, in Barcelona, Mr Casalino managed a team of 120 people. Prior to that, he was Senior Marketing Director for e-commerce pioneer eBay (Europe), based in Zurich, where he repositioned the eBay brand and drove growth well above the European e-commerce average. But his marketing career began at consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, where he spent 16 years rising through the ranks, living and working in several countries across Europe.
Mr Casalino, who took up his post on 23 April, is the third addition to the MSC Cruises C-suite this year, following the arrival of a new Chief Communications Officer, in March, and Chief Information Officer, earlier this month.
In other news, MSC Cruises announced this month that the first of its new Vista generation ships will be named MSC Meraviglia during the steel-cutting ceremony, at STX France’s Saint-Nazaire shipyard. Complementing that, the Company revealed that its new ultramodern “Seaside” class ship will sail year-round from Miami to the Caribbean.