Celestyal has announced a strategic leadership update, with the appointment of Janet Parton as vice president of marketing, PR and customer experience.
Parton moves into the role with immediate effect from her previous position as vice president of business development and managing director of Celestyal Travel, and brings extensive experience from both her two years at Celestyal and earlier roles as sales and marketing director at Globus Family of Brands.
She will lead Celestyal’s newly formed marketing, PR and customer experience function, supporting the next phase of growth for the brand, as it accelerates plans ahead of 2026 and the launch of its new Wave campaign.
Parton will continue to report to Celestyal chief commercial officer Lee Haslett.
As part of this transition, Dan Buckingham, director retail and UK partnerships, will assume leadership of the UK, Celestyal Travel and Europe teams for an interim period.
“Janet is a respected and proven leader who has played a pivotal role in strengthening Celestyal’s trade partnerships and presence across core markets,” Haslett said. “As we double down on marketing, brand-building and demand generation ahead of our Wave campaign and 2026 strategy, Janet’s commercial expertise and understanding of the Celestyal brand make her ideally placed to lead this function.
“I’m delighted to see her step into this role and drive forward the next chapter of our growth.”
Celestyal has a focus on the Greek Islands, the Adriatic, and the Arabian Gulf, operating two extensively refurbished vessels, which can accommodate up to 1360 passengers each, welcoming over 140,000 passengers annually from more than 130 different nationalities.
The pair visit Australia regularly and see it as a key emerging market for the brand.
“It has been an honour to be part of Celestyal’s journey over the last two years, and I’m excited to step into this role at such a pivotal moment for the brand,” Parton said.
“We have an unprecedented opportunity to further build connections with both consumers and the travel trade through a stronger, unified approach to marketing, PR and customer experience.”
