Princess Cruises announces Matthew Rutherford as new APAC VP

Princess Cruises has appointed Matthew Rutherford vice president, Asia Pacific managing its operations in Australia, Japan and regional Asia.

Effective from mid-April, Rutherford will be responsible for further strengthening Princess’ position across Asia Pacific.

“Matthew has been with the Carnival family for more than 10 years, most recently serving as vice president of Revenue Management and Deployment for P&O Australia,” chief commercial officer Terry Thornton, said.

“His well-rounded expertise in revenue management, strategic planning, and data-driven decision-making will be invaluable in driving our growth across the Asia Pacific region. We are looking forward to welcoming Matthew in his new role at Princess and positioning him and the team for success!”

Matthew Rutherford said, “I am delighted to join Princess Cruises – one of the world’s most iconic cruise lines. It’s a privilege to lead this remarkable brand across the Asia Pacific region and I look forward to working with the talented team and their travel partners. It’s also an exciting time as we celebrate our 60th year of operation and welcome Discovery Princess to Australia for the first time in December.”

As part of this transition, Nick Ferguson’s senior director Sales and Marketing role has expanded to now include Asia Pacific. In this new role Ferguson will retain Australia Sales and Marketing operations in addition to supporting Japan and regional Asia teams driving strategic planning and marketing support across the region. Ferguson will report into Rutherford.

“In recognition of Nick’s expertise and leadership, we’re delighted to expand his role overseeing our Asia business across Sales and Marketing,” Terry Thornton said of Ferguson’s role.

In addition, Paul Chung, Princess’ Government Relations Asia/China, Satoru Horikawa Princess’ Country Director Japan and Gee Chan Princess’ Country Manager Hong Kong will all report to Rutherford streamlining Princess’ Asia Pacific reporting lines.

Thornton added, “Globally, the Asia Pacific region is a key priority market for Princess and is well positioned for growth. Matthew Rutherford’s appointment and the expansion of the team is a vote of confidence in both our people and the region we operate in.”

Rutherford, who is currently based in Princess Cruises’ Sydney office, will report directly to Terry Thornton. Prior to Princess, Rutherford held roles at Coca-Cola Amatil, Qantas and British Airways.