Windstar Cruises has announced the hiring of Mary Beth Wressell as the cruise company’s new Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, where she will oversee brand communications, digital marketing, customer relationship marketing, partnerships, and public relations, the company said.
Wressell has more than 25 years in the travel and luxury travel segments, most recently as Vice President of Marketing Communications for Holland America Line, where she was instrumental in launching many brand initiatives including a highly-visible partnership with O, The Oprah Magazine.
Wressell spent nearly 13 years with Holland America Line, starting as Manager of Advertising and advancing through the organization into roles with increasing scope and responsibility. Prior to joining Holland America Line, Wressell held several marketing roles at Virtuoso, the world’s largest consortium of luxury travel agencies, including Director of Creative Services. During her time at Virtuoso, she managed direct mail campaigns for more than 30 luxury travel suppliers, including many cruise lines such as Seabourn, Crystal, Regent, Silversea and Princess Cruises. She also spent nearly a decade in a variety of account management roles at Elgin DDB Advertising in Seattle, the company responsible for developing Windstar’s tag-line of 180 Degrees from Ordinary.
“Mary Beth brings tremendous depth and experience to our leadership team, and we’re thrilled to welcome her to the Windstar family,” said Windstar President John Delaney. “In addition to leading our marketing and public relations efforts, she will also focus on new strategic partnerships to enhance the brand. At Windstar, we are in the business of creating vacations that exceed expectations, so having someone as skilled as Mary Beth as the architect behind even more amazing partnerships and experiences is a plus not only for our leadership and operations teams, but also for our guests.”
She holds a degree in communications and advertising from the University of North Dakota. A native of northern Minnesota, Wressell has called Seattle home for years and enjoys being outdoors in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons.
