O’Connor joined Cunard in 2006 as director of public relations, where he oversaw public relations strategies, programs and policies, including managing media relations and special events for Queen Mary 2 and the launch of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth.

‘Brian has been instrumental in increasing the awareness of Cunard in the North American market, particularly among travel agents,’ said Princess evp Jan Swartz. ‘His strong travel industry background, combined with his proven ability to design marketing programs to help agents sell more cruises, will be an asset to our sales program and our commitment to our travel partners.’

O’Connor began his career in 1991 at Hilton Hotels Corp. world headquarters in Beverly Hills, Calif., and served for more than eight years in various roles which included senior brand manager responsible for the identity redesign and implementation for the Hilton brand globally. From 2004-2006 he served as public relations director for The Beverly Hilton, where he directed publicity and marketing communications programs for the iconic luxury hotel.