Virtuoso Appoints Thatcher Brown as Special Advisor to COO, Cruise
The senior industry executive returns to Virtuoso in a newly created advisory role focused on the long-term direction of its cruise business.
Photo: Jono Hirst / Unsplash
Virtuoso has appointed Thatcher Brown as special advisor to the chief operating officer, cruise, a newly created role focused on the structure and long-term direction of the network’s cruise business. The appointment was announced on February 9, with the role effective immediately.
Brown will provide senior-level guidance across strategy, organizational alignment, and future product positioning within Virtuoso’s cruise vertical. The remit centers on reinforcing cruise as a core business line, with particular attention to how global partnerships are structured and supported over time. According to the company, the role is designed to bring additional oversight and continuity as cruise continues to expand in scale and complexity across markets.
In the new position, Brown will work closely with senior vice president of global partnerships Cory Hagopian and the broader partnerships team. The goal is tighter coordination between cruise strategy, commercial execution, and longer-term investment priorities. Day-to-day leadership of the cruise business remains with vice president of global cruise, Lori Sheller.
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“We are pleased to welcome Thatcher back to Virtuoso in this strategic advisory role, which underscores our commitment to leading in one of the industry’s fastest-growing and most strategically important segments,” said Brad Bourland, Virtuoso’s chief operating officer. “By pairing Thatcher’s deep industry expertise with strong execution leadership and senior oversight, we are shaping a truly global cruise partnership model—one that leverages Virtuoso’s worldwide footprint to connect our partners with the right member agencies and advisors, reach more high-value travelers, and drive long-term growth. This work strengthens the value we deliver today while positioning Virtuoso and our partners to lead the next chapter of cruise across our global network.”
Brown is a familiar figure within the Virtuoso organization. He previously served as the senior vice president of global products, where he helped shape the network’s supplier relationships and product strategy across categories. Most recently, he served as CEO of Crescent Seas, giving him recent operational experience on the cruise-line side of the business.
Brown will operate in an advisory capacity rather than a line-management role, focusing on longer-horizon decisions and the overall health of the cruise segment. Virtuoso has not announced a fixed term for the appointment, framing it instead as an ongoing role tied to the evolution of the category.
The appointment takes effect immediately, with Brown already working alongside Virtuoso’s cruise and partnerships leadership team.
