Experience

Professional Experience

DAVID GEVANTHOR CONSULTING – Naples, FL
Principal Consultant | July 2024
Helping businesses transform their marketing, branding, product strategy, and revenue operations. Services for tour operators, destination marketers, cruise lines, and travel tech innovators, I partner with a diverse clientele—from multi-billion-dollar corporations to mid-sized enterprises and innovative startups—to drive substantial growth and profitability.

LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS – Naples, FL and Seattle, WA
Director of Expedition Development | January 2024 to July 2024
Led a team of nine specialists in developing and launching high-revenue itineraries, driving over 60% of annual company revenue. Enhanced operational systems, streamlined processes, and optimized cross-functional alignment. Position eliminated due to company-wide downsizing.

• Spearheaded the development of Polar and Blue Water expedition programs.
• Built strategic relationships within the industry, driving increased engagement.

CORCENTRIC – Naples, FL and Cherry Hill, NJ
Vice President Global Sales Operations | 2015 to 2023
Oversaw global sales operations, implementing strategic GTM initiatives and optimizing Salesforce CRM. Transformed sales processes, established KPIs, and enhanced revenue forecasting, contributing to scalable growth.

• Created C-suite engagement strategies and led initial channel partner activities.
• Standardized pipeline reporting, increasing sales team efficiency by 25%.

Enrichment Journeys, Plantation, FL
President, 2012 to 2015
Recruited to create and implement a new commercial tour division for a successful e-commerce travel business. Developed unique cruise and tour product concept and recruited and managed a world-wide network of service delivery partners. Conceived, developed and launched new website: www.enrichmentjourneys.com. Key Contributions:
• Developed content strategy and engaging user experiences for both website and email
• Generated measurable click-through rates that consistently beat industry norms
• Achieved financial success in first full year of operation growing sales by 37% YOY

AAA Western and Central New York, Buffalo, NY
Vice President of Travel & Retail Services, 2009 to 2012
Directed travel division strategy and operations for a member services organization serving 880,000 members residing in upstate New York via 14 retail locations and a call center with 170 total employees. Developed CRM and direct marketing strategies in support of $90M+ travel sales volume. Responsible for travel division P&L and for managing $9M in overhead expense. Manage six direct reports. Key Contributions:
• Created and implemented a direct marketing strategy that increased profit by 47%
• Created a branded loyalty program that produced $9.2 in incremental sales and a 4:1 ROI
• Redesigned travel insurance program that increased sales by 20% and revenue by 69%
• Introduced branch operations standards that improved member service and retention
• Created an at-home sales force that delivered $300K in sales in eight weeks

Vantage Deluxe World Travel, Boston, MA
Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, 2005 to 2008
Re-engineered product development and marketing functions for a $250 million direct marketing travel company and implemented a scalable model for business expansion. Directed three product development teams, five foreign offices, product marketing, circulation strategy and analysis, product costing and service delivery. Responsible for full product P&L results with $10M budget. Managed six direct reports. Key Contributions:

• Delivered two years of results that grew gross profit by average of 41% per year
• Expanded most profitable business line by 33%
• Improved ROI on direct marketing efforts by an average of 35% per year
• Identified ship product concept and hired experienced staff to manage fleet

Cunard Line Limited, Miami FL
Vice President Marketing & Revenue Management, 2000 – 2005
Led brand development and multi-channel strategic and tactical marketing communications for the award-winning product introduction of the $800 million Queen Mary 2. Directly managed eight marketing professionals and a $20 million marketing budget. Key Contributions:
• Delivered first-year operating results that exceeded budgeted expectations by 23%
• Reduced marketing acquisition costs by 47%
• Created a direct marketing strategy that contributed more than $15 million profit

Additional Experience

Lodging & Hospitality
Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Bethesda, MD – Director Travel Industry Marketing

Marketing & Sales Management
Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales
SeaQuest Cruises, Ft. Lauderdale, FL – President
Renaissance Cruises, Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Vice President Marketing & Planning
Ocean Cruise Lines, Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Executive Vice President
Norwegian Cruise Line, Miami, FL – Vice President Marketing
Pearl Cruises, San Francisco, CA – Senior Vice President Marketing & Sales

Consumer Products & Services
Maiden Brook Bottled Water, Orlando, FL – President

Education and Training

Northwestern University –
Kellogg Graduate School of Management
Certificate in Industrial Marketing Strategy

San Francisco State University
Journalism

Technical Skills
Adobe Lightroom 5
Adobe Photoshop 6
Act-On Marketing Automation and Email Platform
Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Access)
WordPress 4.1.4