by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 10:10 AM ET, Mon February 23, 2026
WHY IT RATES: The new appointments bolster trade sales leadership for the company's brands, including Crystal, Ecoventura and Abercrombie & Kent. — Lacey Pfalz, Associate Editor, TravelPulse
Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group (AKTG) has strengthened its trade sales leadership in the Americas with expanded roles for Matias Lira and Shawn Johnson, both reporting to newly appointed Chief Sales Officer – Trade, Debra Fox.
The appointments reflect AKTG's commitment to delivering enhanced support to travel advisors across the Americas while maintaining the distinct brand expertise and dedicated focus that partners value. Fox assumes global responsibility for all trade sales across AKTG's flagship brands, including Abercrombie & Kent, Crystal, A&K Sanctuary, Cox & Kings, and Ecoventura, and reports to CEO Cristina Levis.
Lira will continue in his role as Senior Vice President of Trade Sales Americas, AKTG, expanding to lead field trade sales for all AKTG brands, including Abercrombie & Kent, Crystal and A&K Sanctuary, as well as business development and MICE sales. In his expanded role, Johnson builds on his previous leadership as Senior Vice President of National Accounts, Trade Loyalty & Events, Americas, AKTG, broadening his remit to include Trade Loyalty and Events across all brands.
He will work closely with Lira to ensure a seamless transition for the A&K field and inside sales teams, strengthening collaboration and continuity while accelerating sales growth. The role also enables focused development of a new trade loyalty program and further elevates AKTG's marquee trade events to deepen advisor engagement and drive long-term value.
"This structure allows us to deliver even more focused support to our trade partners than ever before," said Fox. “We are elevating our already best-in-class trade sales organization through a strengthened structure and the joint leadership of Matias and Shawn, whose deep advisor expertise and clear focus on unlocking new sales opportunities will drive even greater value for our partners.”
Growth Momentum
The strengthened sales structure supports unprecedented expansion across AKTG's portfolio. Abercrombie & Kent continues its momentum with new DMCs in key markets and product launches including new A&K Sanctuary properties such as Gorilla Forest Lodge in Uganda, Pure Amazon riverboat in Peru, and Baines' Lodge in Botswana. The recent brand refresh has driven increased advisor engagement and client demand.
Crystal continues its successful relaunch with two vessels currently operational, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, following extensive multi-million-dollar refurbishments. The brand recently returned to the number one position in Travel + Leisure's World Best Awards for 2025 for mid-size luxury ocean ships. Crystal's confidence in its long-term future is underscored by the announcement of Crystal Grace, the brand's first new ocean ship in 25 years, scheduled for delivery in May 2028. The 650-guest, all-suite vessel will represent a natural evolution of Crystal's design and service philosophy, with generous public spaces, world-class dining and one of the highest crew-to-guest ratios in the segment. Additionally, the company has secured financing for the refurbishment of two additional ships.
SOURCE: Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group press release.
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