Silversea, the ultra luxury cruise line, has appointed Lisa McAuley as its new commercial director.

The move comes after Mike Bonner, Silversea’s general manager, announced he was leaving the company three months ago. Priti Mehta, head of sales, has also recently left the company.

McAuley joins Silversea from Avis Budget Group, having also held positions at Travelpack, Shearings and Tui Travel.

Steve Odell, president Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific for Silversea, said: “Lisa’s strong commercial track record will be a further invaluable asset within Silversea and we are delighted that she has chosen to work with such a talented UK team.

“Our re-energised sales structure will enable us to build even stronger relations with our trade partners and continue to offer great value voyages to our guests as Silversea expands further within the crucial UK market.”

Silversea has a fleet of five ships, plus an expedition cruises division of three ships. The company will have three departures this year from Tower Bridge, London, as part of its ex-UK programme.