Rocky Mountaineer, known globally for providing luxury rail experiences through Western Canada, has announced the appointment of Patrick Ryan as director of sales – EMEA & India.

Leslie Peden, who was previously held the role, has relocated to establish an office in Orlando, Florida as the new director of sales, USA.

Based in Surrey, Ryan will be responsible for all aspects of sales in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India including strategic management, contract negotiations, and business development plans for key tour operators, wholesalers, and travel agents.

He will also oversee the operations of the EMEA sales division. 

“With the primary sales focus of this role being on the UK, one of our top performing markets, we are delighted to have someone of Ryan’s calibre and experience lead our already established European based sales team,” said Bob Nicholas, vice president, global sales of Rocky Mountaineer.

“Our 2014 travel season is just around the corner and early advance sales point to another outstanding year.

“We are excited to have Patrick continue to build on the strong trade relationships we have in the EMEA marketplace and work with our partners to drive profitable growth.”

With more than ten years experience in running multi-million pan European travel organisations, Ryan comes to Rocky Mountaineer with exceptional sales, marketing and business development skills underpinned by a sharp commercial acumen and an impressive reputation for delivering sales growth.

Prior to joining Rocky Mountaineer, Ryan managed his own travel consulting business with clients in the cruise, ferry, sport and destination management sectors.