MIAMI -- In a management shakeup at Premier Cruises, both the
line's chief executive officer and its chairman left the company.
A press release said that Larry Magnan, president and chief
executive officer since the line was formed last year, left for
personal reasons. Magnan, who ran a business consultancy before
joining the cruise company, had served as president and chief
executive officer of Westin Hotels & Resorts until 1991.
Appointed to oversee daily operations of the six-ship cruise
line was Jon Erik Nygaard, a Norwegian shipping executive who
headed Color Line, a Norwegian cruise ferry system that Nygaard is
credited with forming from three other companies. Although Nygaard
will manage many of Premier's operations previously handled by
Magnan, a Premier spokesman said that Nygaard was not being named
chief executive.
Also leaving the company was Isaac Kier, who joined the board as
chairman in January. The company did not explain his departure.
Kier, who was a principal of First America Partners, a New
York-based investment partnership, had replaced Kristian Stensby in
the post.
Stensby, Premier's founder, remained on the board. With Kier's
departure, Stensby assumed the role of Premier's chief spokesman
but was not renamed chairman.
In another management change, Premier named Daniel Huwel
executive vice president and chief financial officer. Huwel had
been with Deloitte & Touche before serving as chief financial
officer of a subsidiary of Branbles USA, an industrial service
company. Huwel replaced Einar Gruner-Hegge, who left Premier after
serving as its acting chief financial officer.
Also joining Premier as senior vice president and general
counsel was Alan Twaits. Twaits was previously with a law firm and
held other positions at several transportation and leisure
companies.
In a press release, Stensby said the changes at Premier reflect
the continued growth of the line, which involved the merging of
three cruise lines, Seawind, Dolphin and Premier Cruise Lines.