Lindblad Expeditions Holdings has appointed Dolf Berle as President, CEO and a member of the Board.
Berle (pictured) takes up his roles on 10th May, 2021.
He will succeed Sven-Olof Lindblad, who will become Co-Chair of the Board, together with Mark Ein, the current Chair.
In his role as Co-Chair, Lindblad will work with his fellow Directors advising on business strategy and growth opportunities, including reaching new audiences, innovating new products and developing new geographies, as well as focus on energising new and existent social programmes.
Ein will help guide the Board on Lindblad’s organic growth, acquisition and financial strategy.
Berle is currently CEO of Topgolf Entertainment Group.
Lindblad said: “It has been a tremendous honour to serve as the CEO of Lindblad Expeditions since founding the company in 1979, and I am proud of all that we have accomplished over the last 40 years.
“We’ve built a business based on the respect and understanding of geography and connecting our more than hundreds of thousands of loyal guests and new audiences worldwide with nature, culture and an opportunity to explore the world.
“Today, Lindblad Expeditions has the most talented employees in the industry, a best-in class platform of high-quality and authentic experiential offerings, a passionate customer base eager to see the world’s most exceptional destinations with us, and a balanced growth strategy to take us into the future.
“We are thrilled for our guests to return to the same exhilarating expedition experience they have come to know and love when we resume voyages in two iconic destinations early this summer.
“I am very pleased to hand the baton to Dolf, who I have gotten to know well and for whom I have great respect and admiration. I am confident that his outstanding leadership, integrity and character make him the right choice to serve as our next leader. I look forward to my continuing involvement with the company in my new role as Co-Chair and working closely with Mark, Dolf and the rest of the team to keep driving the business forward,” he concluded.
“The Board and Sven have been working for some time to attract additional leadership talent and identify our next leader, and we believe that Dolf is the ideal candidate to serve as Lindblad Expeditions’ new CEO,” Ein added.
“Dolf brings a track record of quickly expanding multi-unit businesses and championing technology innovations and understands the importance of delivering unmatched guest experiences and creating communities where guests want to return time and again – all of which is integral to our robust growth plans to create value for our stakeholders.
“Over the past 40 years, Sven has built one of the world’s greatest expedition and adventure travel companies by pioneering innovative ways to connect people and places. It is because of his leadership that Lindblad Expeditions is synonymous with life-changing adventures for so many people.
“Today, the cornerstones of our business are extremely strong with significant pent-up customer demand, a growing portfolio of newly acquired exceptional travel businesses, and considerable financial flexibility to fuel additional future acquisitions and organic expansion opportunities as the travel industry begins to reopen.
“We are thrilled to have attracted Dolf to Lindblad and are grateful that the company will continue to benefit from Sven’s wealth of experience and knowledge as we collectively execute on our growth strategy,” he said.
Berle commented: “I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead such an iconic and vibrant company. Lindblad Expeditions has an impressive four-decade track record delivering immersive and authentic experiences and a large, devoted customer base that looks to Lindblad and its brands for the highest-quality expedition and adventure travel experiences whether by ship, land or bike.
“The company is well positioned to capitalise on what it does best – inspiring loyal guests to explore and promote both conservation and environmental sustainability around the world. Sven has reimagined travel throughout his tenure, and, alongside the Lindblad Expeditions team, I am energised to build on his legacy and capture the vast and expanding market,” he said.
