Virgin Voyages has promoted Matt Lebbern to Market Director for Europe and Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), effective immediately. This promotion recognises his influence across the brand’s commercial performance beyond Sales, leading commercial strategy across two regions delivering standout growth: Europe is on course for a record year with revenue tracking 27% ahead of last year, while ANZ is tracking 30% ahead.
Lebbern has been instrumental in building momentum across both regions. In Europe, he opened up distribution across the region and established the brand in new markets. In Australia, he’s spent the past year reshaping how the brand operates, removing barriers to growth and laying the groundwork for what comes next. And the results speak for themselves.
In July, that groundwork gained a face on the ground with the arrival of 20-year industry veteran David Clark as Head of Sales, Australia & New Zealand, the first Virgin Voyages team member based in the country. Clark reports to Lebbern, whose brief across both regions is to lead Trade Sales strategy. And it’s just getting started: more Aussie talent will be joining the Crew, with more news to drop in Q4.
Lebbern will oversee sales, trade partnerships, distribution and market development across Europe and ANZ, whilst providing strategic direction for trade engagement, PR and international marketing. He will continue reporting to Stephen Hopkins, Senior Vice President of Growth and International Sales & Marketing.
The momentum is global. On August 13, Virgin Voyages recorded its highest revenue day in company history, following the launch of its inaugural Scandinavia and Baltics programme for 2028.
Matt Lebbern said: “Europe and ANZ are both firing, and it’s a joy to be leading them. Europe is heading for a record year, on top of a very successful 2025, and ANZ is up 30%, with Sailors booking further ahead than ever before, with average lead times of 12 months.
“Whilst we continue to focus on our growth in Europe, the last year has been about removing barriers and laying foundations for growth in Australia, and having David on the ground says we’re here for the long haul. You’ll be seeing a lot more of us across both regions: in market, in front of First Mates and at the heart of the trade community…. With another team member coming soon in Australia!
“Our First Mates are the driving force behind our growth, and our job now is to keep giving them everything they need to sell us with confidence.”
Stephen Hopkins, Senior Vice President of Growth and International Sales & Marketing at Virgin Voyages, said: “Europe and ANZ have both become real growth engines for Virgin Voyages, and the results we are seeing are testament both to the strength of the brand and to the exceptional work Matt and the team have done with our First Mate community.
“We have always believed Virgin Voyages has the potential to redefine what an adults-only holiday at sea can look like. In Australia and New Zealand we are seeing 30% growth as we build a team on the ground for the first time, and in Europe that proposition is carrying us towards a record year.
“Matt has been instrumental in that journey, from opening up our European distribution from scratch, to reshaping our approach in Australia and New Zealand. He combines a deep understanding of the trade with commercial ambition and a genuine passion for our brand and our partners. Expanding his role recognises the way he already thinks about the business as a whole, and I’m incredibly excited about what he and the team will deliver next.”
