Cruise Planners Announces New Role: Corporate Director of Finance
Coral Springs, Fla. (PRWEB) January 28, 2016 -- Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, the nation’s leading home-based travel agency network announces that Matt Kruszewski has joined the franchisor as Corporate Director of Finance. Matt comes to Cruise Planners with 10 plus years of experience and a background in finance with a special focus on technology, which makes him uniquely qualified to jump into his new role.
Prior to Cruise Planners, Matt worked at Oracle as an IT audit manager with a focus on IT operations, product development and cybersecurity. Prior to Oracle, Matt was a manager at Ernst & Young with a specialization in enhancing the processes and controls of financial services organizations. Both roles have prepared him to immediately contribute to Cruise Planners’ success and support each franchisee. Matt received his Master of Arts in International Business from the University of Florida and a Master’s in Accounting from Florida Atlantic University. After graduation, he became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and recently become a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), which merges both his technology and finance experience.
“Matt is the right fit for our company because of his diverse background,” said Michelle Fee, CEO and co-founder of Cruise Planners. “We are thrilled to have him join our talented team and use his experience in both finance and technology to continue to position Cruise Planners as a leader in travel.”
As the nation’s largest network of home-based travel professionals, Cruise Planners has continued to increase sales using proprietary technology and creating business solutions for its growing travel agent network as a franchisor. The company constantly merges travel, technology and finance to create successful business opportunities for its more than 1,400 franchisees.
“As Cruise Planners continues to grow, this is the perfect time to bring Matt on board as Corporate Director of Finance,” Fee said. “He has the right combination of experience and passion for our team.”
Not only is Matt passionate about finance and technology, he also is a travel enthusiast. He was bit by the travel bug while studying international business in Europe and continued his adventures by traveling to Brazil for an extended period. These days, Matt enjoys traveling, jogging, and spending time with his two young daughters, wife and family dog, Yoshi.
About Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative
Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, is the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network in the travel industry. Cruise Planners operates a network of more than 1,400 franchise owners who independently book amazing vacation and travel experiences for their clients. The Florida-based Home Office Team positions franchise owners for success by providing innovative marketing, booking and lead-generating tools, as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry’s top executives. The company continues to be lauded and has been named the No.1 Cruise Tour/Travel Agency by Entrepreneur magazine for 13 consecutive years. Cruise Planners was recently featured in Entrepreneur as one of the Top 30 Franchise Innovators in Technology, has been consistently named as one of the Top Women-Owned Businesses by the South Florida Business Journal, is listed on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America and was recognized as one of the Top Workplaces by The Sun Sentinel.
Headquartered in Coral Springs, Fla. for more than 22 years, Cruise Planners has achieved top producer status with every major cruise line. Accolades include numerous Magellan Awards from Travel Weekly for the past seven years, American Express Travel Representative Excellence Award for 11 consecutive years (2004 – 2014), American Express Agency of the Year (2010), Royal Caribbean International President’s Award for Overall Achievement (2012 and 2014), Royal Caribbean International Home-Based Partner of the Year (2007-2013), Norwegian Cruise Line Franchise Agency of the Year (2011-2015), Celebrity Cruises Field Sales Account of the Year (2015), Celebrity Cruises Home-Based Account of the Year (2013-2014) and Celebrity Cruises Southeast Region Travel Agent Partner of the Year (2010), American Express Vacations Best of the Best Globe Award (2008-2015), Globus Family of Brands Premier Agency Partner (2009-2014), Platinum Member of the 500 Club for Sales Excellence (2014), Platinum Circle Member with Viking River Cruises (2009-2015), Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection Top Producer (2008-2014) and Regent Seven Seas Cruises Top Producer. Cruise Planners is one of the Top 50 Franchises for Veterans according to GI magazine, the Top Franchise Brand for Veterans according to Franchise Business Review, has been named one of the Top 25 franchises for African-Americans by Black Enterprise magazine and is a member of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association. For more information, visit http://www.cruiseplanners.com.
Stay in Touch: Media can stay up-to-date with Cruise Planners by visiting our media room, following us on Twitter @Cruisitude or on Facebook. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers should locate a travel advisor near them. For those interested in becoming a franchise owner, please visit our franchise website.
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Caitlin Murphy, Cruise Planners, http://www.cruiseplanners.com, +1 (954) 344-8060 Ext: 117, [email protected]
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