Chief Product Officer
Job Description
Job Description:
Job Summary
Across AKTG, our products are experiences built on destination expertise, trusted local relationships, and exceptional service. The Chief Product Officer will own the AKTG product portfolio, defined as the end‑to‑end guest experience across journeys, destinations, owned assets, and the ecosystem that delivers them, including A&K journeys, A&K private jet, all A&K Sanctuaries (A&K’s owned assets), destination management companies (DMCs), Crystal itineraries and shore excursions, and global procurement. The role balances protection of brand heritage with purposeful evolution, ensuring the group continues to develop while remaining true to what has made its brands trusted for decades. Success in this role will be measured by guest loyalty, sustainable margin growth, and the long‑term relevance of the AKTG product portfolio.
Essential Job Duties
- Owning the global product vision across all AKTG brands, journeys, destinations, DMCs, and assets, and translating this into clear priorities and standards.
- Evolving existing products and branded experiences while selectively introducing new concepts that add long‑term value and remain authentic to the brands.
- Owning DMCs as core products, accountable for quality, commercial performance, and scalability, while driving consistency and collaboration under a “One A&K” approach.
- Leading destination expansion decisions from opportunity assessment through launch, balancing central standards with strong local expertise and entrepreneurship.
- Managing the full product lifecycle, including design, planning, budgeting, forecasting, and allocation, with disciplined processes to test, scale, or stop initiatives.
- Defining and owning product KPIs covering guest experience, revenue, margin, and profitability, and assessing feasibility and returns for all major initiatives.
- Leading business cases for new destinations, assets, partnerships, acquisitions, and capital investments, and presenting recommendations to senior leadership and the Board.
- Owning product direction and performance across all owned assets, Crystal itineraries, and shore excursions, ensuring integration into destinations, alignment to group standards, and strong commercial outcomes.
- Owning AKTG group procurement strategy with Finance and Operations, leveraging scale while preserving destination authenticity and flexibility where required.
- Using guest insight and data to inform product decisions, going beyond satisfaction scores to understand loyalty, advocacy, and value drivers.
- Building, leading, and developing a high‑performing global product organization, including regional and functional leadership, with clear accountability and succession planning.
- Establishing operating models, governance, and decision‑making frameworks that enable consistency, collaboration, and scalable growth across all brands and geographies.
Other Duties
Collaborating with stakeholders such as sales, IT, marketing, finance & revenue management to maximize opportunities and profitability.
Maintains commercial relationships within the travel industry in key markets.
Travel to local offices to maintain and develop high-level relationships across the market.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Functions, duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Education:
Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent executive experience; Master’s degree strongly preferred (MBA, Engineering, Business, or equivalent).
Experience:
- Minimum 10 years of senior leadership experience within a multinational organisation.
- Background in a top‑tier consulting firm and/or complex global company preferred.
- Proven experience owning and scaling multi‑region product or service portfolios.
- Strong commercial acumen, including ownership of budgets, performance, and investment decisions.
- Master’s degree preferred, ideally in Engineering, Business, or equivalent.
- Fluent in English plus at least one additional language, preferably Spanish, Italian, or French.
- Comfortable operating across cultures, brands, and geographies.
- Willingness to travel internationally up to 50 percent.
Skills:
- Demonstrated organizational and leadership skills.
- Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communications skills.
- Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and analytical skills required.
Work Environment
This role operates in a global business environment and requires extensive international travel.
Expected Hours of Work
The position is full-time and frequently requires working additional time outside of normal business hours.
- Emergency Duty 24/7 phone coverage may be required.
- Evening and weekend hours may be required.
EEO Statement
Abercrombie & Kent is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.