JIM LIDA
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Jim Lida’s broad experience encompasses top cruise lines, magazines, a port, a travel agency consortium, and a leading industry association. His in-depth knowledge of travel and tourism, particularly the cruise industry, has earned him a reputation as one of the go-to experts in his field. He is an accomplished freelance travel writer and regular contributor to publications such as Porthole Cruise magazine.

He spent several years in a senior marketing role at premium cruise line Oceania Cruises where he directed consumer marketing initiatives, created all consumer marketing collateral, and oversaw the Oceania Club loyalty program, advertising, and social media.

As head of marketing for Cruise Lines International Association, he spearheaded consumer and trade marketing efforts, including agency membership and training, collateral production and development, trade advertising, e-marketing, and Web content. He re-branded the 31-year old association during a merger with another cruise industry association while launching a new membership category for individual travel agents. His marketing efforts for Port Everglades won the port several awards, including a Gold ADDY Award for a new print ad campaign, and more than tripled cruise revenues in a nine-year period.

Lida’s other initiatives have included directing corporate communications and marketing for the Cruise Shoppes travel agency consortium. At Royal Caribbean International, he created the company’s award-winning first annual report and financial communications for a $300 million IPO. Lida started his career as editor of a marine magazine and as a freelance travel writer.

CAMILO FONTECILLA
President and Chief Operating Officer

Camilo Fontecilla began his career as a graphic designer specializing in logos, branding and polished, actionable marketing and sales products. He went on to conceive and oversee marketing activities for a 4-star Costa Rican resort that spanned a rebranding, implementation of a print advertising campaign and working with travel agencies throughout the country. While directing marketing at a classical touring theater company in Manhattan, he developed and implemented the non-profit’s combined marketing and sales strategy while overseeing public relations and coordinating marketing initiatives with more than 50 venues annually.

Fontecilla brought his multilingual skills to use (he is fluent in English, Spanish, Catalan, and basic French) at the Embassy English Study Center, a private English language school chain for international students, for more than a decade.  He managed four centers, rolling out several new customer-inspired products on the both the sales and operational sides all while working directly with students from China, Japan, Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and an array of European countries.

An avid traveler who hosted his own podcast, he most recently freelanced as a graphic designer of logos and marketing and sales collateral before co-founding Select Waterways. His personal touch is one of the reasons for the high customer satisfaction rate among our clients.