Classic Vacations Expands Sales Organization to Support Travel Advisors
News related to:Classic Vacations · 2 min read
SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 6, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Classic Vacations, the leading luxury travel advisor resource, has significantly bolstered its Sales organization, nearly tripling its size since the beginning of 2026. This major commercial investment underscores the company’s commitment to supporting travel advisors and enhancing its presence across the United States.
The expansion, part of a broader initiative to bring Classic closer to its customers, has seen the company add 18 hires in 2026 and is currently recruiting for five additional positions. With 34 team members now spread across seven teams, Classic is expanding its regional coverage and deepening its specialization to better serve travel advisors.
At the heart of this strategy is what Classic calls "hypercare," a combination of highly personalized support and a deeper understanding of each advisor's business, growth opportunities, and market needs.
The expanded Sales organization is structured to provide more consultative support. Three regional Sales teams, led by Sue Ferguson in the Western Region, Julia Jakkaraju in the Central Region, and Dimitri Andre in the Eastern Region, work closely with advisors to understand their business priorities, identify growth opportunities, and develop account strategies. Their Strategic Account Managers connect advisors with Classic’s portfolio, tools, and resources.
Jeanne Flood, overseeing Groups Sales and Operations, brings together commercial and operational expertise to support advisors from initial opportunity through execution. Flood, a 36-year veteran of Classic, and her team support contracted and non-contracted groups, including destination weddings, meetings and incentives, multigenerational travel, social groups, and other complex bookings.
Carmen Gashnikov leads Host Agency Accounts, strengthening Classic's partnerships with host agency leadership and their affiliated independent contractors through strategic account planning, advisor engagement, and sales execution. With over 15 years of experience, Gashnikov brings a wealth of knowledge to her role.
Classic recently promoted Flood and appointed Gashnikov to these Sales leadership roles, reflecting the company’s commitment to building a more consultative and supportive model. Tiffani Gilardi leads New Business Development, focusing on onboarding, education, training, and accelerating new advisors toward active selling and long-term growth with Classic.
Kathy Ellis manages a Sales Support team, overseeing everything from Classic events, agency and advisor registration, and advisor rewards and recognition. The expanded organization represents a shift beyond traditional sales coverage, working alongside advisors and agency partners to understand their businesses, identify whitespace opportunities, develop growth plans, and help convert those opportunities into sales.
Classic's continued investment in its Commercial organization reinforces its commitment to remaining advisor-first while building the scale, specialization, and market presence required to support travel advisors across the U.S. for their next phase of growth. The company operates as a full-service B2B2C luxury travel company with a strong network of high-value travel advisors and deep ties with major consortia, including Signature, Travel Leaders Network, and Virtuoso. Classic Vacations remains true to its advisor-first legacy and leverages an expert reservations team to deliver premium white-glove service across hotels, air, experiences, car rentals, and travel protection, specializing in complex luxury itineraries and investing in its online booking technology to offer travel advisors the option and convenience of booking 24/7/365 as well.