Sharon has had a successful career in the tourism industry, working in cruise ship operations and management. She specialized in cruise ships and progressed to managing operations both onboard and ashore. In 2000, she joined the management team of Festival Cruises, where she managed onboard branding, shops, and spas for a fleet of 8 cruise ships. She created their logo merchandise branding and launched a worldwide port shopping program for Silversea Cruises. Currently, Sharon resides in Dubai where she oversees her consulting business and develops new business avenues in retail, customer service, and tourism.

1. With a Passion for travel, Sharon soon developed a successful career in Tour Operating, and
progressed to specialize in Cruise ship operations and worked both onboard as well as ashore
as an operations manager.
In 2000, Sharon was elevated to form part of the Festival Cruises corporate management
team, initially based in Piraeus (Greece) and later in Genoa (Italy), where she managed ship-
board company branding, in-house retail Shops and Spa's in addition to all related Human Re-
sources activities for a fleet of 8 Cruise ships. Her commercial responsibilities on board and
ashore included the supervision of innovative retail events from Fashion Shows to Exhibitions
and product launches.
Sharon created the Festival Cruises LOGO merchandise branding and took responsibility for
product selection, quality control, procurement, training and guest satisfaction for the On
Board Revenue Department. She also later launched a worldwide Port Shopping program for
Silversea Cruises, one of the world’s most luxurious Cruise Lines.
Sharon is now co-owner and Director of Progress International FZC, where she currently con-
sults a number of Cruise Lines and land-based businesses on retail, customer service and
tourism related projects.
In 2014 Sharon co-founded “It’s Vintage Darling” and later in 2015 estalished “La Dolce Vita”
offering luxury to affordable statement clothing, which is regularly featured in high profile
Fashion Shows and Magazines within Cyprus and Abroad.
As a former active member of her local community, Sharon founded a popular island-wide
Parents Network in Cyprus with reach of over 5,000 members and writes Bi-weekly for The
Cyprus Weekly with a readership of 14,000 people.
Currently Sharon resides in Dubai where she is overseeing Progress International activities
and developing new avenues of business.
Sharon Holmes - Sales, Marketing, Brand and Retail
Before leaving the UK Sharon was in the Beauty Industry and represent-
ed Northern Ireland in notable Hairdressing shows and competition’s in
both Ireland and the UK. Sharon was actually nominated for ‘Stylist of
the Future’ as well as ‘One to Watch’ and she featured regularly in Maga-
zines and Beauty publications.