In 2026, the Orient Express legend will take to the seas aboard the world's largest sailing ship. This marks a revolution in maritime history, born from French craftsmanship, industrial excellence, and savoir-faire.
Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, the world's leading cruise ship builder, and designed by Maxime d'Angeac, architect and Artistic Director of Orient Express, the Orient Express Corinthian, first of the two Orient Express Silenseas ships, will set sail starting in June 2026.
To bring this exceptional vessel to life, a dedicated team composed of industry leaders and shipping experts has been appointed within the ship owning structure behind Accor’s future operations of Orient Express Silenseas.
Philippe Hetland Brault, President Orient Express SILENSEAS
Philippe has devoted his entire career to shipping markets. His extensive experience and demonstrated track record in transactions and his daily presence on the maritime markets have allowed him to implement innovative and tailor-made solutions. . Having spent 35 years with the Barry Rogliano Salles group (BRS), Philippe’s career began as both a chartering and shipbuilding broker before becoming managing partner on the Board of Directors. His leadership continued by taking on the role of CEO at Monaco-based Yacht Partners International (YPI) from 2013 to 2016. At the end of 2016, Philippe founded Hetland Maritime SAS, whose core activities include brokerage, consulting and M&A services dedicated to professional maritime clients. Philippe is recognized for his knowledge of the maritime sector and for having built an international network of key industry partners, including shipowners, shipyards, charterers, industrial groups, banks and government institutions. This expertise has positioned Hetland Maritime as a key player in initiating, facilitating, and coordinating shipping, industrial, and financial projects. Since 2021, Philippe has advised Accor in the negotiation, implementation and structuring of the Orient Express SILENSEAS project.
Vianney Vautier, Chief Operating Officer Orient Express SILENSEAS
A former naval architect at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Vianney is one of the inventors of the SolidSail propulsion system. Having developed cruise ships for several major cruise lines, he has acquired a true expertise in cruise ship technologies and operations. His technical journey continued when in 2023 he founded WIND, an advisory company in naval architecture and wind propulsion. In his new role, Vianney will be responsible for establishing the team to operate Orient Express SILENSEAS vessels.
Clément Mousset, Chief Strategy Officer and Institutional Relations Orient Express SILENSEAS.
Founder and former President of Compagnie Française de Croisières (CFC), Clément brings 25 years of extensive experience in various management positions within major cruise companies. Clement’s experience includes pivotal roles at leading companies such as Celestyal Cruises, Royal Caribbean Group, and Costa Cruises. Notably, he played a key role in establishing the French subsidiaries of Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) in his role as as Managing Director before founding CFC. In his capacity as Chief Strategy Officer & Institutional Relations of Orient Express Silenseas, Clément is responsible for defining Orient Express Silenseas’ strategy and development through national and international institutions.
Elisabeth Bicais, Senior Vice President Newbuilding Orient Express SILENSEAS
Elisabeth is a mechanical and shipbuilding engineer. She began her career with the French flag registry (Registre international français du pavillon français) and the classification society Germanischer Lloyd (GL). Over 12 years, she developed her knowledge and expertise of both national and international maritime regulations, from ship design to field supervision. Subsequently, Elisabeth dedicated 20 years to working for shipowners Louis Dreyfus Armateur (LDA) and SeaOwl on newbuilding projects. Her roles encompassed overseeing and managing commercial operations and chartering, as well as leading research and development.
Sacha Rougier, Vice President Itinerary Planning & Destination Experience Orient Express SILENSEAS
Sacha spent almost her entire career in the port and cruise business and was most recently Head of Itinerary Planning & Destination Experiences for Explora Journeys, part of the MSC Group. In this role, she was responsible for creating itineraries and destination experiences, as well as managing ground handling operations. Previously, Sacha was Managing Director of Cruise Gate Hamburg GmbH (CGH), a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port Authority. As operator of the three cruise terminals, CGH oversaw terminal operations, berth allocation, international cruise development and EU lobbying, as well as terminal planning. Before joining CGH, Sacha worked for the Port of Marseille, where she held various positions in marketing and cruise development.
Florian Richard, Fleet Director Orient Express SILENSEAS
An officer and captain of luxury cruise ships for 20 years, Florian joins the Orient Express Silenseas management team to develop and oversee all ship management operations. Florian comes from 9 years of experience with Ponant, his most recent role serving as Captain for the company’s Newbuild projects. Florian is a founding partner of Neomare, a Nantes-based agency dedicated to creating personalised and sustainable land-to-sea experiences, and additionally has held Officer positions at Windstar Cruises and Silversea Cruises. Florian’s experience in monitoring, launching, and operating several ships will contribute to the success of Orient Express Silenseas program's activities.