Corporate Leadership

Terry Macrae

Terry MacRae

Chairman & CEO of Hornblower, Inc

Terry MacRae is the CEO of Hornblower Cruises & Events, Alcatraz Cruises, Statue Cruises, Hornblower Niagara Cruises and the co-founder of HMS Global Maritime. As CEO, he leads one of the fastest growing charter yacht, dining cruise and maritime hospitality companies in the nation. He is an expert in the design, renovation, construction and operation of luxury yachts, and a highly-regarded leader in the fine dining, entertainment and tourism industries.
Terry began his career as an environmental engineer with Industrial Clean Air, Inc. Quickly climbing the corporate ladder, Terry was named senior vice president and vice president of sales following the acquisition of Industrial Clean Air by Ecolaire Systems, Inc. During his time with Ecolaire, Terry looked for exciting and memorable venues for entertaining clients and soon began frequenting Hornblower Tours. When the company was offered for sale in 1980, Terry purchased it, seeing the potential to expand the business beyond the current offerings. By placing a great deal of importance on customer service, safety and teamwork, he grew the two-boat, 114-passenger operation to a 50-boat, multi-million company, hosting over 6,000,000 in 2011.

Terry is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.

He is a past president of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) and a current member of the joint U.S. Coast Guard/PVA Partnership Action Team. Terry serves as a Commissioner for the California Travel & Tourism Commission, which promotes travel to and within the state. He has also served as a board member of the San Francisco Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and is a member of the Society of Naval Architects. Terry has received numerous awards for his leadership and dedication to the tourism industry from the California Travel Industry Association, the San Francisco Business Times, and others.

Bob Shaw

President & COO of Hornblower, Inc

As the President and Chief Operating Officer of Hornblower, Bob Shaw oversees the day-to-day operations of the company. He has significant experience in the excursion boat industry, having been the President of both Spirit Cruises and Odyssey Cruises at different times in his career.

After graduating with honors from several military schools, Bob served as a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was deployed twice aboard naval shipping during the Iranian hostage crises and was formerly the aide-de-camp to the general commanding 80,000 Marines and sailors.

Bob earned his BS at Cornell University in Operations Research. He later attended Harvard Business School for his MBA, and was formerly the VP of the Harvard Business School Alumni Association. He is a long time member of the Young Presidents Organization. Bob has been married nearly thirty years and has four children in college and beyond. He has completed fifty triathlons and his ridden his bicycle across the US.

Annabella Stagner

Vice President of Corporate Services

Annabella Stagner graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Sociology. She began working with Hornblower as an undergraduate in 1995, and continued working full time throughout her college career. During her career at Hornblower, Annabella led the reservation center and was the General Manager of the Northern California port. As the Vice President of Corporate Services, Annabella leads the Hornblower Human Resources department and works on new business developments, including our Niagara Falls, ON efforts.

Cindee Beechwood

Vice President of Finance & Corporate Group Controller

Graduating from Colorado State University with an MBA in Finance, Cindee Beechwood has more than 20 years of financial management experience and is currently Hornblower’s Vice President of Finance, as well as our Corporate Group Controller.

Richard Jacobs

Vice President & General Counsel

Rich Jacobs, Hornblower’s Vice President and General Counsel, is responsible for all legal aspects of company operations, including supervision of litigation, dealing with leases and regulatory issues, and governmental relations. Thompson Reuters named him as one of “Northern California’s Super Lawyers” from 2002 through 2008. Rich received his BA in Political Science from the University of California, Riverside and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley.

Kevin Rockmael

Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Kevin Rockmael began working with Hornblower in the summer of 2012. He brings a results-oriented mindset to the team that has proven successful in his years with various companies, including E&J Gallo Winery, SCORE! Educational Centers, Intrax, and more. Kevin received an MA in Sociology and an MBA from the University of Chicago, and is now the leader of Hornblower’s corporate marketing, central reservations center, and our national sales efforts.

Cameron Clark

Vice President and General Manager of New York

As the Vice President and General Manager of our New York port, Cameron Clark oversees the operations of the newest Hornblower location. Cameron has worked with Hornblower for more than 8 years, starting his career off as a Special Projects/Facilities Manager after graduating from the California Maritime Academy. He received his MBA in Finance and Marketing from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Jim Unger

Vice President & General Manager, San Diego

Jim Unger joined the Hornblower team in 1984, successfully establishing the company’s second port. He grew the business, developing new products and enlarging the fleet before departing in 1995. Ten years later Jim returned to Hornblower as Vice President. In this position he is responsible for management of the San Diego fleet and historic event facilities in Balboa Park, and strategic guidance of sales and marketing. Jim graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo where he studied business, and has held several senior positions in various companies, including PGI and D.E. Cook Construction.

Kevin Lorton

Vice President and General Manager of Greater Los Angeles

Kevin Lorton began his career with Hornblower in 1993, holding several management titles before being named Director of Sales in 2000. Now, as the Vice President and General Manager of the greater Los Angeles area, he is responsible for port relations, financial oversight and management of a fleet of twelve modern and historic yachts and a crew of 100 – 150 employees.

He provides strategic guidance on sales & marketing and the growth of the port’s charter yacht and public cruise sales. Kevin received his BA in Business Management from Bethel College in South Bend, IN.

Jill Benson

General Manager of Northern California

Jill Benson began her career with Hornblower in 1999 as the Director of Sales & Marketing, a position she held for 12 years. Now as the General Manager for all of Northern California, she manages the San Francisco, Berkeley, and Sacramento ports and leads the sales and marketing teams in all 3 locations. Jill graduated from St. Mary’s College of California.

Briant Stewart

Vice President of Business Development

Brian Stewart received his BS in Natural Resource Management at the University of California, Berkeley, and then achieved his Master’s Degree from Oxford University in Environmental Management. Before coming to Hornblower, he has held numerous management positions at Xanterra Parks & Resorts and EOS Climate. As the Vice President of Business Development, Brian is the day-to-day project leader for the auspicious debut of Hornblower at Niagara Falls and supports other business development projects.

Andreas Sappok

Vice President & General Manager of Hornblower Harbor Cruises & Sightseeing of New York

Andreas Sappok attended the University of Stuttgart in Germany, where he received his MBA in Business Management in 1993. He has previously worked with Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises in New York as a Vice President and General Manager, but now holds those same titles with Hornblower in New York City. Andreas is spearheading our new New York Harbor Cruise and Sightseeing development from Pier 15 on the East River.

Scott Thornton

General Manager and Vice President of Operations of Alcatraz Cruises

Scott Thornton started working for Hornblower 24 years ago as a bartender in San Pedro. He worked as a Hornblower captain for many years, officiating 700 weddings. When Hornblower’s subsidiary Alcatraz Cruises opened in 2006 he was promoted to General Manager, and in 2008 he became the Vice President, as well. In these positions, Scott provides financial oversight, guidance for the growth of the company, and manages a large fleet of ferries, including the ultra-green Hornblower Hybrid. In his role he works closely with the National Park Service and promotes visitation to Alcatraz Island.

Michael Burke

COO and Vice President of Statue Cruises

Michael Burke oversees the day-to-day operations of Hornblower’s subsidiary company, Statue Cruises. As the Chief Operating Officer, he manages the department heads and provides strategic guidance. Michael obtained his BS in Business from Manhattan College, and then went on to acquire an MS from Pace University. He has worked with Statue Cruises for more than 4 years.