Evans joined Fred Olsen in 1992, back when the company operated only one ship, the Black Prince.
His successor at Ipswich-based Fred Olsen is currently being sought.
Evans said: “I have decided to retire having spent a large part of my working life at this company. It is a tough decision to make, but one that I am happy with, as I have a lot of plans to fulfill in my retirement.
“It has been a great pleasure and privilege to work with such excellent colleagues, friends and travel trade partners for so long, and I am certain that there is a great future ahead for both the company and the relationships that we have built up over the past 27 years.”
Mike Rodwell, managing director, added: “We are very sad to be saying goodbye to such a close colleague as Mike, but of course, we all wish him the best on his retirement, which is very well-deserved!
“With his broad industry experience, extensive knowledge of Fred Olsen’s unique style of cruising, and excellent reputation with our travel industry partners, Mike has been an absolute asset to the company over the nearly three decades that he has been with us, and he has seen us grow and develop as a major international cruise brand.”
Evans has fulfilled a number of roles within Fred Olsen’s sales department over the years, including regional sales manager for the north of England, Scotland & Northern Ireland.
He became head of sales in April 2017.
Industry friends and colleagues paid tribute:
“We love working with you – and you will be sorely missed by all of us here – but you deserve the very best retirement (you’ve definitely earned it).” Elaine Ross, Iglu.com
“It has been a pleasure to work with you over all these years – from a personal as well as business point of view. The years have really flown by! I will certainly miss you in the industry but of course wish you all the best in your retirement. Thanks for everything Mike, a real star of the industry!” Andrew Runacres, Vision Cruise
