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MSC Cruises' Lardizabal joins Azamara as chief sales officer

Azamara appointed seasoned travel industry executive Michelle Lardizabal as chief sales officer, North America.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

August 23, 2021

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

She will be leading the charge with a team that includes Katie Gerhard, AVP sales, East; Lori Goldspiel, AVP sales, West and national accounts; and Kevin Regan, AVP global charters and incentives.

Joins from MSC Cruises USA 

Lardizabal most recently served as SVP and commercial sales officer for MSC Cruises USA. She has more than 25 years of tourism and cruise experience having also held executive positions at Club Med, City Wonders and Royal Caribbean Group.

'With her wealth of knowledge in tourism, cruising and retail, Michelle is the ideal candidate to lead Azamara’s sales team as we continue to grow as an independent cruise company, and continue to better serve our valued travel partners,' Azamara President Carol Cabezas said. 'Her passion for travel will propel us forward as we further our commitment to connecting people to people, people to cultures, and traveling deeper to the heart of destinations around the world.'

MSC to bring in new sales leadership

'We wish Michelle the best in her new endeavor, and while we are disappointed to see her go, we are looking forward to bringing new leadership to our sales organization, ensuring that we continue to provide the best support, opportunities and resources for our trusted partners,' MSC Cruises USA said. 'In the interim, our sales organization will report directly to Ken Muskat, EVP & COO, MSC Cruises USA.'

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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