Michelle Lardizabal
CHIEF SALES OFFICER, AZAMARA®
Michelle Lardizabal, Chief Sales Officer for Azamara, is a travel industry executive with more than 25 years of experience in tourism and cruising. Her persistence, optimism, and belief relationships impact everything has led her to a successful career and life.
Prior to joining the Azamara executive team, Michelle was with MSC Cruises where she drove the overall strategy of the commercial sales organization in the U.S. market. Lardizabal also oversaw relationship development with the industry including the industry’s largest travel consortia, key accounts, MICE and Charters, and was devoted to developing a world-class sales organization.
Lardizabal's passion for sales and travel has driven a highly successful career building best in class sales organizations. Before returning to the cruise industry with MSC Cruises in October 2019, she led the U.S. sales organization at Club Med where she was a member of their Executive Committee and worldwide Leadership Committee. Prior to Club Med, Lardizabal served as Vice President of Sales for City Wonders, a European guided tour company, where she successfully steered global sales efforts as the company sought new destinations and distribution. Lardizabal also spent more than a decade at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in a variety of roles including National Account Manager, Director of Inside Sales & Training, Director of Field Sales and Associate VP of Global Sales & Distribution.
Shortly after graduating from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management, Lardizabal moved to Miami for a role at Calvin Klein Cosmetics with almost a decade in various managerial roles throughout the international division of Travel Retail. This is where Lardizabal cultivated her enthusiasm for global business and love of travel and the city of Miami. She’s built her career and life in Miami with her husband, Alfredo, and two children, Jake & Sofia, instilling her love of travel, culture and history within her family.
