MIAMI
Club Med announced the appointment of Michelle Lardizabal to vice president of sales. In her new role, Lardizabal will join the Executive Committee and worldwide Leadership Committee to lead the sales team and focus on the brand’s global expansion efforts as the category leader in the upscale, family-friendly all-inclusive vacation.
Lardizabal has more than 20 years of sales expertise (with the last 15 years in the travel industry), most recently, as the vice president of sales for City Wonders, a European guided tour company, where she successfully led global sales efforts as the company sought new destinations and distribution. Prior to joining City Wonders, Lardizabal spent more than a decade at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. completing her career as associate vice president of global sales & distribution.
“With Michelle’s passion and extensive experience in the travel industry, we are excited to welcome an executive of her caliber as Club Med continues to evolve its growth strategy,” stated Xavier Mufraggi, president and CEO of Club Med North America. “Her proven track record of moving the needle, combined with success in leading teams and global sales initiatives made her the ideal candidate to embrace and tackle this role.”
Club Med is continuously making significant investments in its resorts–adding oceanfront family rooms to the property in Cancun, upgradingClub Med Punta Cana and partnering with Cirque du Soleil to create a new, experiential concept–enhancing the global presence of unique all-inclusive family vacation offerings. “After achieving a strong turnaround in the North American business unit, the goal is to strengthen and accelerate this growth. We are confident that Michelle will embody the manager developer and entrepreneurial mindset needed to accelerate our growth plans." Mufraggi said.
