Miami, FL (JANUARY 4, 2015) – Club Med, the brand that pioneered the all-inclusive concept 65 years ago, is pleased to announce 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.
As an accomplished leader with more than 20 years of sales expertise (with the last 15 years in the travel industry), Lardizabal is heavily immersed in the landscape. Most recently, Lardizabal was 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. During her tenure, she developed strong relationships with a variety of accounts from local to global partners.
"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, upgrading Club 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. "The renovations at our Cancun resort have been an outstanding success. The brand is also planning additional resort extensions, facelifts and new openings in the coming years," Mufraggi said. "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."
"After a family vacation to Club Med Cancun Yucatan, my kids' response was 'when can we go back?' This is an incredible testament to the unique experience that the Club Med brand offers," Lardizabal stated. "I am very excited to lead the national sales team, focusing on the brand's value proposition through establishing valuable relationships with key travel partners. I look forward to working with the sales team to sell our offerings and continue to evolve our business."
