Small ship cruise operator, Azamara, has appointed two senior executives to lead the company in its next phase of growth.
Dondra Ritzenthaler has been named CEO, effective May, 2024.
A 40-year veteran of the travel industry, Ritzenthaler was most recently the Senior Vice President of Sales, Trade Support and Services for the Americas for Celebrity Cruises.
Prior to her 20 years with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, she spent nearly 20 years with American Airlines in a number of sales and marketing leadership roles.
Until she takes over, Chair of Azamara, Dan Hanrahan, will provide day-to-day leadership and oversight of the team.
“Azamara provides a unique and exciting offering within the luxury cruise space, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the company into its next chapter,” said Ritzenthaler.
“I look forward to working with the talented team and their travel partners to better serve the customer base and grow the Azamara brand.”
Alain Ferzli joins Azamara as CFO, effective immediately.
Ferzli has more than 20 years of experience driving profitable growth in the cruise industry.
He served as the acting CFO for Virgin Voyages and in various financial leadership roles with Royal Caribbean.
Hanrahan commented, “Our team has worked diligently to maintain a solid foundation for Azamara amid unique industry-wide challenges over the last several years.
“Dondra and Alain’s deep knowledge of and experience leading cruise lines will support the shift of our focus to expanding our business and realising Azamara’s full potential,” he said.
