Small ship cruise line Azamara has announced the appointment of two senior executives to lead the company in its next phase of growth: Dondra Ritzenthaler as incoming Chief Executive Officer and Alain Ferzli as Chief Financial Officer.
Dondra Ritzenthaler, incoming CEO, has a career that spans 40 years in 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.
Ritzenthaler will begin at the cruise company in May 2024. Until that time, Chair Dan Hanrahan will provide day-to-day leadership.
“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,” said Ritzenthaler.
Effective immediately is the appointment of Alain Ferzli as Chief Financial Officer. Ferzli has more than 20 years’ experience driving profitable growth in the cruise industry. He served as the acting Chief Financial Officer for Virgin Voyages and in various financial leadership roles with Royal Caribbean.
“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,” said Chair, Dan Hanrahan.
The cruise line recently launched its ‘Work & Wander’ program for guests, following the integration of Starlink’s high-speed internet earlier this year.
For more information, visit azamara.com
