Cruise Planners welcomes travel veteran Elizabeth Lara as new Director of Business Development

As we continue our robust return to travel, Cruise Planners is excited to welcome Elizabeth Lara as our new Director of Business Development reporting to Ana Parodi, Vice President, Sales and Marketing.   Elizabeth has over 25 years of Sales and Management experience in the travel industry in the US and Latin America. In this role, Elizabeth will oversee crucial business units at Cruise Planners Headquarters, and will lead the individual team’s business strategies, goal setting and developing and implementation of initiatives within the department to maximize franchisees engagement and optimize revenue generating opportunities.

Here is a brief bio on her:

Elizabeth Lara joins Cruise Planners after 25 years in the travel industry. In her previous role at FROSCH, she served as the Regional Director for Florida leading multiple high performing sales teams both in Corporate and Leisure Travel.  After relocating from San Francisco, California, Elizabeth was instrumental in establishing the brand presence in Florida and developing the business and operations, including several acquisitions. 

While living in California, Elizabeth held several positions during her 8 years working for AAA Northern California, including roles in the Sales and Management, Process Development & Training, and Group Operations Departments. She also spent 4 years working for American Express Travel as a Travel Counselor for Gold Cardmembers. Aside from the agency-side of the industry, she has also worked for both British Airways and IATA. Elizabeth holds a Masters Degree with a concentration in International Business from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California.