Celebrity Cruises’ Senior Vice President of Sales, Dondra Ritzenthaler was recently named a Power Woman by Moves magazine at its 21st annual Moves Power Women Gala in New York.
The event, hosted by fellow honouree and renowned 60 Minutes anchor and producer Laurie Segal, recognises and celebrates women who embody the magazine’s commitment to women’s rights, social fairness and equality.
Ritzenthaler, who has been with the organisation for nearly 20 years, joins President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo (2016) and Captain Kate McCue (2019) as other brand recipients of this prestigious award. Honourees are considered to be influencers boldly standing up for their beliefs yet compassionate by nature; dedicated to making a difference in the lives of others and in society. Either through being seen as a role model for future women leaders or demonstrating leadership.
“Dondra is so deserving of this recognition for all that she has accomplished during her tenure here at Celebrity Cruises,” said Lutoff-Perlo. “Her commitment and dedication to her team and our travel partners along with her charity work that she does are just a few of the reasons why she was an outstanding choice for this distinguished honour.”
Ritzenthaler was honoured for her leadership overseeing all sales aspects for the award-winning cruise line including all national and regional sales, along with trade support and service and her support. Widely credited for raising awareness of the important role of the travel advisors, an industry dominated by entrepreneurial women, Ritzenthaler has led the creation of several programs designed to help travel advisors build their business, including “The Celebrity Commitment,” a unique initiative providing travel advisors with the latest tools to grow their business; and helped to lead “RCL Cares,” a unique initiative that offered one-on-one guidance to accessing recovery benefits under the U.S. government’s 2020 CARES Act.
A seasoned travel industry executive, Ritzenthaler joined Celebrity Cruises in 2003 following nearly two decades in the business, primarily in sales and marketing management with American Airlines.
Speaking about her win, Ritzenthaler highlighted the importance of this award. “To be recognised alongside these incredibly influential women is definitely a career highlight, I am very lucky to be surrounded by some of the best women in the business who push me to continue to be better both personally and professionally, and to strive to always embody what it is to be a ‘Power Woman’.”
