Erik De La Cruz Named Vice President of Marketing and Michael Steudle Promoted to Chief Luxury Growth Officer as the Independent Agency Deepens Its Senior Leadership Bench

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., June 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pavlus Travel & Cruise, one of America's largest independently owned luxury travel agencies, today announced two senior leadership appointments to accelerate its growth in luxury travel and its leadership in the age of artificial intelligence. Erik De La Cruz, a 16-year Viking veteran, has been named vice president of marketing, and Michael Steudle, a 15-year company leader, has been promoted to the newly created role of chief luxury growth officer.

Background and mandate

Why it matters

For industry operators, this is another data point in the structural change reshaping the food sector. Watch for follow-on moves from competitors and reactions from key channel partners in the coming quarters.

Erik De La Cruz Named Vice President of Marketing and Michael Steudle Promoted to Chief Luxury Growth Officer as the Independent Agency Deepens Its Senior Leadership Bench

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., June 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pavlus Travel & Cruise, one of America's largest independently owned luxury travel agencies, today announced two senior leadership appointments to accelerate its growth in luxury travel and its leadership in the age of artificial intelligence. Erik De La Cruz, a 16-year Viking veteran, has been named vice president of marketing, and Michael Steudle, a 15-year company leader, has been promoted to the newly created role of chief luxury growth officer.

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Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.