Starboard Appoints Anthony Richards to New Leadership Role to Elevate Retail Experiences

June 27, 2025 at 08:43 AM EDT

Veteran Cruise Retail and Operations Executive Will Lead Innovative Retail and Entertainment Initiatives as Vice President of Retail Experience & Sales Optimization

Starboard Group, the world’s leading retail curator at sea, today announced the appointment of Anthony Richards as Vice President of Retail Experience & Sales Optimization, effective July 7. In this newly created role, Richards will lead the creation and execution of innovative, multisensory retail experiences at sea, creating unforgettable destination-oriented experiences that delight shoppers and drive conversion and loyalty. Reporting directly to Starboard President and CEO Lisa Bauer, Richards will lead the Sales Operations team and work closely with the company’s General Managers and SVP of Luxury and Resorts to accelerate Starboard’s retail transformation strategy.

“Anthony’s experience in cruise retail and operations makes him an excellent addition to our sales leadership team as we continue to create one-of-a-kind, immersive shopping experiences at sea,” said Lisa Bauer, President and CEO, Starboard Group. “From scalable, sustained concepts to limited-time pop-ups to personalized experiences, we’re confident Anthony will help us create unforgettable moments that shoppers will want to share—both in person and online.”

In his new role, Richards will help drive Starboard’s retail transformation strategy by creating and executing immersive retail and entertainment experiences that captivate shoppers and drive revenue growth across all touchpoints. He will collaborate closely with Starboard’s merchant leaders, cruise line account teams, marketing team and external partners, including product brands and resort operators, to execute strategies that elevate retail performance and drive customer loyalty.

“Starboard’s authority in vacation retail is unmatched and I’m honored to join the company’s talented team in this newly created role,” said Anthony Richards, Vice President of Retail Experience & Sales Optimization. “I look forward to guiding the creation of innovative and memorable retail experiences that delight shoppers and drive Starboard’s growth.”

Richards is a seasoned executive with decades of international leadership experience in the luxury hospitality and tourism industry. He most recently served as Vice President of Cruise Operations at Effy Jewelry, where he oversaw talent acquisition and cruise operations across the brand’s onboard retail presence. Prior to that, he led retail and port revenue initiatives at HFG Media and Royal Media Partners. Richards began his career as a Cruise Director with Royal Caribbean.

About Starboard Group

Charting a new course in the duty-free industry since 1958, Starboard has been the world’s leading vacation retailer at sea with the purpose of curating a vibrant world for guests, cruise line partners, brand collaborators and employees. Starboard’s transformative retail elevates the experience on more than 90 ships across 14 world-class cruise line partners: Blue Dream, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America, Resort World Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, TUI Cruises and Virgin Voyages. Starboard’s dedicated Luxury Division partners with Azamara, Crystal, Mitsui Ocean Cruises, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Silversea, and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

Starboard is consistently recognized for quality and innovation by the travel industry, championing numerous awards, including DFNI-Frontier Americas Travel Retailer of the Year, Asia/Pacific Cruise Retailer of the Year, Global Cruise Retailer of the Year and Exceptional Achievement by a Cruise Retailer.

Going beyond sailing, Starboard’s sister company, Onboard Media, creates multimedia products for top companies in the travel and hospitality industry, driving brand awareness to generate sales and grow revenue. Both businesses are headquartered in Miami with additional Starboard offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Genoa, Italy.

Starboard and Onboard Media are proud to be a part of Global Travel Retail Holdings, LLC, an industry leading travel and technology-centric joint venture in partnership with Gissy Investments and LVMH.