By
Rebecca Gibson |
Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines, is to retire on 30 November 2014 after 20 years of service.
Cahill joined Carnival Corporation in 1994 as vice president of finance, and in January 1998 was promoted to senior vice president of finance and CFO. He has served as CEO of the corporation’s largest cruise brand, Carnival Cruise Lines, since 2007.
“I can’t thank Gerry enough for his tireless efforts both as CFO of Carnival Corporation and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines,” said Micky Arison, chairman of Carnival Corporation & plc. “While we would always feel his retiring is premature, we understand and support his decision. His leadership and passion, along with his honest and frank views will be missed, and we will always have a deep appreciation for Gerry’s tremendous contributions to Carnival Corporation.”
During his tenure as CEO, Cahill and his team have expanded the fleet to 24 vessels, launching four newbuilds and introducing a new class of ships – the Dream class – which included Carnival Dream, Carnival Magic and Carnival Breeze.
In addition, Cahill and his team introduced the line’s Funship 2.0 ship enhancement programme, developing partnerships with major brands and partners, such as celebrity chef Guy Fieri and comedian and TV personality George Lopez. The team also developed the industry-first Carnival LIVE concert series, as well the Carnival Seuss at Sea programme, an exclusive partnership that brought the Dr. Seuss children’s brand and characters to its ships.
“Gerry has been instrumental in taking Carnival Cruise Lines to new heights as one of the preeminent brands in the cruise industry,” said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc. “He and his team have delivered new innovations to cruising while growing the business year after year.”
Cahill has agreed to stay on in an advisory capacity for an unspecified time to provide counsel to the leadership team through the transition period.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to lead Carnival Cruise Lines for the past seven years and to work for this great company for 20 years,” said Cahill. “Deciding when to retire is not easy, especially when you love what you do. I feel the time is good for me personally and the company and brand are in a good place. Our employees are the finest, most dedicated people I know and the thing I will miss most in my retirement is the opportunity to come to the office each day and work with such talented individuals.”
Carnival is yet to name Cahill’s successor.