MIAMI, Oct. 30, 2014
/PRNewswire/ -- Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of
Carnival Cruise Lines, announced today that he is retiring,
effective November 30, after 20 years of service.
Cahill, 63, has been CEO of Carnival Corporation's largest
cruise brand since 2007, growing the cruise line to 24 ships – the
largest in the company's fleet -- during his tenure.
"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, the world's
largest cruise company. "He and his team have delivered new
innovations to cruising while growing the business year after
year."
During his tenure as CEO, Cahill and his team launched
four new ships and introduced a new class of ships, the Dream
class, which included the Carnival Dream, one of the largest ships
in the company's fleet, as well as Carnival Magic and Carnival
Breeze with its many new branded spaces and experiences.
Cahill and his team also oversaw the delivery of new
cruising features such as the innovative Funship 2.0 ship
enhancements and Carnival LIVE concert series, a first in the
cruise industry, as well the Carnival Seuss at Sea program, an
exclusive partnership that brought the beloved Dr. Seuss children's
brand and characters to its ships. He and his team also developed
partnerships with major brands to offer passengers popular on-board
features, such as celebrity chef Guy
Fieri for Guy's Burger Joint and comedian and TV personality
George Lopez for The Punchliner
Comedy Club.
"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."
No replacement for Cahill is being named at this
point. Cahill has agreed to stay on in an advisory
capacity for an unspecified time to provide advice and counsel to
the leadership team through the transition period.
"It has been an honor 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."
Cahill joined Carnival Corporation in 1994 as vice
president – finance, and in January
1998 was promoted to senior vice president – finance and
chief financial officer.
Before joining Carnival, Cahill spent six years with
Safecard Services, Inc., a NYSE-listed company, where he served
first as chief financial officer and then as chief operating
officer. From 1979 to 1988, Cahill held financial posts
at Resorts International, Inc., and prior to that spent six years
with Price Waterhouse.
Cahill graduated from the University of
Miami, earning his B.B.A. degree in
1973.
About Carnival Corporation
Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE: CCL and
CUK) is the largest cruise company in the world, with a
portfolio of cruise brands in North
America, Europe, Australia and Asia, comprised
of Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess
Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises,
Cunard, Ibero Cruises, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O
Cruises (UK).
Together, these brands operate 101 ships totaling 212,000 lower
berths with eight new ships scheduled to be delivered between now
and 2017. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates
Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour companies
in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both
the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival
Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be
included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100
indices. Additional information can be found
on www.carnival.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com,
www.seabourn.com, www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com,
www.iberocruceros.com, www.pocruises.com.au
and www.pocruises.com.
SOURCE Carnival Corporation