Carnival Cruise Lines President and CEO Gerry Cahill announced that he is retiring, effective Nov. 30. No replacement was named, and Cahill serve as an advisor "for an unspecified time."
Cahill, 63, has been CEO of Carnival Corp.'s largest cruise brand since 2007, a period in which the fleet grew to 24 ships. He also presided over the cruise line during a rough period in which several ships encountered problems, most notably when the Carnival Triumph lost power in the Gulf of Mexico after an engine room fire in February 2013. The brand has since undertaken a massive effort to rebuild its reputation and relationship with travel agents.
Cahill joined Carnival Corp. in 1994 as vice president-finance and in January 1998 was promoted to senior vice president-finance and chief financial officer. He joined the Carnival Cruise Lines brand upon the retirement of Bob Dickinson.
Cahill and his team launched four new ships and introduced the Dream class, which included the Carnival Dream, Carnival Magic and Carnival Breeze. He also oversaw the Fun Ship 2.0 fleetwide ship enhancements, the Carnival LIVE concert series, and the Carnival Seuss at Sea program. He also developed partnerships with major brands, including TV chef Guy Fieri for Guy's Burger Joint and comedian George Lopez for The Punchliner Comedy Club.
"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," Cahill said. "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 Corp. Chairman Micky Arison said Cahill's retirement is "premature."
"I can't thank Gerry enough for his tireless efforts both as CFO of Carnival Corporation and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines," Arison said. "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."
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