Latest news with #RichardFain
Travel Weekly
2 days ago
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Obituary: Rod McLeod, longtime cruise executive and Royal Caribbean founding member
Rod McLeod, the longtime cruise executive and founding member of Royal Caribbean, died on June 3. He was 84. McLeod's long cruise industry career included executive positions at the each of the Big Three cruise companies, beginning in 1972 as Royal Caribbean's first marketing director before being promoted to CMO and executive vice president of sales, marketing and passenger services. Later, he would serve as president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line and became Carnival Corp.'s senior vice president of marketing. McLeod was inducted into CLIA's Cruise Industry Hall of Fame in 2015, with the organization saying McLeod was "widely credited with leading an innovative marketing and sales organization that enabled Royal Caribbean to emerge as one of the cruise industry's most powerful and sustainable brands." Cruise industry leaders mourned the loss of McLeod, remembering him as one of cruising's most influential marketing minds. "Rod really was a pioneer in the industry," said Richard Fain, the former chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. "He was involved in so many defining elements and growth. Beyond that he was a really good person. He formed so many special relationships. And this is an industry that is built on relationships." Fain praised McLeod's marketing prowess at a time "when nobody understood what cruising was." "He was one of the early pioneers to help communicate that cruising was something for everyone and those campaigns were very successful for us," Fain said. "He was instrumental in creating the image of the industry and of Royal Caribbean in people's minds." Former Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Andy Stuart remembered meeting McLeod for the first time. "When I joined the industry in 1988, Rod was already one of the key players - his name was always said with reverence," Stuart said. "It was many years before I met him in person, by which time his reputation had only grown. It was quite intimidating to meet him the first time. He took time to chat with me and was the most humble and charming guy you could ever meet." "He took the time to chat with everyone," Stuart added. "It didn't matter who you were. He impacted the three big industry groups in a significant way and will always be [remembered as] one of the foundations of today's industry. We will miss him. He will always be remembered as one of the good guys." Rick Sasso, chairman of MSC North America and the former Celebrity Cruises president who first met McLeod in the early 1970s, said McLeod "was a classic marketing genius and so well spoken and likable. You were easily attracted to his words and thoughts. He brought incredible attention to our industry and their brands. ... He had a great impact and was one of one of the most talented and well-respected" of the old guard of cruise executives. McLeod was also president of American Classic Voyages for two years and, after retiring from a third Royal Caribbean stint in 2003, cofounded a consulting company, McLeod Applebaum & Partners. His grandson, Matthew Roderick Armstrong, said that McLeod's "proudest achievements were the friendships he built across boardrooms and ports, and the fierce, unwavering love he poured into his family. Whether brainstorming bold new voyages with colleagues or cheering at every grandkid's recital, he measured success by the bonds he forged and the smiles he sparked." Armstong said that while the family has not begun formal planning for McLeod's funeral, "our family intends to honor Rod's wish for an intimate gathering by taking a cruise together that calls at many of the ports he loved most - especially Perfect Day at Coco Cay, the island experience he helped bring to life. Truly, the hardest decision will be choosing which of the cruise lines he shaped that we'll sail with." McLeod is survived by two of his three children, six of his seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Travel Weekly
3 days ago
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Richard Fain will step down as Royal Caribbean Group's chairman
Richard Fain, chairman of Royal Caribbean Group's board of directors since 1988, will step down from that role in the fourth quarter. Jason Liberty will take on the chairman's role in addition to his duties as CEO. Fain will remain a board director. "It is time to hand the wheel to the next generation of exceptional talent, and I am very confident that under Jason's strong leadership, the Royal Caribbean Group will accelerate to even greater heights in the years ahead," Fain said in a statement. Fain was Royal Caribbean Group CEO from 1988 to 2022, when Liberty was promoted to succeed Fain. "Richard's leadership has been nothing short of transformative," Liberty said. "Under his leadership, the Royal Caribbean Group has become the leading vacation company -- with industry-leading brands, ships, destinations and people. I am honored and humbled to have been elected as chairman and CEO, and I look forward to continuing to create and deliver the ultimate vacation experience for our guests and delivering elevated long-term value for our shareholders. Fortunately, the company and I will continue to benefit from Richard's experience and mentorship in his continued role as a director on our board." John Brock is the board's new independent lead director. He has served on the board since 2014 and was formerly CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP ANNOUNCES BOARD LEADERSHIP TRANSITION PLANS
MIAMI, June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) today announced that Richard Fain, Chair of the Board of Directors since 1988 and a visionary leader whose contributions helped shape the modern cruise industry, will be stepping down from his role as Chairman in Q4 2025. Fain will remain as a Director on the Board. Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO since January 3, 2022, was elected by the Board of Directors to succeed Fain as Chairman and CEO and will assume the role in Q4 2025. Additionally, John Brock, a member of the Board of Directors since 2014 and current Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, has assumed the role of Independent Lead Director. "Richard's leadership has been nothing short of transformative. Under his leadership, the Royal Caribbean Group has become the leading vacation company - with industry leading brands, ships, destinations and people," said Liberty. "I am honored and humbled to have been elected as Chairman and CEO and I look forward to continuing to create and deliver the ultimate vacation experience for our guests and delivering elevated long-term value for our shareholders. Fortunately, the company and I will continue to benefit from Richard's experience and mentorship in his continued role as a Director on our Board." "It is time to hand the wheel to the next generation of exceptional talent at RCG, and I am very confident that under Jason's strong leadership, the Royal Caribbean Group will accelerate to even greater heights in the years ahead," noted Richard Fain. "Looking ahead, John Brock brings invaluable experience from his time as Chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises and CEO of InBev, and strong integrity that will support the company's ongoing growth and governance. I look forward to working with him in his new role, along with the rest of the Board, as we execute on our bold ambitions," Liberty added. About Royal Caribbean GroupRoyal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) is a vacation industry leader with a global fleet of 67 ships across its five brands traveling to all seven continents. With a mission to deliver the best vacations responsibly, Royal Caribbean Group serves millions of guests each year through its portfolio of best-in-class brands, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea; and an expanding portfolio of land-based vacation experiences through Perfect Day at CocoCay and Royal Beach Club collection. The company also owns a 50% joint venture interest in TUI Cruises, which operates partner brands Mein Schiff and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. With a rich history of innovating, Royal Caribbean Group continually delivers exciting new products and guest experiences that help shape the future of leisure travel. Learn more at or View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Royal Caribbean Group Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Royal Caribbean director sells $4.96M in common stock
In a regulatory filing, Royal Caribbean (RCL) disclosed that its director Richard Fain sold 19.6K shares of common stock on May 19th in a total transaction size of $4.96M. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks straight to you inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>>
