Vice Admiral William
R. Burke (Ret.) to Transition to New Role as External
Affairs Advisor,
Lars Ljoen to Become Chief Maritime
Officer of Carnival Corporation & plc
MIAMI, April 15,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation &
plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company,
today announced that Vice Admiral William
R. Burke (Ret.), Chief Maritime Officer for the company, has
advised that he will be stepping down from the role effective
February 1, 2025. At that time, Lars
Ljoen, currently Chief Operations Officer for the company's
flagship Carnival Cruise Line brand, will be promoted to Chief
Maritime Officer of Carnival Corporation & plc, overseeing all
aspects of maritime operations for the corporation and its
portfolio of world-class cruise lines and reporting to Carnival
Corporation & plc's Chief Executive Officer Josh Weinstein. Ljoen will also be responsible
for strategic destination development and will oversee management
of the company's owned and operated ports.
A 25-year cruise industry veteran, Ljoen is a trusted leader
with a distinguished tenure of achievement in senior-level sea
command and shore management roles. As Chief Operations Officer for
Carnival Cruise Line, Ljoen oversees all aspects of Carnival's
marine operations, including nautical and technical operations,
environmental compliance, and safety protocols. He also leads port
operations, guest operations, food and beverage services, onboard
revenue, entertainment, and crew and travel operations.
"Lars is the obvious choice for this vital role, given his deep
knowledge of our industry, his pedigree of success in key
senior-level positions in the company, and his ability to
consistently deliver operational excellence and business results
for our largest global cruise line," said Josh Weinstein, Carnival Corporation & plc's
Chief Executive Officer. "Notably, his leadership during one of the
most challenging times in our industry helped Carnival Cruise Line
successfully navigate the operational pause and quickly reclaim its
title as the world's largest and most popular cruise line – an
important driver of our company comeback.
"As we remain laser focused on achieving our carbon and
emissions reductions goals and maintaining our leadership in safety
and environmental best practices, Lars will bring his tremendous
knowledge to build upon the legacy that Bill has established during
his tenure," he said.
Prior to Carnival Cruise Line, Ljoen served with Carnival
Corporation's Costa Group since 2015, initially as senior vice
president and then promoted to executive vice president and
managing director in 2016. At Costa Group, which at the time
included Costa Cruises and AIDA, Ljoen was responsible for Carnival
Maritime, the marine service unit of the group, as well as fleet
governance, marine projects, and continuous improvement.
Previously Ljoen headed business strategy development for Ceres
Marine Terminals (NYK Ports) and was director of marine operations
at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. He began his career on supply
vessels and shuttle tankers in the North Sea offshore industry.
"I'm honored to step into the Chief Maritime Officer role and
eager to build on Bill's remarkable foundation of operational
excellence and write the next important chapter," said Ljoen. "I
look forward to applying my experience and skills to an even bigger
platform to ensure the company's continued success."
Leveraging Iconic Leader's Expertise in New Ways
When
Ljoen takes the helm as Chief Maritime Officer February 1, 2025, his predecessor, Burke, will
transition into a new role as External Affairs Advisor for Carnival
Corporation, leveraging his extensive expertise for key
legislative, regulatory and policy matters at the global and
federal levels.
Since joining Carnival Corporation in 2013 in the newly created
position of Chief Maritime Officer, Burke has drawn on his
extensive background and record in safety, engineering, strategic
planning, and operational readiness to define and drive the
company's commitment to health, environmental compliance, safety,
security, and sustainability. Overseeing the company's maritime
operations around the world, Burke has reshaped the company's
maritime policy, maritime standards, shipbuilding, training
including CSMART, medical, maritime asset strategy, and technical
research and development.
Burke joined Carnival Corporation following a distinguished
career with the U.S. Navy spanning submarine command, squadron
leadership, task force command, strategic planning, and operational
readiness positions. Burke served on five submarines including
command of the USS Toledo (SSN 769), and he also commanded
Submarine Squadron Two. His admiral assignments included tours as
Commander Logistics Group Western Pacific/Navy Region
Singapore/Task Force 73, Director Assessment Division, Director
Quadrennial Defense Review, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for
Fleet Readiness and Logistics, and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations
for Warfare Systems.
"I have worked alongside Bill for over a decade, and there is no
one I admire more. A lifelong champion of progress, Bill has been
at the forefront of revolutionizing cruise operations and our
company's revitalized commitment to compliance, excellence in
protecting the health, safety and security of our team members and
guests, and safeguarding the environment," said Weinstein. "His
leadership in safety, innovation, and sustainability has been
instrumental in elevating both our company and the industry as a
whole. While Bill will wrap up his formal involvement in our daily
operations, we're thrilled he has agreed to stay with the company
as External Affairs Advisor, where his advocacy, knowledge,
relationships, and leadership will continue to have a global
impact."
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival
Corporation & plc is the largest global cruise company, and
among the largest leisure travel companies, with a portfolio of
world-class cruise lines – AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line,
Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises
(Australia), P&O Cruises (UK),
Princess Cruises, and Seabourn.
Additional information can be found on www.carnivalcorp.com,
www.aida.de, www.carnival.com, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com,
www.hollandamerica.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com,
www.princess.com, and www.seabourn.com.
For information on Carnival Corporation's industry-leading
sustainability initiatives, visit
www.carnivalsustainability.com.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc