Travel Agent - December 24, 2007 - (Page 57)

By the time Bob Dickinson was set to address the throng of colleagues gathered on the aft of the Carnival Freedom to wish their leader a fond farewell after 15 years on the job, he had already been lampooned by a junior sales force member and thanked effusively by a higher-up sales executive. Dickinson, a man never short on words—or one to mince them— would most certainly have one final barb to deliver. Yet, without so much as a quick jibe or derisive poke, Dickinson, the retiring president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines, thanked his well-wishers and flipped the praise on them for their untiring efforts through the years. This was not the sharp-humored yet good-natured Bob Dickinson whom everyone had come to know, but rather the no-nonsense boss who guided Carnival Cruise Lines to what it is today: a leader in the cruise vacation market. wanted me to have an operational background, and to learn more about it. He sees the value in that. When he asked me [to take over for Dickinson], I had already been thinking about it, and I accepted right on the spot within a couple of seconds. Didn’t have to think about it.” There’s no question that he has the energy for the job. Cahill is an early riser, rolling out of bed each morning at 5:30 and doing a 90minute gym workout before arriving at the office. His schedule doesn’t leave a lot of free time. “I work in my spare time,” he quips. When he does have a moment to himself, you’ll probably find him running his wife ragged on the tennis court. (“It’s not even close,” he says, but admits she is a much better runner.) Vim and verve he has. An early survey indicates he also has the support of his staff. “I knew Gerry when he was the CFO in corporate, but I didn’t work that closely with him then,” says Roberta Jacoby, Carnival’s senior vice president of air/sea and corporate training, who has been with the company since 1977. “However, he was always highly respected by both his colleagues in the corporate team and the Carnival Cruise Lines group.” “I attended one meeting a few years back when he was speaking to a group of investment bankers, and he did an excellent job with both the CONTINUED ON PAGE 58 Dawn of a New Era Now Dickinson passes the baton to a man who, while not possessing the same cruising pedigree as Dickinson, shares his passion for the industry—and for the Carnival brand. Gerry Cahill officially took over the reins as president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines back in July, and freely admits that he is still getting up to speed on his new duties. “If you’ve ever taken a fire hose, opened your mouth and stuck it in,” he says, “well, that’s what it’s been like.” Luckily for Cahill, he has an erudite cast to lean on—first and foremost, his predecessor. “Bob has told me how great the management team is and suggested that I utilize them to the best of my ability and I have tried to do that,” Cahill says. “It’s a tremendous asset.” One of his key resources is Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales and guest services, who had been Dickinson’s right-hand woman for years. “I will lean on Vicki,” Cahill admits. “Bob was a very high-profile guy and very much geared toward the sales side; I’m much more operationally oriented and not going to be as focused on the sales side. I will defer more to Vicki. She’s very good at it, so why wouldn’t I utilize that?” Freed will be charged with guiding sales efforts, which will be made easier by the bundle of support from Carnival’s sales force, which is as large as it is seasoned. Carnival is known to have a very low attrition rate when it comes to salespeople, many of whom have been with the company for 20 or 30 years. Freed’s former marketing responsibilities will fall to Ruben Rodriguez, who was hired in October as executive vice president of marketing and guest experiences. Most recently, the 44-year-old Rodriguez served as partner and managing director of Boston Consulting Group, a global strategy and management consulting firm. Ultimately, it will be Cahill’s responsibility to meld it all, an imposing proposition for someone with a finance background (his prior post was as CFO of Carnival Corp.). However, he has had his eye on this type of responsibility for a good spell. “In recent years, I had become more interested in the operational side of the business,” Cahill says. “My biggest thrill was as CFO I could poke my nose into everything. “I would go and visit every one of the cruise brands and sit down with the CEOs and talk about their business. That was the most exciting part of my job. Micky [Arison, chairman of parent Carnival Corp.], I think, Cahill’s boss, Carnival Corp. Chairman and CEO Micky Arison (left), and predecessor, Bob Dickinson December 24, 2007 TravelAgent | 57

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - December 24, 2007

Travel Agent - December 24, 2007 Online Now Contents From the Editor Letters to the Editor Contributors Europe: Lyon, the Center of France Two Iconic London Hotels Jazz Up their Top Suites Europe Briefs Mexico: Puerto Morelos on the Riviera Maya Mexico News & Notes Pacific/Asia: Large-Scale Developments Strengthen Singapore’s Appeal to Families, Meetings and Other Travelers Caribbean: Old San Juan’s New Hotel The Cervantes Ritz-Carlton Upgrades, La Concha Reopens in San Juan Peter Island Resort Hawaii: Maui Enhances its Allure for Active and Luxury Clients Las Vegas: Hoteliers and Wholesalers Go Beyond Gaming Las Vegas Briefs Tours: Pacific Northwest Briefs Hotels: News and Packages from All-Inclusives in Mexico and the Caribbean Cruises: Luxury Lines’ Shore Excursions Cover Story: Gerry Cahill Agent Profile: Nancy Nicol, Hawaii Specialist and Hyatt Award Winner Technology: Mailpound’s Customized Marketing Transportation: Boeing’s Anticipated Next Arrival: the 747-8 Intercontinental New York: The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Vegas Travel Week Sofitel’s Two New Brands Travelport Rolls Out Leisure Product Expedia CruiseShipCenters Debuts U.S. Tourism to Israel In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Classified Marketplace Trendwatch Special Supplememt: 2008 Portugal Travel Guide

Travel Agent - December 24, 2007

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