It was announced April 18, 2012 that Mr. Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises, has been inducted into the prestigious British Travel and Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame.
The annual awards ceremony, at London’s Savoy Hotel last night, was created in 1994 to recognise individuals who have made an “outstanding contribution” to the travel and hospitality industries. Mr. Fain joins an impressive list of past recipients, including in expensive airline pioneer Sir Freddie Laker, Sandals founder Butch Stewart, Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson and Carlson chairwoman Marilyn Carlson Nelson.
After joining Royal Caribbean in 1979 as an outside director on the Board of Directors, he became the global cruise vacation company’s chairman and CEO in 1988. Under his leadership and guidance, the business has grown to become the world’s second largest cruise line operator.
The Miami-Royal Caribbean has been innovative and industry leaders in the architecture of ship design and development, extensive expansion into Asia and around the world to fulfill the needs of the growing number of cruise passengers.
Prior to joining Royal Caribbean, Fain spent 13 years as treasurer, chief financial officer and joint managing director of Gotaas-Larsen Shipping Corporation, a London-based owner and operator of cargo ships.
Other inductees for the 2012 Hall of Fame are: Abercrombie & Kent founder and executive chairman Geoffrey Kent; International Airlines Group chief executive Willie Walsh; Rezidor Hotel Group president and chief executive Kurt Ritter; and Stagecoach Group chief executive and co-founder Brian Souter.
Hall of Fame inductees are nominated by a committee of senior UK travel industry leaders and trade associations.
Source: cruiseindustrynews.com and royalcaribbean.com
