Restarting the Cruise Industry

Helene D. Gayle has been president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s oldest and largest community foundations, since October 2017. Under her leadership, the Trust has adopted a new strategic focus on closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap in the Chicago region.

For almost a decade, Dr. Gayle was president and CEO of CARE, a leading international humanitarian organization. An expert on global development, humanitarian, and health issues, she spent 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control, working primarily on HIV/AIDS. Dr. Gayle also worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, directing programs on HIV/AIDS and other global health issues. In addition, she launched the McKinsey Social Initiative, a nonprofit that builds partnerships for social impact.

Dr. Gayle was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. She earned a B.A. in psychology at Barnard College, an M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, and an MPH at Johns Hopkins University. She has received 18 honorary degrees and holds faculty appointments at the University of Washington and Emory University. 

Dr. Gayle serves on many public company and nonprofit boards, including The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Go Health, Brookings Institution, Center for Strategic and International Studies, New America, ONE Campaign, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and Economic Club of Chicago. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Council on Foreign Relations, American Public Health Association, National Academy of Medicine, National Medical Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Gayle has authored numerous articles on global and domestic public health issues, poverty alleviation, gender equality, and social justice.

Frank J. Del Rio is the president and chief executive officer of S&P 500 company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH), which operates Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. He assumed this role in January 2015. A cruise industry veteran of over 25 years, Mr. Del Rio has successfully led Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in delivering industry-leading financial results while providing an unparalleled guest experience. Under his leadership, the company has expanded its fleet with the newest and most innovative ships at sea; introduced the company’s latest island destination, Harvest Caye in Belize; and significantly strengthened its global footprint.

Mr. Del Rio previously served as chairman and chief executive officer of Prestige Cruise Holdings, Inc., the parent company operating both Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. He founded Oceania Cruises in 2002 and in doing so created a new “upper premium” market space in the cruise industry. Under his leadership, the line has grown from a fledgling startup with one 684-passenger ship to a dominant player in the upscale cruise market with six ships totaling 5,300 berths, including the addition of two highly acclaimed 1,250-passenger sister ships, Marina and Riviera. In 2008, Prestige Cruise Holdings acquired Regent Seven Seas Cruises and quickly completed a turnaround which positioned Regent Seven Seas Cruises as the market leader in luxury cruising and, in turn, positioned Prestige Cruise Holdings as the premier operator of upscale cruise brands.

Mr. Del Rio, who was born in Havana, Cuba, and emigrated to the United States in 1961 at age six, earned his Bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Florida and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Kate Walsh is Dean of the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration and E. M. Statler Professor. A professor of management, Dean Walsh has been a member of the Hotel School’s faculty since 2000. She received her Ph.D. from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and her MPS degree from Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Fairfield University.

Dean Walsh’s primary research is in identity, leadership, and career development. She also conducts research examining the impact of strategic human capital investments. In addition to contributing to numerous books, Dean Walsh’s articles have appeared in such outlets as Journal of Management, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Human Resource Management Review, Organization Science, Career Development International, The Service Industries Journal, Trends in Organizational Behavior, Research in Management Consulting, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, The Learning Organization, International Journal of Hospitality Management, and The Cornell Hospitality Quarterly.

Dean Walsh has extensive industry experience. She is the former director of training and development for Nikko Hotels International, corporate training manager for the former Bristol Hotels, and senior auditor for Loews Corporation. Dean Walsh is also a former New York State Certified Public Accountant.

Dean Walsh began her second term as dean on July 2, 2021. Since the beginning of her administration, she has focused on positioning Nolan for the future of hospitality business education as well as contributing to the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. This includes undertaking a comprehensive renewal of the graduate and undergraduate curricula, developing Nolan’s online global presence, launching two new graduate degree programs, and providing thought leadership for the hospitality industry, most notably through the creation of industry-based webinars to guide the industry during the pandemic as well as supporting extensive outreach and engagement through Nolan’s six centers and institutes.

Dean Walsh serves on the boards of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, including serving on its Educational Foundation’s DE&I committee, and Yonsei University’s School of Business.

Richard D. Fain serves as chairman and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL). The Group owns and operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. Additionally, Royal Caribbean Group is part of joint ventures that operate TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. The company’s 58 ships carry more than 6 million guests a year to ports on all seven continents.

Since taking the helm of Royal Caribbean in 1988, Mr. Fain has guided the company’s growth to its current place on the S&P 500 as well as its repeat listing by the Ethisphere Institute as a World’s Most Ethical Company. Twice, Barron’s has named him one of the World’s 30 Best CEOs for his vision in changing the course of the industry.

Mr. Fain serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Miami and is on the executive committee of the World Travel and Tourism Council. He has been recognized with the Federal Maritime Commission’s Earth Day Award, the Travel Weekly Lifetime Achievement Award, the South Florida Business Lifetime Achievement Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and membership in the South Florida Business Hall of Fame. The French government honored Mr. Fain as a Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur, while the Finnish government named him a Commander, First Class, of the Order of the Lion.

Mr. Fain holds a B.S. degree in economics from the University of California at Berkeley and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Colleen, have four children and seven extraordinary grandchildren.

Rob Kwortnik, Associate Professor of Services Marketing, joined Cornell’s faculty after earning his Ph.D. in Business Administration from Temple University in 2003. He also earned a B.A. in Journalism from Temple and an MBA from California State University, Northridge. Professor Kwortnik’s research focuses on consumer behavior in service contexts, with special attention to service experience management. He has published in the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Service Research, The International Journal of Research in Marketing, and the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, among others. He has been honored eight times as a Teacher of the Year by students at the School of Hotel Administration. Prior to his career in academics, Professor Kwortnik held several professional positions in marketing and was a travel industry consultant. He is a recognized expert on the leisure cruise industry.