Richard D. Fain

Richard D. Fain is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Caribbean Group, one of the world’s leading vacation companies. He served as Chairman from 2022 to 2025 and as CEO from 1988 to 2022, overseeing a period of transformative growth that saw the company evolve from a small cruise line into a global industry leader recognized for innovation, scale, and guest experience.

Fain first joined Royal Caribbean in 1979 as an outside director on the company’s Board of Directors and was elected Chairman and CEO in 1988. Prior to Royal Caribbean, he spent 13 years with Gotaas-Larsen Shipping Corp., a London-based owner and operator of cargo ships, where he served as treasurer, chief financial officer, and joint managing director. This early experience in global maritime operations helped shape his long-term, strategic approach to leadership in the cruise industry.

Throughout his career, Fain has been an active member of civic, industry, and philanthropic organizations. His leadership roles have included service with the Miami Business Forum, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cruise Lines International Association, the National Conference for Community and Justice, the World Wildlife Fund’s National Council, the Florida Council of 100, the University of Miami Board of Trustees, and the United Way of Miami-Dade County, where he served on the executive committee and as co-chair. He also chaired the host committee for the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW.

Widely recognized for his visionary leadership, Fain has received numerous honors, including being named one of Barron’s World’s Best CEOs for three consecutive years, induction into the South Florida Business Hall of Fame, and receipt of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. His international distinctions include France’s Légion d’Honneur and Finland’s Order of the Lion.

Fain holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife of 56 years have four children and eight grandchildren.