• Read more about 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.

• Read more about Pierfrancesco Vago

Pierfrancesco Vago is Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, a privately held global leader in the transport and logistics sector. Based at MSC’s global headquarters in Switzerland, he is responsible for the strategy and long-term vision of the Cruise Division, comprising MSC Cruises, one of the world’s leading cruise brands covering the contemporary and premium segments, and luxury ocean travel brand Explora Journeys. 

Vago is focused on driving the two brands’ sustained growth, overseeing an innovative and expanding global fleet and the division’s portfolio of terminals. Under his leadership, the business has seen continued evolution in the guest experience and supporting technologies, advancing the company’s decarbonisation efforts, and contributing to the ongoing advancement of the cruise sector. 

MSC Group’s Cruise Division operates one of the industry’s most modern and diverse fleets, with a multi‑year pipeline of new vessels across MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys. These ships serve guests in markets around the world, supported by a global shoreside network and longstanding partnerships with shipyards, destinations and port communities.

In addition to leading the cruise business, Pierfrancesco Vago is also responsible for other MSC Group subsidiaries in passenger travel, including ferry operator Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV).

Pierfrancesco is Chair of the MSC Foundation, MSC Group’s philanthropic arm, focusing on conservation, humanitarian and cultural projects that seek to restore the critical balance between people and nature.

• Read more about Josh Weinstein

Josh Weinstein is Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation & plc and leads one of the world’s largest leisure travel companies that boasts a portfolio of world-class cruise line brands including AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Seabourn. 

The company operates a global fleet of 90-plus ships that welcomes approximately 13.5 million guests each year and visits over 800 ports and destinations worldwide. Its diverse team of more than 160,000 people from 150 countries delivers unforgettable happiness by providing extraordinary cruise vacations, while honoring the integrity of every ocean sailed, place visited and life touched. 

A 20-year veteran of the company, Weinstein assumed his current position in August 2022 after playing a critical role in planning the company’s response to the unprecedented pause in guest operations from the COVID-19 pandemic and then the successful restart. His tenure at Carnival includes previous roles as Chief Operations Officer of Carnival Corporation from June 2020 – July 2022, where he directed major operational functions including global maritime, global ports and destinations, global sourcing, global IT and global auditing. During this time, he also oversaw Carnival UK, the operating company for P&O Cruises and Cunard. He previously managed Carnival UK directly, serving as President from July 2017 – 2020. 

Weinstein also served as Treasurer for Carnival Corporation from 2007 to 2017 following five years as an attorney in the corporate legal department. In addition to his treasury role, Weinstein’s responsibilities increased over his career to include oversight of the tax, risk management and finance, planning & analysis functions. 

Prior to joining Carnival Corporation, he served as a corporate attorney.

Weinstein is a member of the Board of Directors for Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. serving on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. He is also on the Board of Trustees of the Perez Art Museum Miami, known globally for its distinctive international collection of 20th and 21st century modern and contemporary art showcasing works from Latin America, the Caribbean and the African diaspora.

Weinstein is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the New York University School of Law and is a native of New York.