Recognized for Raising the Bar with Thirty Percent of Board Seats Held by Women
Company’s Commitment to Board Diversity Goes Beyond Women Representation with Sixty Percent Diverse Board
MIAMI, Nov. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (Norwegian) (NYSE: NCLH), a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, was honored today by the Women’s Forum of New York at their fifth biennial Breakfast of Corporate Champions in New York City. This event recognizes the S&P 500/Fortune 1000 companies which have achieved 30 percent or greater female representation on their corporate boards. This benchmark event brings together more than 600 thought leaders and change-makers including CEOs, board directors and government officials in support of the shared goal of gender parity in the boardroom by 2025.
"Our board is committed to seeking out directors and management leadership with diverse backgrounds. We have actively recruited women and members of minority groups to where today our board is comprised of 30% women and 60% members with diverse backgrounds," said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “The breadth of talent and experience of our board of directors provides our company with varied perspectives that are invaluable in today's dynamic global business environment.”
“As an organization of top women leaders, the Women’s Forum of New York salutes the 2019 Corporate Champions which are raising the bar for female board representation by actively seeking more women directors,” said Janice Ellig, CEO of the Ellig Group and Chair and Founder of the Breakfast of Corporate Champions. “We salute these game-changing CEOs for accelerating the pace towards gender-balanced boardrooms and inspiring others to follow."
In 2017, Norwegian appointed its first female director to its board, Ms. Stella David, former chief executive officer of William Grant & Sons Limited. In 2018, retired U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral, Ms. Mary Landry, and Ms. Pamela Thomas-Graham, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dandelion Chandelier LLC were appointed as new directors to the Company’s board.
About Stella David
Stella David was previously the Chief Executive Officer of William Grant & Sons Limited, an international spirits company, from August 2009 until March 2016. She was responsible for the significant growth of the business and in particular their premium and luxury brands and for leading the company’s expansion into new markets. Prior to that, Ms. David held various positions at Bacardi Ltd. over a fifteen-year period, including Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, from 2005 through 2009 and Chief Executive Officer of the U.K., Irish, Dutch and African business from 1999 to 2004.
Ms. David is an experienced independent director having served on the board of Nationwide Building Society, the U.K.'s second largest mortgage and savings provider, from 2003 to 2010. She rejoined Bacardi Limited as a non-executive member of their board of directors in June 2016, and has been an independent, non-executive director of HomeServe Plc and C&J Clark Ltd since November 2010 and March 2012, respectively. Ms. David graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in engineering.
About Mary E. Landry
Mary E. Landry has developed a strong background in maritime operations over the course of her 35-year career with the government including service on the White House National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Resilience Policy from 2013 to 2014, and active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard. Her positions with the U.S. Coast Guard included Director, Incident Management Preparedness Policy from 2012 to 2015, Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District from 2009 to 2011, where she oversaw operations for a region including 26 states with over 10,000 active, reserve, civilian, and auxiliary personnel under her command, Director of Governmental and Public Affairs from 2007 to 2009 and various tours from 1980 to 2007, which culminated in her advancement to Rear Admiral.
Ms. Landry received a National Security Fellowship from Harvard University, a M.A. in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island, a M.A. in Management from Webster University and a B.A. in English from the University of Buffalo. Ms. Landry serves as a Director on the Boards of Directors of the United States Automobile Association (USAA) and the SCORE Association and is also a National Association of Corporate Directors Board Leadership Fellow and holds the CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight.
About Pamela Thomas-Graham
Pamela Thomas-Graham became a director of our Company in April 2018. She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dandelion Chandelier LLC, a private digital media enterprise focused on global luxury. Prior to establishing Dandelion Chandelier in August 2016, she served as Chair, New Markets, of Credit Suisse Group AG (a global financial services company) from October 2015 to June 2016 and as Chief Marketing and Talent Officer, Head of Private Banking & Wealth Management New Markets, and member of the Executive Board of Credit Suisse from January 2010 to October 2015. From 2008 to 2009, she served as a managing director in the private equity group at Angelo, Gordon & Co. From 2005 to 2007, Ms. Thomas-Graham held the position of Group President at Liz Claiborne, Inc. She served as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of CNBC from 2001 to 2005. Previously, Ms. Thomas-Graham served as an Executive Vice President of NBCUniversal and as President and Chief Executive Officer of CNBC.com. Ms. Thomas-Graham began her career at a global consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, in 1989, and became the firm’s first African American female partner in 1995.
Ms. Thomas-Graham has served on the board of directors of The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) since September 2005 and has served as its Lead Independent Director since August 2016. She has also served on the board of directors of The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited (NYSE: NTB) since December 2017 and Peloton Interactive, Inc. (Nasdaq: PTON) since March 2018. Ms. Thomas-Graham holds Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Master of Business Administration, and Doctor of Law degrees from Harvard University.
About Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NCLH) is a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands. With a combined fleet of 27 ships with approximately 58,400 berths, these brands offer itineraries to more than 450 destinations worldwide. The Company will introduce ten additional ships through 2027.
About the Women's Forum of New York
The Women's Forum of New York is the city's premier organization of women leaders. The invitation-only membership of more than 500 women represents the highest levels of achievement across all professional sectors from finance to fine arts. The organization is dedicated to the advancement of women's leadership through programs which enrich members' lives both personally and professionally, through The Education Fund, which enables talented women whose potential has been disrupted by extreme adversity to resume their education, and through the Corporate Board Initiative, which extends and expands the contribution of women leaders through corporate board participation. Founded in 1974, the Women's Forum of New York is the flagship of the International Women's Forum, a global organization of over 6,500 outstanding women leaders in over 74 Forums around the world.
Investor Relations & Media Contact
Andrea DeMarco
(305) 468-2339
InvestorRelations@nclcorp.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/351852b0-02ee-42b5-9376-80bc81154d49
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Board Diversity
The Board is comprised of 30% women and 60% members with diverse backgrounds.