Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Miami Beach Convention Center
6:30PM Reception, 8:00 PM Dinner
The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association is pleased to invite you to join us for the FCCA’s 18th Annual Gala Dinner and Entertainment Extravaganza. As you know, this is the premier social event during the week of Cruise Shipping Miami, which enables you to spend an evening networking with more than 60 of the cruise industry’s top cruise executives. Best of all, 100% of the proceeds from the Gala will benefit the FCCA Foundation.
For more information please visit http://www.f-cca.com/
Click here to view information for$600 and $300 Gala Tickets
Table Sponsorship Choices: $10,000
Full Table Sponorships Include:
Private Lunch with a member of the FCCA Executive Committee:
• Micky Arison, Chairman & CEO, Carnival Corporation
• Dan Hanrahan, President & CEO, Celebrity Cruises
• Karl L. Holz, President - Disney Cruise Line
• Richard E. Sasso, President & CEO - MSC Cruises (USA) Inc.
• Kevin Sheehan, CEO - Norwegian Cruise Line
• Stephen A. Nielsen, Vice President, Caribbean & Atlantic Shore Operations - Princess Cruises
• Benefiting charities will be advised of sponsor’s name for promotion
• Special recognition and presentation of plaque at dinner
• Full page, four-color advertisement in Gala Program
• Special Recognition in Gala Program
Kevin Sheehan, Chief Executive Officer, Norwegian Cruise Line and FCCA Chairman
Kevin Sheehan serves as the chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. Since taking the helm in 2008, he has overseen major initiatives, including vastly improving on-board service and amenities across the fleet; expanding the line’s European presence; repositioning two of the line’s
Hawai’i-based ships, creating a profitable business model; revitalizing top management with a mixture of cruise industry and outside expertise; and using his extensive 30-year background in the business world to help Norwegian post a sharp turnaround in profitability in the midst of a tough economic climate.
Sheehan comes from a diverse professional background that includes helping to found Spanish-language television net- work Telemundo; taking several companies public, including rental car giant Avis; aiding in the inception and launch of the Sega Channel, the first interactive game platform over cable; teaching full-time at Adelphi University in New York and consulting for a variety of private equity firms, including Apollo Management, a Norwegian shareholder. He brings a sharp business mind to a unique industry and aims to integrate best practices from the business realm to steer Norwegian towards the next generation of Freestyle Cruising with the unveiling of the line's biggest ship ever, the 4,100-passenger Norwegian Epic. The ship, which debuted June 2010, is a 153,000-ton vessel boasting a buzz-worthy array of innovative entertainment, dining options and accommodations.
During his tenure as president and CEO of Norwegian, the cruise line has made positive headlines both nationally and internationally, including being featured in a one-hour CNBC ground-breaking documentary on the cruise industry, as well as surprising an entire Ellen DeGeneres studio audience with cruises for the holidays. Most recently, the new Norwegian Epic served as the host venue for the show stopping 34th Annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular, which aired on NBC as part of the ship’s inaugural festivities.
Sheehan’s tell-it-like-it-is persona and personal philosophy of leading by example has allowed him to reinvigorate the organization by opening lines of communication and creating a positive corporate culture.
Before joining Norwegian in 2007, Sheehan was Chairman and CEO of Cendant Corp Vehicle Services Division, where he was responsible for Avis Rent A Car, Budget Rent A Car, Budget Trucks, PHH Vehicle Management, First Fleet and Wright Express. While there, he integrated the Avis and Budget rental car brands into one network and also success- fully completed a 100 percent initial public offering of Wright Express.
Prior to joining Cendant Corp, Sheehan served in leadership positions at STT Video Partners LLP and Telemundo Group, Inc. He also spent two and a half years consulting to private equity firms and lecturing at Adelphi University in New York as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Accounting, Finance, and Economics.
He is a graduate of Hunter College and New York University Graduate School of Business, and is a Certified Public
Accountant.
He was recently appointed Chairman of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association’s Executive Committee; serves on the Executive Committee of the Cruise Line Industry Association’s (CLIA) board; serves on the boards of Gatehouse Media (NYSE: “GHS”); West of England, a mutual insurance association; Adelphi University’s School of Business; and his high school alma mater Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School in Queens, New York. Sheehan, a die-hard New Yorker and avid basketball fan, is married with two children
Gerald Cahill, President and CEO, Carnival Cruise Lines
Gerald R. Cahill joined Carnival Cruise Lines’ parent company, Carnival Corporation, in 1994 as vice president - finance and in January 1998 was promoted to senior vice president - finance and chief financial officer. In December 2003, Cahill was named executive vice president and chief financial officer for Carnival Corporation & plc.
In July 2007, he was appointed to his current position, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines. At the helm of the world’s largest and most popular cruise line, Cahill oversees 37,000 employees and 22 cruise ships that carry 3.6 million passengers annually.
Before joining Carnival, Cahill spent six years with Safecard Services, Inc., a NYSE-listed company, where he served first as chief financial officer and then as chief operating officer. From 1979 to 1988, Cahill held financial posts at Resorts International, Inc., and, prior to that spent six years with Price Waterhouse.
Cahill, a resident of South West Ranches, Fla., graduated from the University of Miami, earning his B.B.A. degree in
1973.
Stein Kruse, President and Chief Executive Officer, Holland America Line
Stein Kruse is president and chief executive officer for Holland America Line Inc. a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc. Kruse reports to Micky Arison, chairman & CEO, and Howard Frank, vice chairman & COO, Carnival Corporation & plc.
Kruse joined Holland America Line in 1999 as senior vice president, fleet operations with overall responsibility for all Holland America Line's operations. In 2003, Kruse was named president and chief operating officer, and on December 1, 2004, chief executive officer.
Kruse joined Holland America Line from "K" Line America, where he was senior vice president and chief financial offi- cer. He also oversaw financial activities in seven U.S. subsidiary companies for the global Japanese shipping company and served on the board of directors.
Prior to that, Kruse held several executive positions in the cruise industry. He was executive vice president and chief operating officer for Radisson Seven Seas Cruises and president and CEO for Seven Seas Cruise Line.
He is a former vice chairman of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and presently serves as a director on the board of the United States Coast Guard Foundation and CLIA and on the board of governors of the World Trade Center Seattle. Kruse, a native of Oslo, Norway, holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University and is a graduate of Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program. He is married to Linda and they have two children – Victoria and Alexander. The Kruse family resides in Bellevue, Washington.
Richard E. Sasso, President and CEO, MSC Cruises (USA) Inc.
Richard E. Sasso, president and CEO of MSC Cruises (USA), Inc., has been a popular and well- respected figure in the cruise industry for more than 38 years and involved in the travel industry for 38 years.
After holding key positions at Costa Cruises and Chandris Cruises, Sasso joined the senior man- agement team that launched Celebrity Cruises in 1990. He served as president of that line from
1995 to 2001 and was instrumental in establishing it as a top premium cruise line.
Sasso was named president and chief executive officer of MSC Cruises USA in April 2004 and has been charged with establishing a strong position for MSC Cruises in the North American market with a cruise experience that truly reflects the heart and soul of Italy.
Backed by one of the world’s largest container shipping companies, MSC Cruises has emerged as a fast-rising star in the European-style cruise market. It’s the fastest growing cruise line in the world. In 2003, the company launched a $7 billion expansion program. Its fleet now consists of 11 vessels, including the classic MSC Melody; the “Lirica” class MSC Armonia, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Lirica, and MSC Opera; the Panamax “Musica” class MSC Magnifica-- the newest addition to the fleet-- MSC Musica, MSC Orchestra, and MSC Poesia; and the post-Panamax, MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida.
In 1999 the National Association of Cruise Only Agencies (NACOA) honored Sasso as “Cruise Industry Executive of the Year” and a leading travel industry trade magazine named him its “Cruise Industry Executive of the Year.” He also served as chairman of both the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA).
In addition to his responsibilities as President & CEO of MSC Cruises (USA) Inc., Rick currently serves as chairman of
CLIA’s Marketing Committee.
Sasso lives in Delray Beach, Fla., with his wife of 38 years, Carmen.
Richard D. Fain, Chairman & CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd
Richard D. Fain is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the glob- al cruise company operating 38 ships under the Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Pullmantur, Azamara Club Cruises and CDF Croisières de France brands.
Fain joined Royal Caribbean in 1979 as an outside director on the company’s Board of Directors. He became the cruise line’s Chairman and CEO in 1988. Prior to joining Royal Caribbean, Fain spent 13 years as treasurer, chief financial officer and joint managing director of Gotaas-Larsen Shipping Corp., a London-based owner and operator of cargo ships.
Fain is a member of the National Conference for Community and Justice, and serves on the World Wildlife Fund’s National Council, the Florida Council of 100 and the University of Miami’s Board of Trustees. In addition, he serves on the executive committee of the United Way of Miami-Dade.
Fain is a former chair of the Miami Business Forum, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), an industry trade association representing nearly 17,000 affiliated travel agen- cies and the bulk of the world’s cruise lines. He has also served as co-chair of the Campaign of United Way of Miami- Dade and as chair of the POW WOW Host Committee in Miami.
In 2004, Fain received the Ultimate CEO Award from the South Florida Business Journal and accepted the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition Organization. He was inducted into the South Florida Business Hall of Fame in October 2004.
Fain was presented one of France’s most distinguished awards, the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (French Legion of Honor), and was named Commander, First Class, of the Order of the Lion by Finland. In addition to being the recipient of the Anti-Defamation League’s 2000 Distinguished Community Service award, he was named the 1999 Statesman of the Year by the Wharton School Club of South Florida, as well as the 1998 Humanitarian of the Year by the American Red Cross of Greater Miami and the Keys.
Fain holds a B.S. degree in economics from the University of California at Berkeley and a M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Fain and his wife, Colleen, have four children and reside in Miami- Dade County, Florida.
