Pamela C. Conover Named Seabourn President, CEO
Role at Ultra Luxury Brand is Executive's Third Cruise Line Presidency
MIAMI, November 6, 2006----Respected cruise industry executive Pamela C. Conover has been named president and chief executive officer of Seabourn Cruise Line, the Miami-based, ultra luxury brand owned by Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE;LSE:CCL) and (NYSE: CUK). In her new role, she will report to Carnival vice chairman Howard Frank.
Conover, who was assigned as acting president of Seabourn after the company's late president Deborah L. Natansohn suffered a heart attack on October 22, was most recently senior vice president of shared services at Carnival Corporation, where, among other duties, her market research and strategic analysis resulted in an order for two new ships for Seabourn.
“I am extremely gratified to be offered the helm at Seabourn at this exciting juncture,” said Conover. “Seabourn's two new, state-of-the-art ships will represent the next evolution of the ultra luxury segment, and except for the tragic circumstances, I couldn't be happier about returning.”
Micky Arison, chairman of Carnival Corporation & plc, said, “Pam brings a wealth of experience to Seabourn and I am confident that she will continue Debbie Natansohn's record of making Seabourn the best luxury brand in the cruise industry.”
Conover has a previous operating history with the Seabourn brand, having been president and chief operating officer of Cunard Line Limited, which operated the fleets of both Seabourn and Cunard, from 2001 until the two brands were de-merged in 2004. In that role, she oversaw the building and launch of Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and the strategic restructuring and re-branding of Seabourn's three-ship fleet.
According to Frank, “Pam has consistently delivered for us in a number of executive roles. Her experience at expanding a luxury brand and her skilled advocacy of customers, employees and travel agency partners ensures the success of Seabourn's plan for growth in the luxury segment.”
The role at Seabourn is Conover's third cruise line presidency. In 1994, she served as president and chief executive officer of Epirotiki Line, based in Athens, Greece, until she was recruited to join Carnival Corporation as vice president of strategic planning. At Carnival, she engineered the acquisition of assets including Seabourn, Cunard and Costa Cruises as a part of the corporate development strategy of the largest and most successful cruise vacation group in the world.
As general manager of North American shipping finance division of Citibank, Conover played a vital role in the development of the North American cruise business through her efforts in assisting Carnival companies and a number of other cruise lines with financing fleet expansion. Her first exposure to the sea came when her family lived in Thailand, her birthplace. Conover's father worked for a British trading company there and she was brought up seeing, and sometimes visiting, all kinds of vessels from around the world. Later her family moved to Albury, a small village southwest of London, where she was educated.
Conover lives in Key Biscayne, Florida, with her husband, Ray Lutz, himself a former travel industry executive.
The Yachts of Seabourn provides the ultimate in ultra luxury cruise vacations to the most desirable destinations on earth. The Yachts of Seabourn is a proud member of World's Leading Cruise Lines. Our exclusive alliance also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises and Windstar Cruises. Sharing a passion to please each guest, and a commitment to quality and value, our member lines appeal to a wide range of lifestyles and budgets. Together we offer exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world's most desirable destinations. The Yachts of Seabourn is a brand of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE; LSE: CCL) and (NYSE:CUK), and supports the Ocean Conservation & Tourism Alliance, dedicated to education and promotion of best practices for protecting the marine environment.
