Skift Take
If the cruise industry truly wants to speak with one voice, the Cruise Lines International Association needs to hire a CEO who will stick around.
After a couple of years filled with ship-related disasters and scrutiny from lawmakers and press, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) had finally emerged from full-time crisis mode a little more than a year ago.
But then former CEO Christine Duffy announced she was leaving to join Carnival Cruise Line as president in December of 2014. An extensive search led to Coast Guard veteran Thomas Ostebo, who took the helm of the industry group in July. He left a month later for undisclosed personal reasons.
Cindy D'Aoust, who joined CLIA as executive vice president of membership and operations in December 2014, became acting CEO of the global organization after Ostebo's departure. She had previously been chief operating officer at Meetings Professional International.
Despite the hectic nature of the past year, D'Aoust said she was pleased with progress that CLIA has made and is charging ahead with priorities for the new year.
She spoke to Skift recently at a press event in New York City.
Skift. It’s been five months since your predecessor stepped down. Can you shed any light on the status of a search for a permanent successor? Is it something you’ve been thinking about doing?
Cindy D’Aoust: Christine left in December [2014]. I actually stepped into a leadership role back in December. So I just want to comment on the fact that this leadership team has come together and been working together in a very, very strong and positive way for a year.
While Tom was in for a brief period of time, we had a solid team, we focused on objectives based on the direction from our volunteer leaders, so we’ve just continued the forward movement.
With regards to the search, [Royal Caribbean Cruises Chief Operating Officer] Adam Goldstein is our chair and in that role he works with our global executive committee to manage the search process. So with regards to timing, things like that, I would defer to his comments. But there is a desire to make a permanent decision within the next couple of months, so it is an active process.
And yes, I am part of the process. Am I interested? Who wouldn’t want to be part of thi
