Abstract

The case focuses on the remarkable career of Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, the first and only woman CEO of a cruise line. Lisa, who joined Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) as a district sales manager in 1985, became the CEO of Celebrity Cruises in 2014. Known for her transformative leadership skills, Lisa introduced a new range of cruise ships called the Edge series. She fought her way up to break the glass ceiling at the organization and tirelessly strove to increase diversity by improving the representation of female employees at all levels of the organization and in the cruise industry. The strategic initiatives Lisa took contributed to the financial growth of RCG. She left the cruise industry in 2024 to head the FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami host committee. The new role brought in a unique set of challenges and opportunities for her. Lisa needs to leverage her cruise industry experience to manage one of the most popular sporting events in the world. The case prompts inquiry into leveraging leadership skills in new roles, the role of gender in executive roles, and the importance of innovation to succeeding in a competitive environment.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Explore the challenges faced by female executives in running big business organizations
• Identify the challenges faced by senior business executives when they move from one industry to another
• Analyze the importance of innovation in transforming big business organizations
• Discuss how leaders can overcome the unique challenges they might face for the first time in their lives

Keywords

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo; Leadership; Career Transitions; Cross-industry Leadership; Gender and Diversity Leadership; Women in Leadership; Inclusive Leadership