Carnival UK names Sture Myrmell as President
A proven leader who most recently served as president of Carnival Australia, Myrmell will now provide his expertise and strategic vision for the United Kingdom's largest cruise operator
Carnival UK, whose P&O Cruises UK and Cunard cruise line brands are part of Carnival Corporation & plc, on September 28 announced Sture Myrmell as its new president, effective Oct. 18, transitioning from his role as president of P&O Cruises Australia and president of Carnival Australia.
Myrmell, who will be based in Southampton, England, will also serve temporarily as president of Cunard during the recruitment for that position. He will report directly to Josh Weinstein, chief operations officer for Carnival Corporation, who also has responsibility for Carnival UK.
In his new role, Myrmell will lead all performance and operational aspects of Carnival UK, the UK's largest cruise operator. In addition, as interim president of Cunard, he will directly oversee Cunard's operations and its three ships – including the world's only operating ocean liner, Queen Mary 2.
"Sture is a two-decade-plus veteran at our company, so we look forward to him bringing his deep experience, excellent leadership skills and proven track record of success to a new leadership opportunity," said Weinstein. "He will play a crucial role in our success in the UK, and we look forward to his contributions as we deliver to our guests the best holiday experiences in the world and as both brands launch new ships including LNG-powered Arvia for P&O Cruises in December 2022."
"I am honored to join the passionate and dedicated Carnival UK team that delivers extraordinary holiday experiences to our guests every day," Myrmell said. "Carnival UK has been at the forefront of the industry for decades, and I look forward to working with our shipboard and shoreside personnel to continue our leadership role in the industry, while providing great holidays for our P&O Cruises and Cunard guests."
With over 20 years of experience with Carnival Corporation, Myrmell has served in multiple positions across the Princess Cruises, Cunard, Seabourn and P&O Australia brands. In his new role with Carnival UK, Myrmell replaces Simon Palethorpe, who will be leaving the company at the end of November after six years for a new opportunity.
"Simon has been a true asset for the company these past years, and we wish him the best with this new opportunity," said Weinstein. "He successfully revitalized the Cunard brand and then ably stepped into the role of president of Carnival UK for the past 15 months, leading both P&O Cruises and Cunard back into guest operations this summer with the Carnival UK executive team."
Effective Jan. 10, 2022, global travel and tourism veteran Marguerite Fitzgerald, most recently serving as the lead for Boston Consulting Group's (BCG) global lodging and leisure practice, as well as its global strategy business, will assume Myrmell's prior position serving a dual role as president of P&O Cruises Australia and Carnival Australia. Fitzgerald, a global travel and tourism veteran bringing deep expertise in all aspects of cruise operations to Carnival Corporation, will be based in Sydney and report directly to Jan Swartz, group president, Holland America Group, who also has responsibility for Carnival Australia.