Bob
Dickinson, 65, held positions on the financial staff of Ford Motor Company and in the corporate planning office of RCA prior
to joining Carnival Cruise Lines as executive vice president in 1972. In May 1993, he was promoted to president, responsible for all operations of Carnival Cruise Lines. In May 2005, CEO was added to Dickinson’s title of president to more accurately
reflect his role as the highest-ranking executive at the world’s largest and most popular cruise operator. He retired from his post as president and CEO in November 2007.
Although
he has retired from Carnival Cruise Lines, he currently serves on the board of directors of the cruise line’s parent
company, Carnival Corporation & plc. Last year, Dickinson received Travel Weekly’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions
to the travel industry. During his Carnival career, he was named "Travel Executive
of the Year" by Travel Trade magazine and his marketing honors include the Association
of Travel Marketing Executives (ATME), Atlas Award and the Travel Industry Association of America Hall of Leaders designation. He was also named one of the 100 Best Marketers in the Nation by Advertising Age
magazine.
Dickinson’s accomplishments and associations
include: chairman of the Camillus House Board of Directors, 1998 campaign co-chairman for the United Way of Miami-Dade, 1996 Chairman for the Archbishop’s Charities & Development
Appeal, member of the board of directors for the United Way
of Miami-Dade, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. He is also a member of St. Thomas University Board of
Trustees and the Board of Directors of Florida International University (FIU). In
1999, he was appointed Honorary Consul of the principality of Monaco for South Florida.
Dickinson is a former chairman of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and a trustee
of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. Dickinson
is also past chairman of the Washington, D.C.-based Travel Industry Association, the Miami Beach Visitors and Convention Authority
and Miami's Academy for Tourism. He is also a Certified Travel Counselor and a member of American Society of Travel Agents and ATME. He is former vice-chair for the United States National Tourism Organization and is
the co-author of the books “Selling the Sea: An Inside Look at the Cruise Industry” and “The Complete 21st
Century Travel and Hospitality Marketing Handbook.”
He
received his BSBA in management from John Carroll
University and his MBA from Duquesne
University. He was awarded
an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration Degree from Johnson & Wales University in 1995.
His
hobbies include chess, golf, wine appreciation and fine dining. He is a member
of numerous wine organizations including Society of Bacchus America, the International Wine & Food Society, the Commanderie
de Bordeaux, and the Confrerie de la Chaine de Rotisseurs. He and his wife, Jodi,
reside in Coral Gables and have four children and six grandchildren.
Listen to the interview with Bob Dickinson
