Micky Arison
Micky is Chair of the Board of Directors of Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc, the largest global cruise company with a diversified portfolio of world-class cruise line brands that serve virtually every market segment from contemporary to ultra-luxury, as well as leading port destinations and land operations in Alaska and the Yukon. Micky brings to the role decades of leadership experience with Carnival Corporation & plc, including in-depth knowledge of the business, history and the cruise industry overall. He grew up in the cruise business, starting out as a reservations manager at Carnival Cruise Line, and spent nearly two decades learning it from the ground up before being named Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation in 1990. In 2013, the role of Carnival Corporation Chair and Chief Executive Officer was split, with Micky continuing to serve as Chair of Carnival Corporation and Carnival
plc.
Under Micky’s leadership, Carnival Corporation & plc has grown into one of the largest leisure travel companies in the world. In 1987, he helped take the company public, generating $400 million for future expansion. With Micky’s strategic guidance and vision, Carnival Corporation & plc continued to grow through traditional new ship construction and by expanding its cruise operations into new market segments. Over the years, Micky spearheaded Carnival Corporation & plc’s acquisitions of several of the most recognizable names in travel, leading to today, where Carnival Corporation & plc is the world’s largest cruise company.
Roles & Chronology
- 1987 – Present
- Chair of the Board of Directors, Carnival Corporation
- 2003 – Present
- Chair of the Board of Directors, Carnival plc
- 2003 – 2013
- Chief Executive Officer, Carnival plc
- 1979 – 2013
- Chief Executive Officer, Carnival Corporation
- 1974 – 1979
- Various roles of increasing responsibility, Carnival Cruise Line
Corporate & Charitable Leadership
Since 1995, Micky has been the managing general partner of the Miami HEAT, a professional basketball franchise that has evolved into one of the top organizations of the National Basketball Association (NBA). During that time, the organization won NBA championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013 and captured 16 division titles in the last 28 years, among many other distinguished accomplishments. In 2020, Micky was named to the board of the NBA’s Social Justice Coalition, an organization of players, coaches, team governors and executives committed to fighting racial inequality and advancing social justice. Micky and his wife Madeleine are devoted to giving back to the South Florida community and globally, and over the years have supported a variety of community service organizations, including the New World Symphony, The National YoungArts Foundation, Miami Children’s Museum, Jackson Memorial
Foundation, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Project Medishare for Haiti, American Red Cross, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, United Way, Chapman Partnership and many others.
Personal & Educational Background
Micky has been named an “Officer of the French Legion of Honor” – the country’s highest civilian honor – by French President Jacques Chirac, received an honorary doctorate in naval architecture from the University of Genoa, and has been awarded the Decoration of Commander, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland by the President of the Republic of Finland. He has also been awarded the insignia of “Onorificenza al Merito della Repubblica Italiana” by the President of Italy, which confers that country’s highest title on a civilian.
