Jo Rzymowska to depart Celebrity Cruises next year
Tom ParryJo Rzymowska is to step down from her position as Celebrity Cruises’ vice-president and managing director EMEA next summer after nearly two decades working in the cruise sector.
Rzymowska, one of the industry’s most respected leaders, whose career in travel spans nearly 40 years, will leave the corporate world to focus her efforts on championing diversity and inclusion and mentoring young people.
She will stay in her role at Celebrity until June 2023 during a period of transition to new leadership, telling TTG she will be “fully committed” to the line during her final months and focused “on helping our incredible team continue to go from strength to strength”.
Asked why she had decided to call time on her storied career, Rzymowska explained: “I really could go on and on – I love the business, I love the brand and I love the team across Royal Caribbean Group. I’ve had 18 incredible years at the organisation. When is the time ever right?
“It’s like being at a fantastic party and wondering if you should stay for one more drink. I’m leaving the party having had the most incredible time and knowing the time is right.”
A TRAILBLAZING LEGACY
Having entered the industry as an overseas rep, Rzymowska secured a job with International Leisure Group as an assistant to the general manager in 1982 before going on to hold senior positions with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Universal Studios and Thomas Cook.
She joined Royal Caribbean Group as UK and Ireland sales and marketing director in 2005, becoming associate vice-president and general manager UK and Ireland in 2007, before being chosen to lead a dedicated UK and Ireland team for Celebrity as vice-president and managing director in 2015. She was later promoted to oversee Celebrity’s EMEA region in 2019.
Rzymowska has also served on the executive committee of cruise association Clia UK and Ireland for many years, including a tenure as chair from 2011-2013.
Rzymowska said she hoped to be remembered as someone “with strong commercial nous and strong leadership” who had “left something behind” through her commitment to championing equality across her business and the wider travel sector.
Her efforts have been recognised on a number of occasions – she was recently named one of the world’s outstanding LGBT+ executive role models by Yahoo! Finance last month, and was the inaugural recipient of the LGBT+ Trailblazer of the Year Award at the 2021 Travel Industry Awards by TTG.
She described her decision to change focuses as “the end of my corporate career but the start of a new journey”.
After some time off, Rzymowska will “maximise” her time and skillset to help support smaller organisations and businesses committed to diversity and inclusion and continue her work advocating for gender equality and the LGBT+ community.
She will also build on her experience in motivational speaking and increase her focus around coaching and mentoring young people.
‘I FEEL REALLY PROUD OF OUR WORK’
Recalling some of her proudest moments working within Royal Caribbean Group, Rzymowska highlighted the numerous ship launches she had been involved with – from Legend of the Seas, Royal’s first UK-based ship, to the latest Edge-class vessel, Celebrity Beyond, which debuted in Southampton in April.
“Managing through the 2008 financial crisis and the Covid pandemic have been leadership challenges I’ve enjoyed. I feel really proud of the way we pulled together as a team and, as a business, how we’ve looked after our crew and our people,” she added, paying tribute too to Celebrity president and chief executive Lisa Lutoff-Perlo for her “drive to really make a change”.
“We were not just focusing on commercial goals, but goals for the good of the business, our people and our guests – I feel really proud of the work we have done.”
Lutoff-Perlo described working with Rzymowska as “incredibly rewarding”, calling her “irreplaceable in so many ways”, adding: “I will miss her terribly when the time comes.”
Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group’s president and chief executive, said Rzymowska would “hold a special place in the hearts of so many of our international trade partners and colleagues”.
“It is with deep gratitude that I thank her for her dedication to the Royal Caribbean Group over the years,” said Liberty.
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