Bo-Erik Blomqvist will replace the retiring Ian Gaunt heading up Carnival Corp's shipbuilding operations.
Blomqvist will become SVP corporate shipbuilding for Carnival Corp effective February 1, 2008, based in Southampton. He will report to Carnival chairman & CEO Micky Arison and vice-chairman and COO Howard Frank.
He has been deputy vice-president, cruises & ferries for Aker Yards, with his most recent assignment in France where he was responsible for the integration of Chantiers de l'Atlantique into the Aker Yards group. Prior to that he held several positions with Aker and before that with Kvaerner-Masa Yards for 14 years.
"We already know Bo-Erik well, having worked with him on several of our shipbuilding projects. He is a highly talented and respected professional whose wide-ranging experience in all aspects of new ship construction makes him the ideal candidate for this position," Frank said. "Carnival
Corporation & plc currently has 20 new ships on order or under construction with three different yards and Bo-Erik's strong management skills and keen attention to detail will enable our company's brands to continue to expand with these highly innovative new ship projects," he
added.
Of the retiring Gaunt, retiring after nearly 30 years with Carnival, Frank said, "Ian's contributions to Carnival Corporation & plc are immeasurable, as he's played a critical role in the continued growth of our company overseeing the construction of some of the most beautiful and technically advanced ships in the cruise industry." Gaunt will remain with Carnival as their outside legal counsel for shipbuilding contracts.
The change comes at a key time when the company has 20 ships are order for delivery between this December and June 2012. Carnival currently operates 84 ships with 156,000 lower berths.
