Thursday, August 29, 2013

Adm. Taylor Becomes SVP of Fleet Ops at HAL & Seabourn

Holland America Line and Seabourn name Rear Admiral Keith Taylor senior vice president of fleet operations


Keith Taylor
Seattle, Wash., Aug. 29, 2013 — U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Keith Taylor, retired, has been named senior vice president, fleet operations, for both Holland America Line and Seabourn. Effective Jan. 1, 2014, Taylor will take over the fleet management responsibilities of Dan Grausz, executive vice president of fleet operations, who is leaving the company at the end of the year to pursue new opportunities. Taylor will report to Stein Kruse, president and CEO of Holland America Line.

In this role, Taylor will assume Grausz’s operational duties and focus his attention on nautical, technical, safety and environmental management systems and newbuilds for Holland America Line and Seabourn. Taylor will start with the company Sept. 3 and transition with Grausz through the end of the year.

“We are pleased to welcome a person of Keith’s caliber to the Holland America Line and Seabourn executive team,” said Kruse. “In addition to his proven executive leadership and diverse management skills, Keith brings a well-rounded and outstanding academic and maritime background.”

Prior to his recent retirement from the Coast Guard, Taylor served as commander of the 13th Coast Guard District, headquartered in Seattle. Prior to that, he served as assistant commandant for resources and chief financial officer of the U.S. Coast Guard, responsible for more than $10 billion in annual financial management and resource activities. He was promoted to flag officer rank in March 2008.

In more than 30 years with the Coast Guard, Taylor served in wide array of command, operational, engineering and staff assignments. An aviator and aircraft maintenance officer, he was assigned to numerous air stations and was commanding officer of Air Station Miami from 2003 to 2006. He worked at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., from 1996 to 2000 where, among other responsibilities, he conducted program review and budget development for all Coast Guard law enforcement, intelligence and international-affairs activities. He also served as deputy chief of staff of the Coast Guard from 2006 to 2008, directing service-wide coordination, strategic planning, policy development, financial actions and general management.

Taylor holds a Bachelor of Science with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a Master of Science in Industrial Administration from the Krannert School at Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was a Sloan Fellow.

Following the transition, Marine Hotel Operations previously reporting to Grausz will report directly to Kruse.

Source: Holland America Line