Our Leadership

Jason Liberty is the President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group where he stewards the industry’s leading cruise brands including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises; as well as the joint ventures in TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, of which the company is a 50% owner. Propelled by nearly 100,000 employees from more than 130 countries, the Group’s fleet of 68 ships sails to all seven continents.

He was named CEO in January 2022, following a career spanning nearly two decades in the cruise industry, and helped navigate the company through the pandemic’s unprecedented challenges, ultimately bringing the business back to record performance in 2023.

Mr. Liberty is committed to delivering the best vacations responsibly and leads an organization that is continually innovating to create the ultimate experiences at sea and on land; driving the company’s ambitious energy transition efforts; and harnessing technology to expand the company’s commercial capabilities. In 2024, the Group continued its impressive growth trajectory with the launch of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas, and Silversea’s Silver Ray, marking a new chapter in family vacations and experiential luxury travel. Looking ahead through 2028, the Group has seven ships on order and will launch an array of innovative new private destination experiences, ushering in the future of vacations.

Mr. Liberty joined Royal Caribbean Group in 2005 as a finance executive and was named Chief Financial Officer in 2013. Along the way, he was responsible for Finance, Strategy, Shared Services Operations, Legal, Technology, the acquisition of Silversea Cruises and the company’s TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises joint ventures. Prior to joining the Group, he worked at KPMG, one of the world’s leading professional services firms.

He holds an accounting degree from the University of Miami School of Business; a master’s degree in Finance from Indiana University; and an MBA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School, where he serves on the Board of Advisors. He is the Chairman of the Board for the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) and serves on the Board of Directors of WNS Limited, a business process management public company headquartered in Mumbai, India. He was named one of the 2024 most influential people in travel by Skift, a leading travel industry news source.

Leading the world’s largest and most innovative cruise line, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley oversees a global team of more than 50,000 employees who deliver memorable vacations to millions from around the world on 28 ships that visit more than 300 destinations.

Bayley is responsible for the vacation brand’s entire operation, which also includes private destinations Labadee, Haiti, and Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas – the first in a series of destinations around the world known as the Perfect Day Collection. A key focus of his is to inspire every team to deliver the unrivaled and award-winning Royal Caribbean experience that combines innovation with excellence from ship to shore.

Under Bayley’s leadership, Royal Caribbean continues to grow and change the game as a vacation brand with its expanding lineup of ships and destinations. Most recently, the brand introduced a new era of vacations with the record-breaking Icon of the Seas – the first of the revolutionary Icon Class lineup and the world’s best family vacation. The bold debut of Oasis Class ship Utopia of the Seas, the ultimate short getaway, followed less than six months later, and four more vacations are on their way, including three Icon Class ships and the seventh of the Oasis Class. Royal Caribbean has also set the stage for a new roster of destination experiences, including the next Perfect Day – Perfect Day Mexico, coming in 2027 – and the debut of the Royal Beach Club Collection that spans Paradise Island, The Bahamas; Cozumel, Mexico, and the South Pacific.

Bayley also oversees destination and port development for Royal Caribbean Group, the brand’s parent company, which drives various ongoing projects in different stages around the world.

Within the industry, Bayley is recognized as a thought leader and proponent of partnership across governments, cruise lines and trade organizations. He’s on the global board of directors for the Cruise Lines International Association and is an executive committee member of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, which builds cooperative relationships with destinations.

The president and CEO began his career 40-plus years ago in 1981 as an assistant purser on Royal Caribbean’s m.s. Nordic Prince. In his 10 years at sea, he worked in a variety of positions, each with increasing responsibility. His success led him to become vice president of guest satisfaction, fleet operations; senior vice president of hotel operations and onboard revenue; and later as executive vice president of operations, overseeing marine, hotel, tour and ground operations, and commercial development. He spent time based in Europe as chairman and managing director of Island Cruises, a joint venture between First Choice Holidays – a leading U.K. Tour Operator – and Royal Caribbean. Bayley also once served as vice president at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The industry veteran has pioneered the concept of cruising in emerging markets across the globe. In 2008, as executive vice president of international sales and marketing at Royal Caribbean, Bayley opened offices in 11 countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia, and he was instrumental in opening and developing the China market. He was named president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises in 2012 and was responsible for improving the line’s overall financial performance when he expanded the vacation offering to guests in the premium segment. He then became president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International in 2014.

Laura Hodges Bethge is president of Celebrity Cruises, one of five cruise brands owned by global cruise company Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL).

She assumed the role on May 1, 2023, ascending from executive vice president of shared services operations, responsible for Royal Caribbean Group’s safety, security and environment, risk management and crew movement teams. Her portfolio also included the leadership of supply chain, travel services, port services, workplace solutions and real estate.

Prior to that, Hodges Bethge was senior vice president of product development for Royal Caribbean International and led the teams conceptualizing the largest global cruise line’s groundbreaking ships, private island destinations, and new experiences introduced throughout the award-winning fleet, including the first island in Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day Island Collection – Perfect Day at CocoCay. She also spearheaded the modernization of 10 ships in four years as part of the Royal Amplified program – an investment of more than $1billion; and the design and construction of six new ships, including Spectrum of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas.

Hodges Bethge’s long history with Royal Caribbean Group began in 2000 leading the fleet accessibility program for Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, and she has since held several leadership roles within various areas of the business, including hotel and marine operations, sales, marketing, product innovation and investor relations. She was also based in Shanghai as vice president of market development where she oversaw commercial operations for this strategic market.

A Florida native, Hodges Bethge is active in her community and serves on the board of Easterseals, a nonprofit dedicated to enriching the lives of people and families with disabilities. She also supports efforts aiding the Police Officer Assistance Trust (POAT), a nonprofit organization that assists officers and their families in times of need.

Hodges Bethge holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and an MBA in international business and finance, from Florida International University.

She lives in Miami with her husband.

Bert Hernandez is President of Silversea, one of three best-in-class cruise brands owned by vacation industry leader, Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL), which also includes Royal Caribbean International, and Celebrity Cruises; and 50% of a joint venture operating TUI Cruises
and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Together, Royal Caribbean Group has a global fleet of 65 ships traveling to approximately 1,000 destinations.

Bert brings more than 20 years of tremendous commercial and operational experience to the helm of Silversea. Prior to being named the line’s President, he served as Senior Vice President, International, for Royal Caribbean International, building the cruise line into the vacation brand of choice in more than 80 countries. He also served as President of China operations for Royal Caribbean International where he drove exponential growth to become China’s leading cruise line. He joined the company in 2004 and has held leadership roles in revenue management, revenue planning, corporate strategy, product development, market development, and corporate finance. Notably, he was chief operating officer for the Group’s former luxury cruise line, Azamara, delivering the line’s most profitable year while it was part of the Royal Caribbean family of brands.

He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

Bert holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Davidson College and an MBA in international business from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business.

Naftali Holtz is chief financial officer for the Royal Caribbean Group. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s financial planning and analysis, corporate strategy, treasury, corporate tax, investor relations, investments, internal audit, accounting and financial reporting.

In his previous role, Holtz was senior vice president of finance, responsible for financial planning and analysis, risk management and treasury.

Holtz worked with Goldman Sachs as a managing director and head of lodging and leisure investment banking before joining Royal Caribbean Group in 2019. Prior to that, he served as an officer in the Israeli Air Force.

He holds a bachelor of science in computer science and economics from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Harri Kulovaara, executive vice president, Maritime & Newbuilding, has led the design and construction of several of the world’s most innovative cruise ships for all of the various brands within Royal Caribbean Group.

Under Kulovaara’s leadership and vision, Royal Caribbean launched the world’s first “smart ship,” Quantum of the Seas, in 2014. He led the design and innovation behind the world’s largest and most revolutionary cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas in 2009 and, sister-ship Allure of the Seas in 2010, both of which introduced unique industry “firsts” that redefined the cruise vacation experience. Kulovaara is also the creative force behind Celebrity Cruises’ five Solstice-class ships, heralded for their stunning and stylish design.

A cruise industry veteran of more than 40 years, Kulovaara previously served as senior vice president, Marine Operations and Fleet Operations, when Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. combined its marine operations and quality assurance functions.  Prior to joining Royal Caribbean in 1995, Kulovaara served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Oy Silja Line AB, a leading cruise ferry operator based in Finland. He also was named executive vice president for Silja Line’s parent company, Effjohn Oy Ab.

In addition to being the chairman of Royal Caribbean’s Maritime Advisory Board, Kulovaara is one of the founding members of the Cruise Ship Safety Forum and the current chairman of its Steering Committee.  He is also a visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

Kulovaara is a naval architect and holds a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the Technical University of Helsinki in Finland. In 2015, Harri received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Strathclyde in recognition of his continuous safety improvement efforts through innovation in the maritime industry.

R. Alexander Lake

Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

Alexander Lake joined the Royal Caribbean Group in June, 2021 and serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary, in which role he has global responsibility for the Group’s legal and compliance functions.

Mr. Lake joined the Royal Caribbean Group from World Fuel Services Corporation, a Fortune 100 global energy services company, where he spent over 17 years leading the legal, regulatory and compliance areas, serving most recently as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary.

Prior to World Fuel Services, Mr. Lake served as Assistant General Counsel at America Online Latin America, Inc., a leading interactive services provider in Latin America, and practiced as a corporate lawyer in New York and Miami with the law firms White & Case, Winston & Strawn and Curtis Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle.

Mr. Lake received his J.D. from Columbia University Law School and a B.A. in Economics from Boston College.

Palle Laursen is the Executive Vice President and Head of Marine for Royal Caribbean Group, where he oversees the company’s global and brand marine operations.

Most recently, Palle was Chief Fleet & Technical Officer at A.P. Moller-Maersk where he was responsible for its entire fleet of more than 750 container vessels, 400 chartered vessels and 350 owned vessels as well as chartering, technical management, crew management, safety and
compliance, newbuilding activities and engineering services. He also led Maersk’s effort to have the entire fleet operating fully carbon neutral by 2040.

Prior to this, Palle was Vice President and Head of Ship Management and held several other roles
with increasing responsibilities, including head of Technical Services, Ship Engineering and Technical
Vessel Operations at the Maersk Group. Palle has had a long and distinguished career and is a
recognized leader in the maritime industry.

Palle graduated from the Svendborg International Maritime Academy in Denmark as a Marine
Engineer.

Dana Ritzcovan is executive vice president and chief people and outreach officer, responsible for the company’s human resources (HR); environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG); and corporate affairs functions.

Most recently, she was executive vice president and chief human resources officer at News Corp. There she oversaw its global human capital and ESG strategies, communications, as well as health, safety and security efforts for all its business units, including Dow Jones and its brands like The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and MarketWatch; Realtor.com; Harper Collins and many others.

Prior to that, Ritzcovan served as group managing director and head of human resources for Global Wealth Management at UBS, managing all HR functions across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. During her time there, one of her key accomplishments was revamping the compensation program for the company’s financial advisors, which resulted in revolutionizing an industry practice.

Previously, Ritzcovan was the chief operating officer for the strategy, digital and client segmentation division of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Before that, she served in several senior HR roles within Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, as well as at Navigators Group and Credit Suisse.

Ritzcovan holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Maryland.