Kelly Craighead to exit CLIA at year's end

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) – the “voice” of the global cruise industry – has revealed that it’s president and CEO, Kelly Craighead, is leaving her role after nearly six years.

According to an update posted to CLIA’s social media, Craighead will leave the association at the end of the year as part of a “thoughtful transition.”

“The CLIA team is grateful for her leadership to the industry,” wrote the association.

Craighead also issued a statement, addressing her exit.

"From day one, it has been my enduring ambition to make CLIA a more impactful and high-achieving organization that is both highly regarded by its members and making a real difference on a global scale,” Craighead wrote. "I am proud to say that we have achieved both things."

Craighead, who joined CLIA in 2019, has spent around 20 years in the public and private sectors. Before CLIA, she served as the deputy assistant secretary for travel and tourism in the U.S. Department of Commerce. She has also served on the Board of Directors at Visit Florida. 

Last year, Craighead was named godmother of Emerald Sakara, Emerald Cruises’ second ocean-going luxury yacht.

“Kelly’s unwavering commitment to our valued travel advisors and to responsible tourism at sea and in destinations around the globe aligns with Emerald Cruises’ passion for growth and success,” said Jo-Lee Shantz, Emerald Cruises’ director of marketing ocean cruises, Canada, at the time.

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