Peer-juried award, presented in partnership with AlixPartners, recognizes independent director who steadied Royal Caribbean through its record post-Covid recovery.
BRENTWOOD, Tenn., June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- John F. Brock, lead independent director of Royal Caribbean Group, has been named Corporate Board Member's eighth annual Director of the Year, presented in partnership with AlixPartners.
Brock was recognized by a distinguished panel of public company board members for his role in providing independent governance stability during one of the most significant corporate recoveries in recent memory. He joined Royal Caribbean's board in February 2014 and assumed the role of lead independent director in mid-2025.
As chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, Brock has helped guide the board's structure and director refreshment, and as a Board member helped the Company navigate through the Covid-19 pandemic and its subsequent return to record profitability and investment grade credit rating. During his tenure, Royal Caribbean completed a successful CEO transition and pressed forward on a series of strategic initiatives, including an ongoing newbuild fleet expansion, private-destination development, and a tri-branded credit card program. For fiscal year 2025, the company reported adjusted net income of $4.3 billion, a 34% percent increase year-over-year.
Brock brings a well-matched executive background to the role. As former chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, CEO of Coca-Cola European Partners (now Coca-Cola Europacific Partners) and CEO of InBev, he has spent his career navigating logistics-heavy, consumer-facing businesses at a global scale—precisely the operational terrain in which Royal Caribbean operates.
The award will be presented in person at Corporate Board Member's annual Boardroom Summit this September in New York. For more information or to register: boardmember.com/boardroomsummit/
"John Brock exemplifies what great independent leadership looks like at a critical moment," says Jamie Tassa, publisher, Corporate Board Member. "He provided the kind of steady, experienced hand that investors needed to see during a period of major leadership transition and continued high-stakes capital deployment."
Adds Joe Shalleck, partner and managing director, AlixPartners, who serves as special advisor to the judges throughout the process: "The data tells a compelling story. Royal Caribbean Group's performance reflects the strength of its management leadership, the successful execution of its business strategy and the benefit of experienced, independent governance. John Brock's judgment and steady board leadership have contributed meaningfully to that broader foundation of success."
"I am honored to receive this recognition," Brock said. "Royal Caribbean Group's remarkable return to profitability reflects the close collaboration between the management team and the Board, working in strong partnership through an extraordinary period for the company."
About the Selection Committee. What makes the Director of the Year award unique is that honorees are chosen by a peer group of experienced public company directors. The 2026 selection committee:
Larry Kellner, director of ExxonMobil; former chairman of Boeing and former lead independent director of Marriott International, on whose behalf he accepted CBM's 2022 Courage in the Boardroom award; former chairman and CEO of Continental Airlines.
Ellen Kullman, executive chair of Carbon and director of Amgen, Dell Technologies and Goldman Sachs; former chair and CEO of DuPont; CBM's 2020 Director of the Year.
John Lundgren, chairman of Callaway Golf Company and lead director of Visa; CBM's 2023 Director of the Year.
Merit Janow, chair of Mastercard; CBM's 2024 Director of the Year.
Lionel L. Nowell III, lead independent director of Bank of America and director of Textron and Ecolab; CBM's 2022 Director of the Year.
Nigel Travis, chair of the board of Abercrombie & Fitch and former CEO and chair of Dunkin' Brands; CBM's 2025 Director of the Year.
Mike White, director of Bank of America; former director of Whirlpool and Kimberly-Clark; former chair and CEO of DIRECTV.
Dale Wolf, chair of Molina Healthcare; CBM's 2024 honoree for Courage in the Boardroom.
About Corporate Board Member. Corporate Board Member, a division of Chief Executive Group, has been the independent voice of America's governance community for more than 20 years, providing public company board members, CEOs, general counsel and corporate secretaries decision-making tools to address the wide range of corporate governance, risk oversight and shareholder engagement issues facing their boards. Corporate Board Member serves the community through its flagship magazine, online resources, webinars, timely research, conferences and peer-driven roundtables. The company maintains the most comprehensive database of directors and officers of publicly traded companies listed with NYSE, NYSE Amex and Nasdaq. Learn more at boardmember.com.
About AlixPartners. AlixPartners is a results-driven global consulting firm that specializes in helping businesses successfully address their most complex and critical challenges. Clients include companies, corporate boards, law firms, investment banks, private equity firms and others. Founded in 1981, AlixPartners is headquartered in New York and has offices in more than 20 cities around the world. For more information, visit alixpartners.com.
Media Contact
Dan Bigman, Corporate Board Member, 1 203-889-4980, [email protected], boardmember.com
SOURCE Corporate Board Member
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