Could that sundowner on your next Caribbean cruise be served to you by a robot, while the ship sails effortlessly from island to island without a crew?
That could be a distinct possibility following the latest board appointment by US-listed cruise ship giant Royal Caribbean Group.
The company has persuaded FedEx veteran and technology guru Rebecca Yeung to join its board with immediate effect, according to a statement on Monday.
In her current role, Yeung is responsible for advancing FedEx’s innovation and transformation strategy, including scaling robotics and automation technology, autonomous vehicles, decision science and electromobility.
Yeung describes herself as an “innovator, big-picture thinker, and empathetic leader whose career has been defined by thinking outside the lines to drive impact and transformation”.
‘Leading role’
Since 2015, she is said to have played a “leading role” onboarding advanced technologies to solve some of the most pressing business challenges of the enterprise.
These have included FedEx’s use of autonomously operated trucks to move its shipments between its terminals in Dallas and Houston.
“Yeung brings a valuable combination of skills to our board, as she is well-versed in technology, digitisation and business strategy,” Royal Caribbean Group chairman Richard Fain said.
Key to growth
Jason Liberty, president and chief executive of Royal Caribbean Group, said: “We believe her experience in technology, automation and innovation will be a valuable addition to the board as we usher in the next phases of our growth.”
Yeung, who has been with FedEx since 1998, is a graduate of Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and has an MBA from the Robert H Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
In early February 2022, Royal Caribbean added another technical heavyweight to its team when it recruited Maersk technical guru Palle Laursen.
He was made head of marine at the cruise line, a newly created position that will see the shipowner’s global and brand marine operations functions centralised under him.
Laursen had served as chief fleet and technical officer at AP Moller-Maersk and was responsible for its entire fleet of more than 750 container vessels.
