Award presented onboard Cunard's flagship
Queen Mary 2 while docked in
Halifax, NS
VALENCIA, Calif., Sept. 26,
2024 /CNW/ -- The Eighth Annual Samuel Cunard
Prize for Vision, Courage, and Creativity was awarded to
Blair McKeil on Wednesday, September 25, onboard Cunard's
flagship Queen Mary 2. To celebrate
this honor, McKeil was joined by local dignitaries,
leaders from the maritime community, and officers from
Queen Mary 2, which was docked in
Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The Samuel Cunard Prize was created in 2015 by
Cunard, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, and the Canadian
Maritime Heritage Foundation to celebrate Cunard's 175th
Anniversary in the ancestral home of its founder, Sir
Samuel Cunard. The award
acknowledges an extraordinary individual who demonstrates the
qualities exemplified by Cunard throughout his life. Previous
honorees include Jim Irving,
John Risley, the Right Honorable
Paul Martin, Ken Rowe, Zita Cobb, Scott
McCrea and Fred Smithers.
Blair McKeil is the Vice Chairman
of McKeil Marine Limited, a company his family started over 68
years ago. At a young age, Blair was actively involved in the
business and at just 32 was named President. He served as president
from 1992 to 2010; CEO, Chairman from 2002 to 2016; and Vice
Chairman from 2016. Under Blair's leadership, McKeil Marine evolved
from an owner-operated tug and barge company into one of
Canada's leading marine service
providers, specializing in marine transportation and delivering
complex marine project solutions. They employ over 400 highly
skilled sailing and shore-based crew and they continue to grow and
expand under new ownership, Astatine Investment Partners.
Blair's vision, courage, creative leadership and relentless
drive were instrumental in developing new enterprises and
opportunities for the organization. An important part of Blair's
legacy is his profound commitment to giving back to the communities
where McKeil Marine operates and to creating a culture of caring
and respect among all McKeil employees.
"I am humbled by this prestigious award and
graciously accept it on behalf of my family and the men and women
I've been fortunate enough to work beside throughout my career in
the marine industry," said Blair
McKeil. "Having the courage to be vulnerable and to take
risks is what drives vision and creativity. Samuel Cunard's legacy is an inspiration – his
vision, courage and creativity set forth a culture of excellence
and today the Cunard name is synonymous with delivering
unforgettable customer experiences. It is truly an honor to be
recognized by this world class company, the Maritime Museum of the
Atlantic and the Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation."
"It's an honor to present Blair
McKeil with this prestigious award," said Matt Gleaves, VP Commercial for Cunard North America. "Blair has dedicated his
life to Canada's maritime industry
and his family business, consistently demonstrating unwavering
commitment to its people, its customers, and the communities it
serves. He exemplifies the values of Samuel Cunard, and in our
founder's ancestral home, it is a privilege for us to bestow this
recognition upon Mr. McKeil."
For more information about Cunard or to book a voyage, contact
your Travel Advisor, call Cunard at 1-800-728-6273, or
visit www.cunard.com.
For Travel Advisors interested in further information, please
contact your Business Development Manager,
visit OneSourceCruises.com, or call Cunard at
1-800-528-6273.
About Cunard
Cunard is a luxury British cruise line,
renowned for creating unforgettable experiences around the world.
Cunard has been a leading operator of passenger ships since 1840,
celebrating an incredible 184 years of operation. The Cunard
experience is built on fine dining, hand-selected entertainment,
and outstanding White Star
service. From a partnership with a two-Michelin starred chef, to
inspiring guest speakers, to world class theatre productions, every
detail has been meticulously crafted to make the experience
unforgettable. A pioneer in transatlantic journeys and round world
voyages, destinations sailed to also include Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, the Far East and Australia.
There are currently four Cunard ships, Queen Mary 2, Queen
Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and
new ship, Queen Anne, entered
service in May 2024. This investment
is part of the company's ambitious plans for the future of Cunard
globally and will be the first time since 1999 that Cunard will
have four ships in simultaneous service. Cunard is based at
Carnival House in Southampton and
has been owned since 1998 by Carnival Corporation, plc.
www.cunard.com (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).
Social
Media
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cunard
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cunardline
YouTube: www.youtube.com/wearecunard
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cunardline
For additional information about Cunard, contact:
Jackie Chase,
Cunard, jchase@cunard.com
Cindy Adams, cindy@mgamediagroup.com
For information about the Samuel Cunard Prize for Vision,
Courage and Creativity Ceremony, contact:
John Hennigar-Shuh, the Canadian Maritime
Heritage Foundation, John.Hennigar-Shuh@NovaScotia.ca
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SOURCE Cunard