MIAMI, July 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) today donated $10,000 to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation (OWLAF) in support of university scholarships for graduates of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls - South Africa (OWLAG), an independent boarding school founded by Winfrey to provide world-class education to disadvantaged girls in South Africa.
Carnival Corporation's chief procurement officer, Julia Brown, presented the foundation with the gift during a visit today to the school in Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of her participation in the Centenary Delegation – a delegation of American executives visiting Africa the week of the famed leader's 100th birthday celebration to discuss relevant trends and topics and build business relationships. The delegation visited the school as part of South Africa's national day of service in celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day, observed each year on Mandela's birthday.
"I am truly honored to present the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls with this donation, but more importantly, to have the opportunity to meet the intelligent and determined young women at the school that are so focused on their education," said Julia Brown, chief procurement officer for Carnival Corporation. "This week has been an amazing experience. From having the opportunity to meet with local business leaders to honoring the legacy of Nelson Mandela, our delegation has had the chance to build new relationships and immerse ourselves in the culture and communities that make this region such a special place."
The opportunity to support the school builds on the current partnership with O, The Oprah Magazine and leading global cruise brand Holland America Line, a division of Carnival Corporation. The partnership, which started in February 2017 and was recently extended through the end of 2019, includes: cruises featuring members of the magazine's editorial team and special guest speakers; a variety of onboard activities developed with the magazine's editors; new programming to be rolled out on many of the ships in the fleet in late 2018; and Oprah serving as the Godmother of the Nieuw Statendam, a maritime tradition for new ships through which she will dedicate the ship in a private ceremony in early 2019.
In addition to the visit to OWLAG, as part of the delegation, Brown and fellow business leaders participated in a number of relationship-building activities, including:
- A business summit hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce and The 30% Club, an organization that campaigns for greater representation of women on FTSE100 boards;
- A reception and dinner hosted by Jessye Lapenn, Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Mission in South Africa, and Ray Washburne, president and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC);
- Meetings with local business leaders and suppliers;
- Night of A Hundred Words, the Nelson Mandela Foundation Centenary Dinner to honor Mandela's legacy and help raise funds;
- The Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture 2018, featuring former U.S. President Barack Obama.
As the world's largest global cruise company, Carnival Corporation has a significant cruise presence in Africa across six of the company's world-leading cruise lines, including AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn. Carnival Corporation sails thousands of guests to more than 20 destinations in Africa, including stops in Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Kenya, Madagascar and Mozambique.
About Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation provides funding for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls – South Africa and is dedicated to helping its graduates attend colleges and universities. In December 2000, during a visit with Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey pledged to build a school for girls in South Africa. In January 2007, the doors opened to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls – South Africa. Through the Foundation, Oprah has contributed to the empowerment of scores of girls and their families.
About the Centenary Delegation
The U.S Centenary Delegation are a well-respected cohort of senior executives with global responsibilities at some of the world's largest and most well respected firms. They are widely recognized as business leaders, subject matter experts and trailblazers across their respective sectors. The purpose of the delegation is to engage in thoughtful conversation with South African business leaders about the vision, business operating environment, opportunities and challenges around doing business in Southern Africa. The U.S. Delegation and Business Summit are being hosted by India Martin, a 25 year veteran of financial services who now runs a leadership, executive coaching and global advisory consultancy, Leadership For Life (LFL), and she works regularly across the continent and is a proponent of the globalization of African brands. The Business Summit was co-hosted by Colleen Larsen. Larsen is the president of the 30% Club of Southern Africa, an organization that aims to develop a diverse pool of talent for all businesses through the efforts of its leadership and members who are committed to better gender balance at all levels of their organizations. Larsen is one of the leading voices for the sustainable advancement of women in the corporate and entrepreneurial space in South Africa today.
About Carnival Corporation
Carnival Corporation & plc is the world's largest leisure travel company and among the most profitable and financially strong in the cruise and vacation industries, with a portfolio of 10 dynamic brands that include nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard, as well as Fathom, the corporation's immersion and enrichment experience brand.
Together, the corporation's cruise lines operate 103 ships with 234,000 lower berths visiting over 700 ports around the world, with 18 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2018 and 2023. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.
In 2017, Fast Company recognized Carnival Corporation as being among the "Top 10 Most Innovative Companies" in both the design and travel categories. Fast Company specifically recognized Carnival Corporation for its work in developing Ocean Medallion™, a high-tech wearable device that enables the world's first interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of customized service.
Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com, www.princess.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.seabourn.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.costacruise.com, www.aida.de, www.pocruises.com, www.cunard.com, and www.fathom.org
View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carnival-corporation-donates-10-000-to-oprah-winfrey-leadership-academy-foundation-300683752.html
SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation Media Contacts, Roger Frizzell, Carnival Corporation, rfrizzell@carnival.com, (305) 406-7862; or Mike Flanagan, LDWW, mike@ldwwgroup.com, (727) 452-4538
