Edie Rodriguez

American Businesswoman & Board Member, RAND Corporation, USA

Edie Rodriguez is an American businesswoman who works in executive leadership in global and luxury travel, technology, sales, and marketing. She is Ponant Americas Brand Chairman and Corporate Special Advisor for Ponant Cruises since October 2017. Ponant is the world’s leading luxury expedition cruise line with destinations to all seven continents and is owned by the multibillion-dollar Groupe Artemis.

Until September 2017, Rodriguez was the CEO and president of Crystal Luxury Corporation, Ltd.– Crystal Cruises. The World’s Most Luxurious Hospitality and Lifestyle Brand PortfolioTM whose holdings include Crystal Cruises, The World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise LineTM, Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises, Crystal River Cruises, The World’s Only Luxury River Cruise LineTM, Crystal Luxury Air, a private jet charter service, Crystal AirCruises featuring lavish 15 to 29-day global adventures in the extreme comfort of a Boeing 777, and Crystal Exclusive ClassTM ships with Crystal Residences. Following the acquisition of Crystal Cruises by Genting Hong Kong in May 2015, she was promoted to CEO and President of Crystal Cruises and served in this capacity until September 2017.

Under her helm, Crystal debuted the first of four new luxury river ships in August 2017; the launch of Crystal AirCruises on the company’s new Boeing 777 in August 2017 to serve the private charter market; and the upcoming launch of three polar class expedition mega-yachts.

Rodriguez was named 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in Florida and will now move on to the esteemed National Award for the Entrepreneur of the Year program. Rodriguez was recognized as a “WaveMaker” by Afar Magazine as one of ten visionaries making travel better and selected as one of the most influential people in travel in 2016 by the editors of TravelPulse.com. Rodriguez sits on the Board of Directors for the Cruise Line Industry Association, Robb Report’s Private Aviation Board, and Air France’s Advisory Board for French Tourism.

As a “mobile global” CEO, Rodriguez operates the exponentially growing company from destinations all over the world.