Penny Hunter

As the first American woman to captain a cruise ship, Kate McCue has been at the forefront of enormous change in the maritime industry. Under the stewardship of Celebrity Cruises’ president and chief executive Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, McCue has watched representation of women on the bridges of the line’s ships increase from 2 per cent in 2014 to more than 32 per cent today. “It’s definitely an accomplishment I’m extremely proud of,” she says.