Keith Taylor

 Rear Admiral Keith Taylor (retired) is the Interim Chief Maritime Officer for Lindblad Expeditions, the pioneer of modern expedition cruising.

 

In this role, Taylor oversees the brand’s global maritime operations and leads a team of shipboard and shoreside professionals who are responsible for all marine and technical functions, safe operations, environmental stewardship, compliance, and more.

 

Prior to joining Lindblad, Taylor was Principal for Keith A. Taylor & Associates LLC, a company focused on strategic leadership, emergency management, safety and environmental excellence, and operational performance in the maritime sector. With clients across the globe, Taylor brought experts together to drive value for a diverse group of customers.

 

After a distinguished 30-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard, Taylor served as Executive Vice President of Fleet Operations for Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn and P&O Cruises Australia, subsidiaries of Carnival Corporation. For nearly a decade he led global operations for four brands with 41 cruise ships, driving excellence in shipboard leadership, technical support, major drydocks and refits, sustainability, energy optimization, health protocols and regulatory compliance. During his tenure, he also oversaw the construction and delivery of 10 new ships. As the lead incident commander during the COVID-19 pandemic, he overcame significant obstacles to get guests home, repatriate crew, sustain ships during suspended operations, and execute the successful return to service.

 

During his Coast Guard career, Rear Admiral Taylor served in a variety of command, operational, and engineering assignments, including Commander 13th Coast Guard District headquartered in Seattle, Washington, directing all safety, security and regulatory operations in the Pacific Northwest, the Chief Financial Officer / Assistant Commandant for Resources of the Coast Guard in Washington DC and Commanding Officer of Air Station Miami, Florida. A career Coast Guard aviator, Taylor has almost 5,000 hours of helicopter flight time and is a rated aircraft maintenance officer.

 

Taylor is very active in the Seattle community, including service on the Seafair Charitable Foundation Board of Directors, the United Services Organization (USO) Northwest Advisory Council, and the Seattle Sports Commission. Taylor has a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was a Sloan Fellow, a Master of Science in Industrial Administration from Purdue University and graduated with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.