Vice Admiral William R. Burke, USN (Ret) joined Carnival Corporation & plc in December of 2013 as Chief Maritime Officer where he is responsible for leading the company’s commitment to health, environment, safety, security, and sustainability.
A native of Hornell, N.Y., Burke graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering and completed a Master of Business Administration at Marymount University. He earned a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy at the National War College in Washington, D.C. and is also a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar 21 Program in International Politics.
Burke served on five submarines including command of USS Toledo (SSN 769). He commanded Submarine Squadron Two from July 2001 to July 2003.
His Washington D.C. assignments include tours in the Attack Submarine Division, Navy Office of Legislative Affairs, Joint Chiefs of Staff directorate for Combating Terrorism, Navy Warfighting Assessments Branch, and as the Executive Assistant to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations.
Burke’s flag assignments include Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Commander, Task Force 73/Commander Navy Region Singapore; Director, Assessment Division, Director, Quadrennial Defense Review, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Fleet Readiness and Logistics (N4), and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Systems (N9).
Burke is a member of the Board of Trustees of CNA, a nonprofit that provides in-depth research and solutions-oriented analyses to help decision makers understand issues, set policies, and manage operations. He previously served on the Board of Directors of Navy Federal Credit Union.