Girls Who Code CEO will name the ship at the Port of Southampton in the UK at the end of March 2020
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Celebrity Cruises has chosen Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of international non-profit Girls Who Code, as godmother for the new Celebrity Apex.
Saujani, who is also a bestselling author and the recipient of various awards recognising her work on behalf of women and girls, will christen the ship at a ceremony at the Port of Southampton on 30 March 2020. It will be the first time that Celebrity has inaugurated a newbuild in the UK in more than 10 years.
“Reshma is bridging the gap in the historically male-dominated technology industry,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity. “She is evolving the image of what a computer programmer looks like and does, inspiring a whole new generation of girls and women to bravely pursue this field. Because she is a game-changing visionary, she is the perfect godmother for a game-changing ship like Celebrity Apex.”
Celebrity will also work with Girls Who Code to provide guests with educational coding programmes as part of its Camp at Sea S.T.E.M. experiences on both Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Edge. The cruise line will also create related experiential offerings and products.
“Girls Who Code is committed to giving girls more visible role models in computer science and helping them see that this is a field where they can really thrive,” said Saujani. “Just as we are on a mission to close the gender gap in tech in our lifetimes, Celebrity Cruises’ is leading the way to create a more diverse future in the maritime industry. It is an honour to have the support of Celebrity Cruises in our work, and to be named as the godmother for Celebrity Apex.”