#130 David Herrera: Leave No Doubt
From To The Top: Inspirational Career Advice by Omaid Homayun
February 24, 2026 · 1h 20m
About this episode
David Herrera shares his journey from a Cuban immigrant background to becoming the President of Norwegian Cruise Line, emphasizing the values of resilience and service.
What if the values that made you who you are — resilience, service, empathy — could become the operating system for an entire organization? Today's guest grew up in Hialeah, Florida, the son of Cuban immigrants who arrived in America with almost nothing and built everything through grit, integrity, and an unwavering belief that hard work is the price of admission. He lost his father at 12 years old, found his footing in the U.S. Army — where he'd eventually jump out of planes at night as part of an Airborne unit — and then quietly built one of the most storied careers in the travel industry. David Herrera served as President of Norwegian Cruise Line, where over more than a decade he helped transform the company's commercial operations, led its expansion into China, and championed a genuine, veteran-driven military appreciation program that earned him letters, mugs, and thank-you notes from guests whose gratitude had nothing to do with the bottom line. But what strikes you most about David isn't the titles or the milestones — it's that he leads the same way his mother lived, the same way his Army sergeant Mahoney taught him: from the front, with his word as his bond, leaving no…
People in this episode
Guest: David Herrera
Topics covered
- resilience
- service
- empathy
- leadership
- travel industry
Keywords
- Cuban immigrants
- U.S. Army
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- military appreciation
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Norwegian Cruise Line
Books & works: MBA
Places: Hialeah, Florida, America, China, Miami
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