Career Highlight – Matt Taube

Looking back on my path to joining Carnival Corp and the Global Gaming team, my first thought is usually how fortunate I was to be at the “right place at the right time,” and also how unconventional the path was for me to arrive where I now am today. That said, reflecting on this a bit further, I think almost all of us have the feeling of being fortunate to be here, and also of not expecting exactly how things would play out.

I was born and raised in Long Island, in a suburb of New York City, I have spent most of my life in the Metro NYC area, having received my undergraduate college degree a bit further upstate in the cold town of Ithaca, New York. My professional career began at American Express, in the heart of the financial district of Manhattan, not really knowing what I wanted my career to look like, but knowing that I had found a great company with many potential paths forward. My attitude at the time was to be a sponge: try out different roles to see what I liked and what I didn’t, learn from bright people, and model myself after strong leaders. I spent my time there moving through the ranks of various roles within their Global Finance organization. I helped to launch a new product in their prepaid/digital space, led a large but declining gift card business, supported Corporate pricing negotiations, and briefly helped to lead investment decisions for their Merchant Services group.

I then had the opportunity to join a few former colleagues of mine at a company called AMC Networks, a media company that produces TV content and owns and operates multiple network cable channels. I took a role as the Director of Corporate Finance, supporting the CEO, CFO, and executive leadership team on its various planning, forecasting, and financial reporting responsibilities. This was a chance for me to really get a feel for bigger picture thinking, and to learn from those responsible for strategic planning and navigating the direction of a multi-national public company.

Then the pandemic hit. My “office” moved from across the street from Madison Square Garden (where the New York Knicks play) to the closet in my small apartment in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. My wife, young daughter, and I wanted to escape the cold and the city for a bit, and took the opportunity to spend a few weeks in my parent’s house in Florida, after some of the travel restrictions were lifted in late 2020. While away, I learned about an opportunity for a recently opened position of Director of Finance & Accounting for Global Casino Operations at Carnival Corporation. After speaking with Marty, Paul, and Dave, I was sold. It was easy to see the type of culture here, and something I knew I wanted to be a part of. This was all so unplanned, that when Marty offered for me to come in and meet with him and the team in person in the office, I scavenged the back of my father’s closet to find some clothes that fit and that I would not be embarrassed wearing. All I had really brought with me on the trip were shorts and some t-shirts. I somehow passed the test, and started to make plans for a move from New York down to South Florida.

This was all taking place while we were still in the midst of the pandemic, when we had 0 ships in service. After accepting the job, I had a few of my current colleagues and friends at the time question what I was doing leaving for an industry that they believed was on its deathbed. I recognized and admired the leadership of the company, and did not waver in my decision or my belief that we would be back and better than ever. And here we are less than five years later, on the back of yet another record quarter for the company just being announced this past week!

During my four and half years with Global Gaming, I’ve had the opportunity to build out and grow my team, from just a handful of employees up to where we now stand today. I’ve been afforded the chance to continue to expand my role and responsibilities, continuing to leverage our strengths as an organization that actively collaborates and is always striving to improve. I can’t thank Marty enough for having the trust to both to bring me here, as well as allowing me to continue to grow with the organization. There is truly never a dull day here, and not a day goes by that I don’t learn something new. I have continued to be impressed by the collection of talented and passionate individuals that we have both ship and shore. I love having the opportunity to work with such a diverse set of individuals – some who are career Casino professionals, some who are masters of specific disciplines, and others who are just starting their careers and eager to continue to learn from the best in the biz.

I’ll close my story by mentioning our recent leadership sailing on the beautiful Enchanted Princess earlier this month. Whenever I have the opportunity to sail with our teams, I am consistently impressed with what we are able to accomplish. The team handled a very busy and productive voyage with poise, and somehow made it all look easy. When we had the chance to speak to the team, both as a group and individually, it was clear to see that the majority feel the same way I do – you are all eager to continue to provide the best experience you can for our guests, you are always looking for ways to improve, and you all know how to do it all while still managing to have fun! That is the type of culture I can truly say I am proud to be a part of.