Stephen Payne.

With the purchase of Cunard in 1998, naval architect Stephen was appointed chief designer of Project Queen Mary and subsequently became Director of Project Management for the construction of the ship that became Queen Mary 2. From 2004-2010, he was Vice President Chief Naval Architect of Carnival Corporate Shipbuilding based in Southampton.

A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, Stephen was President of this Institution from 2007-2010. He is a Chartered Engineer and was awarded the OBE in 2004 for Services to Shipping. He has also been awarded the distinction of Royal Designer of Industry and is a recipient of the Merchant Navy Medal; Stephen is also a Freeman of the City of London. In January 2006, The Royal Academy of Engineering awarded him with the Academy’s first Special Achievement Award in recognition of the success of Queen Mary 2, and in 2008 he was made a Fellow of this prestigious institution. In 2011, the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (USA) awarded Stephen their most prestigious award, the Admiral Gerry Land Medal. In 2007, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science by the University of Southampton. Stephen’s other interests include 20th Century maritime history, steam trains, and airships.