Dame Irene Hays pays tribute to Jo Rzymowska after MBE award

Hays Travel owner Dame Irene Hays has paid tribute to equality and diversity “champion” Jo Rzymowska after she was awarded an MBE in the King’s birthday honours list.

Rzymowska currently runs business consultancy Jovolution and is a non-executive director of Hays Travel. She previously held a number of senior industry roles including during 18 years with Royal Caribbean Group, most recently as vice-president and managing director of Celebrity Cruises EMEA.

She received her honour for her work to promote diversity and inclusion in the travel industry, including championing the Pride at Sea programme and Celebrity Cruises’ decision to become the first US cruise line to embrace legal same-sex marriages at sea.

Hays said: “Huge congratulations Jo Rzymowska MBE! We need more people like you, who are willing to promote inclusion and stand up against intolerance.

“It is entirely fitting and deserved that your outstanding work championing equality and diversity has been recognised with this honour. Thank you for your contribution and the example you set for others.”

Rzymowska said: “Receiving this honour is truly humbling. I’ve been fortunate to stand on the shoulders of so many who believed in me, encouraged me, and reminded me that difference is a strength.

“From my parents’ open-door policy to the brave colleagues and mentors who shaped and guided me, their support is woven into every step I’ve taken. Diversity and inclusion are not just values, they’re a way of life.”

She added: “Now, more than ever, this work matters. I’m incredibly thankful to be recognised, but I know the job isn’t done.

“Progress is fragile, and the greatest threat we face is indifference. We can’t stay quiet; we must stand up, speak out, and keep pushing for a world where everyone feels seen, heard and valued.”

Rzymowska is a previous recipient of the Travel Weekly Globe Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry and was listed in the 2022 Top 20 Outstanding LGBT+ Executives globally by Yahoo Finance. She also featured in the 2024 Attitude 101 list of influential LGBTQ+ trailblazers.

She credited her inclusive world view to her upbringing by a German-Jewish mother and a Polish-Catholic father, both of whom escaped Nazi Germany and went on to create a home where “everyone was welcome.”