Carnival Corporation has announced John Padgett as the new president of Princess Cruises, effective immediately.

Padgett will oversee all performance and operational functions of Princess Cruises and its global fleet of 14 ships.

He will report directly to Jan Swartz, group president of Holland America Group, which includes the company’s Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn and P&O Cruises Australia brands. Swartz has served as president of Princess Cruises since 2013, guiding the brand’s strategic growth, Carnival said, in a statement sent out.

Since July 2014, Padgett has served as chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation, responsible for guest experience innovation, development, creation and operations integration, according to a press release.

Specifically for the Princess Cruises brand, Padgett has been a key player in the development and implementation of the Princess MedallionClass experience delivering a more personalized, simplified and connected onboard experience for all guests and crew that is now available on the entire Princess fleet.

“John is the mastermind behind our state-of-the-art OCEAN platform and was a key player in our fleet transformation, working closely with Princess team members in virtually every area of our operation to enable the MedallionClass experience for all our guests,” said Swartz. “John’s vision, drive and performance, combined with his commitment to providing the best guest experience in the industry, have helped position Princess for success well into the future. We warmly welcome John to the role and look forward to his stewardship as we navigate this fast-changing, dynamic environment.”

“Carnival Corporation’s cruise brand portfolio, global fleets, destinations and most importantly dedicated shipboard and shoreside teams have provided an unmatched platform to drive guest-focused innovation,” said Padgett. “The opportunity to lead the iconic Princess brand and to help take the cruise content — including hotel, food and beverage, entertainment, merchandise and destination experiences — to new levels is an absolute honor.”

Prior to becoming chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation, Padgett worked for 18 years with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts where he spearheaded the invention, development and implementation of guest engagement innovations that include the MagicBand, FastPass+ and Disney’s Magical Express, among others.

Padgett earned a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Virginia Tech and holds over two dozen patents and multiple innovation awards.