After a board member from the world’s largest cruise company called Arnold Donald to say that then-Chairman and CEO Micky Arison — son of the company’s founder — wanted him to take the job of president and CEO, Donald had to mull it over for a couple days. “I have to be honest. Now that I’ve done it, I was an idiot,” Donald said in a recent interview. “I should have been begging for the job. It is a blast.”
After starting the job last July, Donald spent months hearing from employees at the company’s 10 brands. The head of those brands have in the past been encouraged to operate with autonomy, and one of Donald’s major iniatives has been to encourage leaders across different groups to better cooperate in an effort to trim costs and grow revenue. Since Donald’s ascension to the top job, Carnival has spent $700 million in safety improvements and added attractions like a concert series with top draws like Jennifer Hudson and spent another $2.5 million on an ad campaign with the theme “Moments that Matter.”
