Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz was honored as a 2015 Woman of Distinction at the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles annual ToGetHerThere luncheon on Nov. 5, which celebrates female leadership and inspires Emerging Leaders.

Addressing more than 600 influential women leaders and high school Girl Scouts, Swartz offered inspiring advice and shared her own story of selling cookies as a young Brownie in her home state of Texas – her first successful business experience.

“I consider myself something of a patchwork quilt of everyone I’ve worked with—I’ve learned from listening to them and…hopefully….others are taking ideas that I’ve shared and will use it as they grow in their careers,” said Swartz. “Because the great ideas—the ones that can truly transform things—don’t just come from one person, or one group. They come from anywhere and from anyone, so it’s important to value everyone’s input.”

Swartz also participated in a mentoring session with the participating Girl Scouts to offer guidance and answer questions about her career path.

She added, “no matter what you do, you should always watch closely to see what works and what doesn’t. Don’t be afraid to change your mind when the facts change. We should always strive to improve.”

The event is part of a national effort by Girl Scouts to address the confidence gaps today’s girls face. For more information about the ToGetHerThere campaign and luncheon, visit girlscoutsla.org.

Swartz, the first female president of Princess Cruises and Girl Scout alumna heads one of the best-known brands in the cruise industry, overseeing a worldwide cruise and tour company featuring a fleet of 18 modern cruise ships that carry more than 1.7 million guests a year. The third largest cruise line in the industry, Princess has more than 25,000 employees and operations in more than 60 countries around the globe.

Swartz was appointed to her current role in November 2013, after more than 15 years working with the cruise line. Prior to this, she served as executive vice president overseeing the line’s sales, marketing and customer service operations, a position she held since 2009. In this role, she directed many of the line’s key operations including domestic and international sales efforts, consumer and trade marketing and communications initiatives, market planning and yield management functions, and customer service activities for both travel agents and consumers. She has been at the forefront of the industry in developing innovative educational programs and business-building tools for travel agents, through whom the majority of the company’s cruises are booked.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel consultant, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company’s website at princess.com.