Kerzner announces major revamp, names new CEO
DUBAI, July 22, 2020
Kerzner International Holdings, the owner of the iconic Atlantis Resort and Residences and ultra-luxury One&Only Resorts brands worldwide, has announced a restructure of its strategic leadership team.
Michael Wale, who has held the role of Chief Executive Officer since February 2018, has been inducted into the board of directors of Kerzner International and Philippe Zuber, the current chief operating officer, will be leading the company as CEO.
Michel Checoury, who has held the position of Chief Financial Officer since October 2018, will be adding Chief Administrative Officer to his role. Wale will transition from his role by September-end.
Lauding Wale for his immense contribution, Mohammed Al Shaibani, Executive Director & CEO of Investment Corporation of Dubai, and Chairman of Kerzner International Holdings, said he had built a strong foundation for the company with his solid leadership, commitment and hard work.
He made a significant impact at the time he led the business, including further strategic expansion and success of the current portfolio, continued innovation and improving colleague engagement, he stated.
During Wale’s tenure, he introduced new resorts that truly redefine each destination, opening two unique resorts in Rwanda, One&Only Nyungwe House and One&Only Gorilla’s Nest, and Atlantis Sanya, China.
He accelerated growth by introducing One&Only Private Homes at exclusive destinations around the world and signed another five confirmed resorts in the pipeline.
Wale also ensured the success of the existing portfolio, with Kerzner resorts leading in RGI and ADR against their competitive sets.
With a focus on technology, the company introduced new websites for all brands, developed the Kerzner Integrated Platform to streamline connectivity with our travel partners, as well as developing an advanced guest profiling system.
Wale’s leadership has always included a major focus on talent development and at Kerzner,
he improved colleague engagement for the Company and built a thriving culture of continued development for the leaders of the future.
On his elevation, Wale said: "I am incredibly proud of our team for all that has been accomplished at Kerzner International over the last two and half years. I am honoured to have worked with such amazing people and I know that we are well positioned for the future."
"I am thrilled that I am able to continue to be part of the future of Kerzner going forward by joining the board, who have always been so supportive during my tenure. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Team and our partners and am excited for the future of the company," he added.
On the new CEO Zuber, Kerzner said he had originally joined the group in December 2015 as President and COO, One&Only Resorts, where he successfully launched the evolution of One&Only beyond award-winning beach resorts, to include Nature Resorts, Urban Resorts and One&Only Private Homes.
In addition, he introduced the new service philosophy of “We Create Joy” for both guests and colleagues, building a new culture at One&Only.
He also led the successful multi-million-dollar rebirth of the iconic One&Only Le Saint Géran in Mauritius and introduced one of the first exclusive communities for guests to own a piece of One&Only in the legendary destination.
Most recently, he has served as the COO for Kerzner International, also overseeing Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort and the iconic Atlantis brand globally.
A leading brand ambassador, Zuber has been focused on the guest experience across the company amazing experiences and everlasting memories, championing continued innovation across the collection and making key investments to continue to elevate the guest experience which resulted in Kerzner being a leader in guest satisfaction with continued increase of guest satisfaction year over year.
He has also been integral to the continued strategic growth of the company. As Kerzner has always been a pioneer in culinary experiences, Philippe has also focused on the portfolio’s food and beverage concepts, leading innovation of new destination dining experiences, entertainment and partnerships with world-renowned chefs.
Al Shaibani said: "Zuber has been instrumental in the success of the Company and I look forward to working with him as CEO. This is an extremely important time as the world re-opens for travel and we continue our accelerated growth and further expansion of our existing brands, Atlantis and One&Only."
"We are also aggressively introducing new brands and experiences around the world. He has achieved outstanding guest satisfaction and worldwide recognition for our brands," he stated.
“As we continue to strategically grow our existing portfolio, I am incredibly pleased to have such experienced executives to support our business in both Philippe and Michel. I look forward to the continued growth of Kerzner International, further prosperity and an expanded strategic global footprint,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service
