Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 26 February 2018 - Kerzner International Holdings (the
“Company”), the owner of the iconic Atlantis Resort and Residences and ultra-luxury One&Only
Resorts brands worldwide, has announced the appointment of Michael P. Wale as its new Chief
Executive Officer. The Company manages a portfolio of globally renowned, entertainment
destination resorts, ultra-luxury hotels and residences and innovative entertainment experiences.
Mr. Wale joins Kerzner International at a transformational time, with the accelerated growth of
both destination-defining brands. The $1.6 billion Atlantis, Sanya resort in China with world-class
partner, Fosun, began welcoming guests in February, joining the flagship Atlantis, The Palm resort
in Dubai, one of the most recognizable hotels in the world. The One&Only portfolio is also
evolving, introducing Nature Resorts, Urban Resorts and Private Homes to the covetable
One&Only Beach Resorts, in the most inspiring locations. The legendary One&Only Le Saint
Géran in Mauritius began welcoming back guests in December to a completely reborn resort.
Michael will be responsible for building on this momentum, developing continued strategic
growth, driving the successful operation of the existing collection of award-winning resorts and
developing talent across the Company.
“I am thrilled Michael has joined us at this very important time as 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, from China to Africa to
Europe and beyond,” says His Excellency Mohammed Al Shaibani, Executive Director and CEO
of Investment Corporation of Dubai, and Chairman of Kerzner International. “Michael has been
extremely successful in achieving outstanding guest satisfaction, building a world-class corporate
culture and delivering strong financial results. Under his leadership, I look forward to the
continued growth of Kerzner International, further prosperity and an expanded strategic global
footprint.”
Michael is superbly positioned to lead Kerzner International into the future. He has a track record
of delivering exceptional growth in hospitality by focusing on continuous innovation, creating
guest-centric organizations and inspiring creativity and excellence in his team. This approach
completely aligns with Kerzner’s vision of developing a community of passionate people who
deliver Amazing Experiences and Everlasting Memories for guests.
“Kerzner International is an incredible business and I am honoured to be joining the Company at
this exciting time. Both Atlantis and One&Only have established strong global consumer
recognition and loyalty and are perfectly poised for further innovation and strategic growth. I
look forward to continuing to build and grow long-term relationships around the world,” said
Michael Wale, Chief Executive Officer. “We have an incredible group of deeply committed
colleagues, all aligned under the company’s vision to ‘blow the guest away’.”
Michael’s successful career, to date, was with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide that spanned
almost 40 years, most recently as President for Europe, Africa & Middle East, directly overseeing
the operations for almost 250 hotels and resorts in 60 countries. He was appointed to this position
in June 2013 and was based at the company’s EAME divisional office in Brussels, Belgium.
During his tenure, he led the successful integration of Le Meridien into Starwood.
Passionate about the development of leadership talent, Michael also created Vita Futura at
Starwood, an innovative graduate training programme which shaped the careers of many future
leaders. He served as a Next Step Mentor with The Prince’s Trust, as well as mentors future
leaders in hospitality. Philanthropy has always been a focus for Michael, named a Fellow of
UNICEF, in recognition of his work for Checkout for Children, which raised over $35 million
over 20 years. Michael’s other passions include the environment and sustainability, having
initiated an environmental focus within the organisation.
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