Gordon "Butch" Stewart

Gordon "Butch" Stewart
Born (1941-07-06) 6 July 1941
Kingston, Jamaica
Nationality Jamaican
Occupation Hotelier, businessman
Known for Founder, Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts
Children 7
Awards Order of Jamaica
Order of Distinction

Gordon "Butch" Stewart OJ, CD (born 6 July 1941) is a Jamaican hotelier and businessman. He is the founder and chairman of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts.

Career

Stewart began working at the age of 17 as a salesman and eventually rose to become the sales manager of Dutch-owned Curaçao Trading Company.[1] After saving up some money, Stewart later left in 1968 to find his own business, Appliance Traders, Ltd. which specialized at first in importing and selling air conditioning units, water coolers and stoves but has grown to sell almost everything.[2] The company also founded the Jamaica Observer newspaper.[3]

In 1981 Stewart purchased two hotels and began to turn the venture into a profit. A number of years later he purchased Sandals Resorts Royal Caribbean which catered to an adult-only clientele. Beaches was developed for families, while the company expanded around the Caribbean.[4]

Most recently, Stewart founded Sandals Corporate University, aimed at providing professional development for employees through reputable education and training programs. With access to more than 230 courses and external partnerships with 13 top-ranking local and international universities, every staff member has the opportunity to apply, broaden their knowledge and advance their career.

Personal life

His son, Adam Stewart is CEO and Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts International and president of the Sandals Foundation. His daughter Jamie Stewart-McConnell was formerly a brand manager at Royal Plantation,[5] while his eldest son Brian Jardim sits on the Board of the Jamaica Observer and is the owner of Rainforest, a seafood import company.[6] One of his sons, Jonathan, was killed in a car crash in 1990.[7]

Honours and awards

Stewart’s successes in business and in life have earned him more than fifty local, regional and international accolades and awards including Jamaica’s highest national distinctions: The Order of Jamaica, and Commander of the Order of Distinction. He is the 2001 recipient of the honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) from the University of the West Indies and also the 2009 recipient from the University of Technology. In 1992, Stewart was presented with the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in recognition of his tireless efforts to advance humanity. Emst & Young voted him Master Entrepreneur of the decade of the 90s. Stewart is a Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International's highest award. At the 2000 World Travel Awards, he was voted “Travel Man of the Millennium” for his work in promoting Caribbean tourism. In 2011, The Caribbean American Foundation presented Stewart with the Golden Eagle Humanitarian Award in recognition of his philanthropic contributions to education and entrepreneurship in the Caribbean. In 2014 Stewart was honored with the Most Innovative All-Inclusive Resort Executive by the Travalliance Travvy Awards, Hotelier of the Year at the Cacique Award held by the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and the Invest Caribbean Now Leadership Award presented at its global summit.

Stewart was a recipient of Caribbean World Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in Jamaica,[8] and has been called one of Jamaica's most-admired businessmen, by Kamal King President of Cambridge College and Community Services Jamaica in an address to graduating students.[9][10]

He has earned Lifetime Achievement Awards from The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, Travel Weekly and Globe Travel Awards and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Business Administration in hospitality authority, Johnson & Wales University.

References

  1. ↑ "How I Did It: Butch Stewart of Sandals Resorts". inc.com. 1 April 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  2. ↑ "News". www.grenadianconnection.com. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "The Story of Gordon Butch Stewart and Sandals Resorts". thecaribbeancurrent.com. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "Story of Gorden Steward" Johnny Ringo, 'The Story of Gordon 'Butch' Stewart' and Sandals Resorts' Caribbean Current, 16 March 2013
  5. ↑ "Orijin article" Barbara Ellington, 'Stewart-McConnell Gives Birth To Orijin', Jamaica Gleaner, 2 February 2012
  6. ↑ "Brian Jardim" Staffwriter, 'Brian Jardim named to Observer board' Jamaica Observer, 15 June 2012
  7. ↑ "Sandals interview" Judith Baker, 'Interview: The Stewarts on Sandals, business and family values', Travel Weekly, 15 January 2009
  8. ↑ "Lifetime Achievement Award for Jefferis". Bermuda Sun. 1 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  9. ↑ "Jamaica's Most Admired Business Leaders". Jamaica Gleaner. 22 March 2006. Archived from the original on 13 April 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
  10. ↑ "How I Did It: Butch Stewart of Sandals Resorts". inc.com. 1 April 2008. Retrieved 2018-06-06.
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