THE TEAM
Mike FitzGerald
Founder & CEO
Mike has 45 years practical experience in leading major brands in the hospitality & tourism industry across the globe, and is able to lean on experience to gain advantage in a very competitive market space. His experience covers a diversity of positions from line management at hotel resort operations level to Vice President, Operations Director, Sales Director. Mike is used to not only formulate leading edge marketing strategies, but also to ensure that competitors strategies, operational criteria and emerging market trends are closely monitored to be used in our Clients advantage.
He spent a total of 16 years with Sun International, a Sol Kerzner Hotel/Casino Resort company in Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. 13 years of this were in resort operations, mainly at Sun City, South Africa.
As director of sales for Sun International based at head office in Johannesburg, he was responsible for the sales function of the company. Sun International comprised 34 hotels with 6,000 bedrooms in 17 resort hotel/casino locations in Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.
In 1997 Mike formed his own hospitality management company, “Sterling Resort Management & Development Services”. Here he leaned on his extensive knowledge and experience and compiled his own comprehensive Hotel Operating Criteria. Tried and tested over the years in a diversity of properties this has become a very valuable management tool for Hotel owners and General managers. Since the formation of Sterling Mike’s services have been contracted by various Resort groups and individual property developers in Southern & Eastern Africa, the USA, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean and has implemented his operating criteria and managed/launched a diversity of over 38 properties, both existing and new developments. Mike is now a specialist in the development of new resorts and is an Executive Director of the International Association of Hotel General Managers (IAHGM).
Since the formation of Sterling Mike’s services have been contracted by various Resort groups and individual property developers in Southern and Eastern Africa, the USA, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean and has implemented operating criteria and managed/launched a diversity of 38 properties. His Hotel & Resort Operating Criteria is sought after by some of the top Hotel Groups worldwide.
Mike holds a Hotel Management Diploma from Ireland, Executive Management Development Diploma from The Graduate School of Business, Cape Town City University and a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Pace University, New York City.
NEW HOTEL RESORT DEVELOPMENT - PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Doug Hardy
Project Management Director
Doug is an accomplished Project Management Professional with 40 years working experience in Project and Facilities Management. He has a proven track-record in delivering complex projects, within schedule & budget to the highest quality standards.
Doug has worked with the South African, Omani, Emirati, Zambian, Seychelles & Mauritian Governments on World class projects. Also with private development companies & Construction firms in delivering various Municipal, Multi-use, Institutional, Industrial, Hotel, Commercial, Religious & Retail projects. From years of working in the matrix and cross-functional Organizations, Doug has honed his communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills.
Doug’s formal education includes an NHD. Architectural Technologist, Project Management Diploma and Certified International Project Manager AAPM.
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Michael Katz : Professional consultant:
Michael has over 40 years working experience, 25 years in the GCC (living & working in the Gulf & expediting projects in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain & Qatar 1977-1990, Kuwait & Oman 2006-2016) and 16 years working experience in Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and Philippines 1990-2006) in various senior executive management responsibilities CEO, COO, MD, SPM, Construction & Engineering Management, Finance & Development Director of Multi- disciplinary Design Consultancies, Land Development Companies, Hotel & Resort Owner/Operators, Design/Build Construction Companies, & Publicly traded companies. MSC Civil & Environmental Engineering. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MBA International Finance & Business. Harvard Business School
