Carlson Wagonlit Travel president and CEO Hubert Joly, has just arrived on the island for a short visit, as part of his “getting to know you,†orientation. Joly is the first non-family member to run Carlson when he took over the reigns of the company in March 2008, succeeding Marilyn Carlson Nelson, the company co-owner.
Mid 2009, Joly also took over Carlson’s hotels division, which has become the company’s main focus in the last year and a half.
The Minneapolis-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide is the world’s 9th largest hotel company, with more than 1,050 hotels across five brands in 77 countries.
As a matter of fact the majority of Carlson Hotels’ revenue comes from its upscale Radisson chain, whose Aruban flagship, the Radisson Aruba Resort Casino & Spa, fondly referred to as La Grande Dame, has been a hospitality legend for the past 50 years.
Joly’s mission in Aruba is to get to know the island and the hotel staff, as they are all part of his major expansion and investment plan, as the hotel industry and the business world continue to recover from global economic slump.
The revamped Radisson in Aruba will be prepared when the downward economic cycle ends, he stated.
Also traveling with Joly, Gordon McKinnon Chief Branding Officer for Carlson Hotels Worldwide.
The dignitaries toured the resort and met the staff under the guidance of General Manager Rob Smith, who is seen here in our pictures welcoming the VIPS to the island.