New Exclusive Resorts CEO Philippe Bourguignon Makes Introduction

By: Destination Club News
Date: July 16, 2011

Hello to everyone! I am thankful to Steve Case for inviting me to serve as the new CEO of Exclusive Resorts, and delighted to be joining the passionate community of members, employees, and partners that makes the club so special and unique.

I feel fortunate to be arriving just a short while after the company was named a "Best of the Best" winner by Robb Report for a fifth time — more than any other company in its category. This honor is a tribute to the wise stewardship of my predecessor Jeff Potter and the efforts of the entire Exclusive Resorts team over the past several years.

I asked Jeff what the company did to celebrate the "Best of the Best" distinction. He said he gathered the team together to thank them for their efforts but then, with great enthusiasm but modest ceremony, everyone got back to work. That was because no one viewed the award as a reason for the club to rest on its laurels. Instead it was seen as a reminder that to remain the leader, Exclusive Resorts must expand in new directions, focusing on two areas of growth, innovation, and enhancing the value of membership.

For my part, I could not agree more.

With the progress the club has made, I believe the first area to focus on is renewing our commitment to providing members exciting new luxury experiences and benefits, whether within our residence portfolio, through our Once in a Lifetime program, as part of a Member Event, or in connection with a Member Benefits partner. This month's announcement of two outstanding luxury resorts for member travel – The Links Cottages at Doonbeg Golf Club, Ireland and Montage Deer Valley for the upcoming ski season – is a grand example of this renewed commitment, and builds on the introductions of St Andrews as a new club destination and Delta Private Jets and Delta Air Lines as new partners. We must continue to bring you more and more of this type of exciting news.

The second area I believe we must focus on is launching new approaches to expand the company’s footprint and build on our leadership position within the luxury hospitality market, where I believe we have enormous opportunities. The team has begun work in this direction, but there is still more to do. As we solidify our thoughts on these opportunities, we will share them with you so that we can work together to chart a course for an even stronger club.

I am excited to get started, and I look forward to meeting many of you along the way.