Robert Whitfield
If you opened your email recently you probably saw a notice from Vince Parrotta, President of Four Seasons Hotels America. The email told us that Robert Whitfield, Regional Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Hualalai, will be leaving his position at the end of March.
For many of us this was a shock, especially since Florian Riedel, the head of our Club, left his position earlier this year. Many members are wondering why there are significant changes in top management and how will this affect our experience here at Hualālai. It prompted me to interview Robert ASAP to find out why this is happening.
To give you a little background, Robert has been with Four Seasons for 19 years. The last ten have been at Hualālai running the hotel while for the past two years he has also spearheaded the integration of the Club and the Hotel into one .
Q: Robert, why are you leaving Hualalai?
A: I’m originally from England and about a year ago my mother’s health began to deteriorate. I reached out to the Four Seasons to see if I could transfer to the London area so I could help my folks as they aged. Unfortunately, there were no openings within Four Seasons. As fate would have it, I recently received an inquiry from the Dorchester Group about a position within its ranks which would base me in London. Ultimately, while I am sad to leave the home that I love here at Hualālai, I know that I belong with my family during this time.
Q: So just to be clear, you are not leaving because of anything that is happening here at Hualālai?
A: Not at all. This move is strictly for personal reasons. Hualālai is one of the most beautiful and special places in the world, and it will always hold a dear place in my heart. I have a decade of wonderful memories with this place.
Q: Many of us are aware of how hard you and the staff have worked on combining the Club and the Hotel resort into “One ‘Ohana.” We know what the struggles have been on both sides. Without you and Florian, how can we be assured that all the work that has been done and that still needs to be done will have a good leader?
A: The first thing that we have done to ensure the continued success of “One Strong Hualalai ‘Ohana” is to hire Debbie Casey to lead all aspects of the Hualālai Club. She will be running the Club and representing members’ interests to the new resort General Manager. Debbie not only has a stellar professional career history of managing private clubs, she also plans to be on the Big Island for the entirety of her career. I encourage each of you to reach out to her and welcome her with the warmth and aloha you have shown me.
She and Helen Barry Cooper, as well as the other staff, will be located at Ke ‘Olu and will be overseeing the staff connected to the Club, as well as working with the Member committees that advise the various activities.
Q: Will Debbie report to whoever takes your position?
A: Yes, she will, and I have every confidence that she will care for Member interests.
Q: Who will be training her and helping her out?
A: I will be assisting Debbie in her new role for the remainder of my time at Hualālai. Fortunately, I don’t believe she will need extensive training because of her background. I’m sure all of her Staff and the Members will quickly acclimate her to the ‘Hualālai way.’
Q: But, you are leaving to go to London a week or two after she arrives.
A: That’s true, but I will be available to her until she settles in.
Q: When will the new resort General Manager be arriving?
A: We have narrowed the search to two candidates and hope to make the decision as soon as possible. I expect this individual will arrive a week or two before I leave, giving us quality time to hand over successfully.
Q: You know, Robert, when the Club integrated with the Hotel, members wondered, “Whom do we contact if we are having problems with the Four Seasons management?” Now that you are leaving, and we don’t know the new director, whom do we talk to about any problems?
A: Our goal is to make these changes as seamless as possible for our Members. Everything will continue as planned. Keep in mind that the resort ownership group are invested in the success of Hualālai for the long term. They have plans to invest a substantial amount of funds in both the Hotel and the Club and want it to remain one of the most outstanding resort communities in the world .
Additionally, two asset managers from the resort ownership group work very closely with Hualālai. They will be assuring that everything goes smoothly.
Finally, I am confident that Debbie Casey and the rest of the leadership team will carry on the vision of the Hualālai Club and be a strong foundation and resource for all Members.
Q: Robert, many of the Members are wondering if the current lawsuit has contributed to your and/or Florian’s move away from Hualalai?
A: My move is strictly about wanting to return to London to help my parents out as they age. The lawsuit has nothing to do with my resignation and relocation. What I know about Florian is he needed to relocate once his wife became pregnant. I’ve been at Hualālai for ten years. In this industry, that’s a long time. Kathleen, our previous General Manager, was also here for ten years. I hope the next Resort General Manager will also be here for a decade or longer.
Q: What about the capital projects that are planned? The Canoe Club remodel for instance?
A: We still expect to renovate the Canoe Club this year and hope to announce more details shortly.
Q: Robert, our members invested substantial funds into their homes here and they see living here as a stable/lifestyle community for themselves and their families. Some may have other questions and concerns about the turnover in both the Club Manager and your positions. Would you be willing to answer questions from the Members and allow me to publish them on the blog for all to see?
A: I have no problem with that at all. I will also attend next Monday’s reception to answer questions.
Q: Robert, thank you for your time. Many of us wish you the best of success in your new endeavors in London. Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: I truly understand the concerns of the Members, concerns that include long-term planning, differences in cultures between clubs and hotels and the issue of stability. What I can say is that change will occur. You can’t really stop it. I personally commit to making sure all the changes that come our way will be handled with grace and aloha. The goal shared by Management, Staff and Members is that Hualālai continues to be a place of warmth and welcome for those who have made it their home.
NOTE TO THE MEMBERS: Please feel free to email more questions about the change of management to editor@hualalaimembers.com. Robert will get the questions and in turn I will publish the answers on the blog.
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