Antoine Chahwan

As President of Hotel Operations in the company’s largest region – a job he co-leads with Vince Parrotta – Antoine has a broad mandate overseeing properties in the US East Coast, Caribbean and Latin America.

In the luxury sector, much is made of knowing the guest, understanding their evolving wants and anticipating their needs. “The basic recipe for the hospitality industry, and even customer service in general, hasn’t really changed. People want to be recognised, understood and welcomed. At Four Seasons, we are singularly focused on providing guests with an exceptional service experience unmatched in the industry.”

As Four Seasons continues its expansion and growth, Antoine has a clear sense of his vision for leadership: “I believe in leading by example. To do that, you must be visible and ever-present in the hearts and minds of both employees and guests, even if it is not always possible in person. Similarly to how we create an exceptional environment for our guests, we create one for our employees too, one that allows them to flourish.”

Believing that skills can be taught but attitude is ingrained, Antoine sees great benefit in the growth and global expansion of Four Seasons in recent years. “We live in a diverse world and cultural nuances are so important in hospitality. They offer us tremendous learning opportunities and expand our repertoire to deliver personalized experiences to our guests.”

Personal connections, knowing one’s colleagues and being able to come together as a team, is critical. “As we continue to welcome more and more new team members at all levels, it’s important that we remain authentic and true to one’s self, what we have in common no matter our backgrounds: the honest desire to make people happy, and to provide unscripted service from the heart. And with that, the legacy of Four Seasons continues to thrive.”