CNW Businessman/Philanthropist of the Year 2025: Adam Stewart

At a moment when the Caribbean’s tourism economy faced one of its greatest tests, Adam Stewart emerged as a defining figure in both business resilience and community support. In 2025, the Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI) didn’t just guide his iconic hospitality empire through crisis — he used its scale and influence to help shape Jamaica’s rebound and lay groundwork for future regional growth.

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The year began with a broader vision for Caribbean tourism. At the Skift Global Forum in New York City, Stewart outlined an ambitious expansion of the Sandals and Beaches brands, including plans for a Beaches Resort in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — a 360‑room, family‑focused all‑inclusive property at Mount Wynne Beach valued at about US$500 million, widely discussed as one of the largest tourism investments in that nation’s history.

Stewart also highlighted upcoming developments across the group’s pipeline, from 101 new suites at Beaches Turks & Caicos’ Treasure Beach Village to emerging properties like Beaches Exuma, Beaches Barbados, and Beaches Runaway Bay in Jamaica, representing more than US$1 billion in combined investment.

Under Stewart’s leadership, Sandals and Beaches operate a network of 17 resorts across eight Caribbean islands, employing more than 20,000 team members, with additional properties planned in high‑growth family tourism markets — milestones that underscore Stewart’s emphasis on regional jobs, training, and local economic linkages.

In June, Stewart’s influence crossed into global business strategy when he was invited to join the Wall Street Journal CEO Council, a prestigious forum of top executives shaping global commerce and innovation. His seat at that table affirmed the Caribbean’s hospitality sector as a strategic voice in international business dialogue.

Industry recognition followed in 2025. At the 32nd Annual World Travel Awards Caribbean & The Americas, Sandals and Beaches collectively took home 16 titles, including Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand for the 32nd consecutive year and top honours for multiple individual resorts such as Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Dunn’s River, and Beaches Turks & Caicos. Awards also celebrated Sandals Royal Curaçao, Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals South Coast and others across major categories.

The defining test of Stewart’s year came in late October when Hurricane Melissa devastated parts of Jamaica’s tourism infrastructure. In response, he led transparent communication with key stakeholders — from global travel advisors to frontline staff — and pledged that 100 per cent of Sandals and Beaches employees would remain on payroll and receive Christmas bonuses, even at resorts that were temporarily closed for repairs. The company also allocated more than US$3 million in staff recovery aid, providing direct support to families grappling with storm impacts.

By early December 2025, five resorts — including Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Ocho Rios, Sandals Negril, and Beaches Negril — were ready to reopen with full amenities, while others scheduled for May 2026 would return stronger and refreshed, part of a strategy Stewart calls “Sandals 2.0.”

Beyond business leadership, 2025 was a banner year for the Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm Stewart guides, marked by record‑setting community engagement and targeted disaster recovery support across the Caribbean.

During the holiday season, the foundation completed its largest toy distribution to date, delivering 45,000 toys across nine Caribbean destinations — including Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Grenada, Barbados, Curaçao and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The initiative, supported by major toy partners, focused not only on joy and celebration but on reaching communities still recovering from Hurricane Melissa.

In one of its most high‑impact health sector contributions of the year, the Sandals Foundation donated approximately US$6 million in medical equipment and supplies to Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston. The donation came on short notice after the Ministry of Health requested support to strengthen capacity for critically ill pediatric patients being transferred from hospitals damaged by the hurricane. Equipment included neonatal ventilators, infusion pumps, blood gas analyzers and other life‑saving devices, boosting Jamaica’s only specialist children’s facility at a moment of acute need.

On the environmental and livelihood front, the foundation partnered with RUBiS Energy Jamaica to deliver $3.5 million in aid to fishers in Westmoreland whose boats, gear and means of income were devastated by Melissa. The package included hundreds of rolls of fishing wire and thousands of litres of fuel to restore boat operations, with the foundation also facilitating psychological support and solar solutions to help communities stay connected.

And in October, nearly 200 volunteers were mobilised for a major coastal cleanup across Jamaican beaches as part of International Coastal Cleanup Day, bringing together Sandals staff, partners and community stakeholders to remove almost 1,000 pounds of debris and highlight long‑term environmental stewardship.

Taken together, these actions show a broad, year‑long strategy under Stewart’s direction: from holiday support for children and families, to health system strengthening, to economic rebuilding and environmental activism.