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Alan Leibman
Alan Leibman
Born	March 24, 1966 (age 49)
Nationality	South African
Alma mater	Culinary Institute of America and Florida International University
Occupation(s)	Chief Executive Officer, Kerzner International
Spouse	Cathy Mah (1994-present)
Children	2 sons
Website	http://www.kerzner.com

Alan Leibman is Chief Executive Officer for Kerzner International. He is responsible for the overall corporate strategy and planned growth of Atlantis and One&Only brands worldwide. Kerzner currently operates Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai, Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort and nine resorts under the ultra-luxury One&Only brand:One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives; One&Only Le Saint Géran in Mauritius; One&Only Royal Mirage and One&Only The Palm in Dubai; One&Only Ocean Club in The Bahamas, One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico, One&Only Cape Town in South Africa and One&Only Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef and Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley in The Blue Mountains in Australia. Under his leadership, Kerzner has announced plans for the expansion of the Atlantis brand including Atlantis, Sanya Hainan in China, as well as The Royal Atlantis Resort and Residences in Dubai, as well as five resorts in development for the ultra-luxury brand, One&Only Resorts.

Background[edit]

Leibman was born in South Africa and moved to the United States when he was 11. He grew up in the world of hospitality and worked in his family’s gourmet food and wine companies in Houston, Texas before attending the American Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, New York where he earned an Associates Degree. He also obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from Florida International University.

Leibman joined Kerzner International (formally Sun International) in 1994 as Director of Special Projects based in the United Kingdom. In February 1996, he was appointed General Manager for the company’s luxury resort hotel, Ocean Club on Paradise Island in The Bahamas and shortly thereafter, in December 1996, was promoted to Executive Vice President and General Manager, Kerzner International Bahamas. In June 1997, he was named Chief Operating Officer for all of Kerzner International’s Paradise Island properties. In this role, he oversaw the operational development and opening of an US$850 million expansion of Atlantis, Paradise Island, the Atlantis Marina, Harbourside Resort, One&Only Ocean Club and Ocean Club Estates including the Ocean Club Golf Course. Leibman was then instrumental in the strategic planning of Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort in El Jadida, Morocco until he moved to Dubai to lead the planning, strategy and opening of Atlantis, The Palm.

Prior to joining the company, Leibman was with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company where he started in 1990 as a Catering Manager in Houston. Within one year, he was promoted to Executive Manager of Food and Beverage. Recognising Leibman’s talents, the company re-assigned him to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in Australia where he moved through the organisation becoming General Manager at the age of 25, the youngest ever to hold that position. In 1993, he was appointed as Director of Operations for Ritz-Carlton’s Australia division with additional responsibility in 1994, as the General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton, Double Bay.

Development[edit]

Atlantis, The Palm, opened on 24 September 2008 as a joint venture between Kerzner International Holdings Limited and Istithmar. In April 2012, Istithmar acquired Kerzner’s 50 percent stake in the property for USD 250 million. The property continues to be managed by Kerzner International Resorts. In October 2013, Kerzner International Resorts announced it is building a new Atlantis Resort in Sanya, Hainan Island in China with China's Fosun International Ltd. The resort will have 1300 and a revolutionary waterpark. In addition, in September 2014, Kerzner International and Investment Corporation of Dubai announced plans for The Royal Atlantis Resort and Residences, offering both a sophisticated resort experience, as well as a luxury lifestyle residential community. Under the ultra-luxury One&Only brand, five resorts are currently in development—One&Only Sanya in China, One&Only Portonovi in Montenegro, One&Only Bahrain and two resorts in Mexico, One&Only Mandarina and One&Only Santa Maria de Xala. One&Only Resorts was launched in 2002 by Kerzner International and currently operates nine resorts around the world.

Kerzner Success[edit]

Leibman has been integral to the continued success of Atlantis, The Palm-the 1,539 room, ocean-themed destination resort located at the centre of the crescent of The Palm in Dubai. He was involved in every aspect of the design and development of Atlantis and under his leadership, it has become one of the most iconic resorts in the world. This US$1.5 billion joint venture project was developed with Dubai Government owned, Istithmar World PJSC. Opened 24 September 2008, the resort utilises the 46 hectares site with 17 hectares of water park amusement, further marine and entertainment attractions and a collection of some of the most renowned world-class chefs including Nobu and Giorgio Locatelli. Atlantis, The Palm offers an unprecedented entertainment centre, an impressive collection of luxury boutiques and shops and extensive meeting and convention facilities. It is home to one of the largest open-air marine habitats in the world, with some 65,000 marine animals in lagoons and displays including The Lost Chambers, a maze of underwater corridors and passageways providing a journey through ancient Atlantis.

Directorships[edit]

Leibman also currently sits on the Board of Directors for Atlantis The Palm Limited. In addition, he is a Director for both One&Only Capetown (PTY) Ltd. and One&Only Capetown Holdings, both One&Only Le Saint Geran Ltd. and One&Only Villas at St. Geran Ltd. and One&Only Reethi Rah. He also sits on the Board of Directors for Resort Co. for Mazagan Beach Resort.