• Neil Jacobs has stepped down from his role as CEO of Six Senses, but says he will not be retiring and teases the launch of a new venture
• He has shepherded the company through a sale to IHG Hotels and Resorts, the pandemic and the evolution of its wellness concept
• Six Senses now has 27 hotels and resorts in operation and 38 more in the pipeline
• The brand’s first social wellness club, Six Senses Place, is due to open at Six Senses London, UK, later this year

Neil Jacobs, CEO of Six Senses, has teased the launch of a new business as he prepares to step back from his role at Six Senses after more than 13 years.

I’m stepping away from leadership of the company and setting out on a new adventure, Jacobs explained. It’s a moment filled with many emotions — pride in what we’ve built, gratitude for those I’ve worked alongside, and excitement for what’s ahead.

Some might assume stepping down means slowing down or retiring, he continued. That road is not for me and I’ll soon be announcing a new venture, one that feels like a return to my own wild origins. A chance to explore fresh ideas, challenge assumptions, and collaborate with kindred spirits who believe, as I do, that hospitality can be a force for good.

Jacobs spent 14 years at Four Seasons and four years at Starwood Capital, where he worked closely on the Baccarat and 1Hotel brands, before joining the team at Pegasus Capital Advisors that bought Six Senses in 2012 and sold it to IHG in 2019. .

At that point the company operated 10 resorts and spas under the Six Senses and Evason brands, as well as 18 standalone Six Senses Spas in other third party branded properties around the world.

Jacobs went on to shape the business by leading the expansion of the brand at urban locations, boutique lodges, resorts and hotels globally – not wanting the business to be pigeon-holed as just a resort operator, but rather to be seen as a global, sustainable wellness and hotel company.

The company, which was acquired for US$300 million (€261 million, £223,000) by IHG Hotels and Resorts in 2019, now has 27 hotels and resorts in operation and 38 more in the pipeline, with 12 residential developments also in the works and a valuation in the billions.

Read the full article at IHG Hotels & Resorts