Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals Resorts International, Awarded the Florida International University's School of Hospitality and Tourism Torch Award Being Recognized as an Outstanding Alumnus

Florida International University Alumni Association honored School of Hospitality and Tourism Management alumnus Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals Resorts International , with a Torch Award during the 10th annual Awards Gala on Saturday, March 19. Stewart was recognized as one of the university's most outstanding alumni for his contributions to the hospitality industry, the community and FIU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, one of the leading programs of its kind in the world offering an unmatched experiential learning environment to those studying hotel, foodservice and travel-related industries.

"We are proud to have Adam Stewart among our growing number of distinguished alumni, now among the ranks of those moving the hospitality industry forward," said Mike Hampton, Dean of Florida International University's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. "Stewart is most deserving of the Torch Award because in addition to his career achievements, he also exemplifies FIU's Worlds Ahead mission of going beyond what is expected, providing a leading example to our students of what they can become."

Upon graduation in 2003, with a degree in hospitality management from the FIU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Stewart immediately joined Sandals Resorts International, which his father, Gordon 'Butch' Stewart launched in 1981. He performed various jobs within the company, from reservations and meetings and incentives, to technology and public relations, before taking over as CEO in 2006. Stewart also founded the Sandals Foundation in 2008 to protect the ecosystems of the areas in which they have resorts and hotels.

"I am honored to be recognized as a leader in the hospitality industry by the institution that helped cultivate my knowledge in the field," said Stewart. "I have worked vigorously to act on the principles I learned from both Florida International University School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and from my father, and attribute much of the success that I have achieved thus far to both of them."

Previous FIU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management alumni who have won Torch Awards include Humberto "Burt" Cabanas '76, CEO, Benchmark Hospitality; Philip S. Goldfarb '79, President, Fontainebleau Hotel; and Lani Kane-Hanan '84, Senior VP, Marriott Vacation Club.

Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is one of the highest rated hospitality and tourism programs in the United States. Each year, over 1500 undergraduate and graduate students from across the United States and around the world choose FIU for its outstanding reputation, advantageous locations, impressive faculty, rich curriculum, and fast-track career advantages in the international hotel, foodservice and tourism industries.