Sandals’ Adam Stewart Receives International Achievement Award in New York

The American Friends of Jamaica honored the Sandals and Beaches executive chairman for his contributions to tourism, business and communities across the Caribbean.

Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals and Beaches Resorts, has received the American Friends of Jamaica’s 2026 International Achievement Award, recognizing his leadership in Caribbean tourism and his contributions to Jamaica’s economic and community development.

Stewart accepted the honor at the organization’s annual Hummingbird Gala on Oct. 16 at The Plaza Hotel in New York. Emmy Award-winning actress and advocate Sheryl Lee Ralph received the International Humanitarian Award during the same evening, which brought together business leaders, philanthropists and supporters of Jamaica.

The gala included remarks from Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and a performance by reggae and dancehall pioneer Sister Nancy. The annual event supports the American Friends of Jamaica’s initiatives in education, healthcare and economic development across the island.

In his acceptance remarks, Stewart traced the company’s origins to 1981, when his late father, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, opened a 99-room hotel beside the airport in Montego Bay. That property became the starting point for a resort company whose identity remains closely tied to Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

Today, the organization has more than 20,000 team members, with 97 percent born in the Caribbean, Stewart said. His remarks focused on the people behind that expansion, connecting the company’s international profile to the talent and opportunities within the region.

“What makes that journey truly remarkable is what it has shown about the extraordinary gifts, talent and spirit of the Caribbean people,” Stewart said.

That regional presence spans the adults-only Sandals portfolio and the family-focused Beaches brand. Earlier this year, Beaches Turks and Caicos opened its new $150 million village, another major investment under Stewart’s leadership.

During the closures, Sandals pledged to retain all of its Jamaican team members on payroll with their benefits intact. The company also committed more than $5 million in direct recovery assistance for employees affected by Hurricane Melissa, while the Sandals Foundation mobilized relief efforts in storm-affected communities.

Those commitments formed another part of the recognition: the relationship between the company’s tourism operations and the people whose livelihoods depend on them. The recovery assistance extended that relationship beyond the resorts themselves and into employees’ homes and communities.

Stewart’s education initiatives include Sandals Corporate University, which he founded in 2012 to expand employees’ access to professional certifications, degree programs and continued learning. As president of the Sandals Foundation, he also supports programs in education, community development and environmental conservation throughout Jamaica and the Caribbean.

The award recognizes that combination of business leadership and community investment at a significant point for Jamaica’s tourism sector. With three major resort reopenings approaching, Stewart’s latest honor comes alongside a substantial commitment to the island where the Sandals story began.