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John Callaghan Retires After 34 Years, Leaving a Legacy of Excellence at Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
After 34 years of transformative management at Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives, John Callaghan formally retired on December 31, 2024. A driving drive behind the evolution of those iconic resorts, Callaghan’s legacy is marked by innovation, resilience, and a dedication to excellence, shaping the properties into world-renowned locations cherished by vacationers throughout the globe.
Callaghan’s journey started in 1991 when he encountered the Divi and Tamarijn properties, then getting ready to closure as a result of chapter. On the time, he was with Doral Motels, which had determined to exit the hospitality sector. Seizing the chance, Callaghan rallied a bunch of traders, secured financing, and purchased the struggling properties. With a visionary strategy, he pioneered Aruba’s first all-inclusive resort idea, revolutionizing hospitality on the island. His guest-centric tradition fostered distinctive loyalty, with many company returning yr after yr.
To comprehend his formidable imaginative and prescient, Callaghan partnered with Alex Nieuwmeyer, a meals and beverage knowledgeable from Doral Park Avenue, to enhance his personal strengths in gross sales and advertising and marketing. Collectively, they elevated the resorts’ visitor experiences, increasing culinary choices and enhancing service high quality. After Nieuwmeyer’s passing in 2021, Callaghan honored his associate’s reminiscence by pledging to retire when the time was proper—a promise he fulfilled on the shut of 2024.
All through his tenure, Callaghan skillfully guided Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives by way of vital challenges, together with financial downturns, 9/11, and the COVID-19 pandemic. His steadfast management ensured the resorts’ dedication to their 500-strong workforce, even reallocating renovation budgets through the pandemic to maintain jobs. Noteworthy accomplishments beneath his stewardship embrace the addition of 60 rooms to Divi’s capability, the introduction of worldwide impressed eating choices, and fostering a office the place many staff have remained for over 20 years.
Right now, Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives stand as a testomony to Callaghan’s enduring influence, celebrated for his or her gorgeous beachfront areas, distinctive eating, and immersive visitor experiences. Acknowledged with quite a few awards, these properties have change into synonymous with excellent hospitality, leaving an indelible mark on Aruba’s tourism panorama.
“I am immensely proud of what we accomplished together, not just in building successful resorts but in creating a true family,” stated Callaghan. “The relationships formed here—between staff, guests and the local community—are what make Divi & Tamarijn so special. It has been an incredible privilege to be part of this journey, and I am confident the properties will continue to thrive.”
Beginning January 2025, the US Company crew of Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives will probably be beneath the management of Senior Vice President of Gross sales and Advertising and marketing Aracely Sansone and Vice President of Gross sales Operations Cynthia Powell Gosse. Sansone, who has been with the properties since 1997, and Powell Gosse, a crew member since 2002, carry many years of expertise and a deep connection to the resorts. As integral members of the family-like neighborhood fostered by John Callaghan, their management ensures a clean transition and continued success. Their experience in advertising and marketing and gross sales operations positions Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives for ongoing excellence within the years to return.
