Latest news with #NeilJacobs
Forbes
5 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
How This Hospitality Visionary Is Rewriting The Rules Of Luxury Travel
After redefining wellness travel at Six Senses, Neil Jacobs is on a new mission to build the next chapter of hospitality with Wild Origins—grounded in purpose, people and place. courtesy of Neil Jacobs/Wild Origins The travel industry is defined by reinvention, so it's no surprise that the trailblazing hospitality executive Neil Jacobs has already moved onto his next act. For more than a decade, Jacobs helped redefine what luxury travel could (and should) look like as CEO of Six Senses: sustainable, soulful and grounded in place. Now, Jacobs is launching Wild Origins, a purpose-driven advisory collective and creative studio that builds on the philosophies he championed at Six Senses and pushes them even further. Jacobs says the new venture is rooted in the same values that have guided his career—doing work that feels meaningful. 'There are people out there who really care about this stuff who are not tree huggers and who still want to do business—but they want to do business in a better way,' he told me in an interview. 'Whatever I do, the wellness and the hospitality and the sustainability piece will show up in one form or another. I can't go into anything that doesn't reflect my own personal position.' It's a timely move. As travelers seek out more than just high-thread-count sheets and infinity pools, Jacobs believes the future lies in transformational experiences with depth and value. 'Trends come and go,' he says. 'It's important to focus on the fundamentals—the way you move, the way you sleep, how you connect. It's about being conscious and mindful.' That instinct is something industry insiders have long pointed to as one of Jacobs' superpowers. Craig Cogut is the CEO of Pegasus Capital Advisors, which owned Six Senses before it was sold to IHG. Cogut told me in an interview that the partnership between Pegasus and Jacobs was 'love at first sight, which deepened.' 'Neil's ability to see 10, 20 years ahead is special,' says Cogut. 'And in this age of technology, people still really matter in this business, and recruiting the right people with taste, style and sensibility can't be programmed. You have to have that. And Neil has it, and he has an ability to attract people who reinforce that.' When Jacobs joined Six Senses in 2012, the brand was best known for barefoot luxury in remote corners of Southeast Asia. Under his leadership, Six Senses became a global player—expanding from eight to 26 properties, with more than 30 currently in development. He broadened the brand's reach across Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. He also introduced urban locations and created private residences. What remained constant? Jacobs' belief that luxury doesn't have to be wasteful, wellness isn't limited to the spa, experiences should have a strong sense of place and design should always reflect its environment. For instance, when Jacobs decided that Six Senses should expand into Portugal's Douro Valley, the company took over an Asian-style hotel. Under Jacobs' direction, the out-of-place Buddhas were gone; in their place were tiles sourced from local markets. 'You can't have a hotel in Portugal that feels like it could be in Bali,' he says. 'It needs to reflect where it is.' Before Six Senses, Jacobs spent 14 years at Four Seasons, overseeing operations in Asia and helping the brand broaden its wellness focus. Later, as president of Starwood Capital Group, he helped another hospitality innovator—Barry Sternlicht—launch 1 Hotels and Baccarat Hotels. That arc gave Jacobs a unique vantage point: He's equally fluent in both operations and innovation. Wild Origins: A New Platform For Change Wild Origins is already taking shape with a series of high-profile collaborations. Jacobs is working as an advisor with Cain, a London- and New York-based private equity group, on luxury hospitality and well-being opportunities. He's also teaming up with the Bali-based hospitality company, Potato Head, to advise on the brand's strategic growth and expansion. In Saudi Arabia, Jacobs is helping shape the country's tourism pipeline through two high-impact roles. He serves on the board of directors for the upcoming Riyadh School of Tourism and Hospitality in Qiddiya, which aims to train the next generation of travel leaders. 'It's going to have 15,000 to 20,000 students—not all physical, a lot of it online,' he says. 'We've already hired the dean, a tremendous educator from Lausanne, and we're bringing in faculty now. It's super exciting to be part of it.' Jacobs is also on the advisory board of TOURISE, a new global platform steering the future of tourism in Saudi Arabia. 'If you go to Saudi today, the mood is completely different to what it was five years ago,' he says. 'Young Saudis are excited about their future. They want to work, they want to contribute. It's a beautiful country, and I do believe that what they're building will succeed and it will become a global destination. It's just going to take a while.' Jacobs' impact on the travel industry at large hasn't gone unnoticed. Chris Norton, CEO of Equinox Hotels and a former colleague of Jacobs at Four Seasons, praised his approach to leadership. 'Neil Jacobs has always shown that being principled and kind isn't a weakness, but a foundation for lasting success. In a world that often claims 'good guys can't win,' Neil proves that integrity, generosity and resilience are the real drivers of achievement—both in life and in business,' Norton told me in an interview. 'As he embarks on his new company, he stands as a reminder that the long game belongs to those who lead with character and vision.' Stacy Fischer-Rosenthal, president of Fischer Travel, echoes the sentiment. 'Neil has always been a trusted partner who deeply values relationships. Neil is a visionary and a trusted partner in the industry, who consistently grew and elevated the Six Senses brand with his integrity and exceptional leadership,' she told me in an interview. 'I am absolutely thrilled to see Neil embark on his next chapter, as this new venture will undoubtedly allow another brand to flourish under his guidance.' Doing the Work That Matters While peers celebrate his vision and leadership, Jacobs isn't focused on accolades or legacy. He's more interested in doing the work that matters. 'For me, it's about people and the development of people and culture,' he says. That includes sustainability initiatives that are doing something good for the community. "A, it's the right thing to do. But B, it's also the right commercial thing to do. It's where the two intersect, and it's a win-win.' His people-first approach fuels everything from team building to creative breakthroughs. That's especially true when it comes to innovation. 'People think you wake up in the middle of the night with a great idea—but that only happens occasionally,' he says. 'Innovation is a science as much as it's an art. There's a structured way to create an innovative environment. It doesn't just happen—you need people who are focused on it.' Jacobs also believes the best hospitality concepts are grounded in strong storytelling and clear intent—something he sees in brands like his new client, Potato Head. 'It doesn't have to be expensive,' he says. 'It just needs that kind of thinking around it and a structured approach.' That clarity of thinking extends beyond business. Jacobs works with a coach—formerly a professional athlete—who has shaped his thinking on leadership and life. 'We think our feelings are fixed, but really they're just driven by what we're thinking about at any one moment,' he says. 'So if you're mindful of your thinking, everything else ought to fall into place.' This is a mindset that informs how Jacobs leads, how he innovates and how he navigates the highs and lows. 'Life is like an elevator. ,' he says. 'Everyone wants to be in the penthouse, but every now and again you end up in the basement. And that's okay—wherever you are at any one moment is probably the place that you're intended to be. Relax. Enjoy the floor. You'll go back up when you least expect it, and you'll go down. You're going to be fine.' MORE FROM FORBES: Forbes How A Small Hotel In Jamaica Is Making A Big Difference By Laura Begley Bloom Forbes How Two Accidental Hoteliers Created One Of The World's Coolest Hotel Brands By Laura Begley Bloom Forbes Want To Leave The U.S.? This New Company Will Help You Move Abroad By Laura Begley Bloom
Travel Weekly
19 hours ago
- Business
- Travel Weekly
After leaving Six Senses, Neil Jacobs embarks on new hospitality venture
Neil Jacobs, who left Six Senses on July 1 after 13 years as CEO, has wasted no time in forming a new venture. His advisory, Wild Origins, aims to help hospitality brands "redefine sustainable and experiential travel." Jacobs, an ex-Four Seasons executive and former president of Starwood Capital Group during the period that Baccarat and 1 Hotel were formulated, has already signed clients, including Capella Hotel Group (as senior strategic advisor) and Desa Potato Head (as advisor), in addition to multiple projects in Saudi Arabia. A press release describes Wild Origins as "a purpose-driven advisory collective and creative studio … to awaken new ways of thinking across hospitality, wellness, sustainable development and lifestyle … guided by values and instinct over trends and industry norms." Although he left Six Senses on July 1, Jacobs had tendered his resignation in January, "so it's been a very long, drawn-out departure" that had "given me a bit of breathing room to think about what comes next," he said in an interview. In addition to helping Capella devise a strategic plan, Jacobs said he's involved in helping them find a new CEO. Desa Potato Head began as a beach club in Ibiza and now has two hotels in Bali. "It's been a huge success," he said. "What attracted me is their sustainability piece, which they do very, very well. Six Senses is all about sustainability, but these guys do it equally well, if not, sometimes, a bit better. "I'm going to help them expand into Europe, into Central America," he continued. "It's a perfect brand for, say, Tulum or somewhere like that. We're working on a couple of new projects to try and take the brand global." Jacobs said he's also involved in several projects in Saudi Arabia. "I'm sitting on the board of what will be an extraordinary learning institution: the Riyadh School of Tourism and Hospitality. It'll take 15,000-20,000 students. Probably half will be virtual. Saudi needs it to be sure there are enough Saudi nationals to do a big part of the work. It'll train people from entry level to MBA." Jacobs said he's on another Saudi board, Tourise, which he described as an event a bit like the International Luxury Travel Market. "Everyone here says, 'Yeah, who's going to go?' Well, it's going to take a while," he said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bipartisan support picks up for a natural disaster review board
As Texans seek answers about the Hill Country floods, some top meteorologists and policymakers are calling for the creation of a disaster review board modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates all civil aviation accidents and major transportation incidents. The idea of a nonpartisan, independent board to review weather-related disasters is nothing new, but it appears to be gaining fresh traction after the flooding in Texas left more than 120 people dead and another 170 missing. During his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Neil Jacobs endorsed the idea when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asked what he would do to ensure that Americans can better respond to emergency weather warnings. 'We also need more data and doing post-storm assessments,' Jacobs said. 'One of the things that I've envisioned, because I've worked on several aviation accidents with NTSB, is something along the lines of what they do but for weather disasters because we need the data to understand what went right, what went wrong, whether people got the warnings.' Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have taken this torch up before. Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., have introduced several bills since 2020 that would create a Natural Disaster Safety Board modeled after the NTSB. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., and several GOP colleagues have introduced companion bills in the House. In 2022, the House approved legislation that included a measure to create a Natural Disaster Safety Board, but it died in the Senate. The bills would have created an independent, seven-member board with subpoena power to perform fact-finding and identify the underlying causes of disasters' impact without assigning blame. Cassidy and Schatz did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether they think there's renewed momentum on Capitol Hill for creating a disaster review panel. Porter is no longer a member of Congress. In an email to NBC News, Congress' only meteorologist, Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., said he was working with colleagues to create an NTSB-styled program to investigate deadly storms. 'It would be amazing if meteorologists could have access to investigative reports that help us to figure out what — if anything — went wrong and what we can do in the future to be better,' Sorensen said, adding that 'clearly the tragic floods in Texas would benefit from such a report.' Sorensen's state was also hit with a powerful deluge this week, with about 5 inches of rain falling in 90 minutes over Garfield Park, on Chicago's west side, prompting multiple rescues. The Chicago and Texas floods were two of four extreme rainfall events in less than a week that researchers would expect once every thousand years. In meteorology and disaster management circles, the concept of an independent board to review disasters has percolated for years. Mike Smith, a meteorologist and former senior vice president at Accuweather, has been pushing the idea since Hurricane Sandy in 2012. 'If we want to be considered mature science that learns and can be depended upon … we're going to have to accept valid and well-thought-out criticism and suggestions for improvement,' Smith said. 'The idea of a disaster review board is — hopefully you have an honest broker.' Smith describes himself as a 'Reagan conservative,' and his pitch for a disaster review board has been part of the discussion on the website of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. Other meteorologists have also endorsed the broad concept of a disaster review board. In an interview, Alan Gerard, the former director of the analysis and understanding branch at NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory, said the flooding in Texas called for a 'more holistic approach" like that of the NTSB. The earliest calls for such a disaster review agency date to 2006, according to Andrew Revkin, a longtime science journalist and blogger. This article was originally published on
NBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Bipartisan support picks up for a natural disaster review board
As Texans seek answers about the Hill Country floods, some top meteorologists and policymakers are calling for the creation of a disaster review board modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates all civil aviation accidents and major transportation incidents. The idea of a nonpartisan, independent board to review weather-related disasters is nothing new, but it appears to be gaining fresh traction after the flooding in Texas left more than 120 people dead and another 170 missing. During his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Neil Jacobs endorsed the idea when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asked what he would do to ensure that Americans can better respond to emergency weather warnings. 'We also need more data and doing post-storm assessments,' Jacobs said. 'One of the things that I've envisioned, because I've worked on several aviation accidents with NTSB, is something along the lines of what they do but for weather disasters because we need the data to understand what went right, what went wrong, whether people got the warnings.' Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have taken this torch up before. Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., have introduced several bills since 2020 that would create a Natural Disaster Safety Board modeled after the NTSB. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., and several GOP colleagues have introduced companion bills in the House. In 2022, the House approved legislation that included a measure to create a Natural Disaster Safety Board, but it died in the Senate. The bills would have created an independent, seven-member board with subpoena power to perform fact-finding and identify the underlying causes of disasters' impact without assigning blame. Cassidy and Schatz did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether they think there's renewed momentum on Capitol Hill for creating a disaster review panel. Porter is no longer a member of Congress. In an email to NBC News, Congress' only meteorologist, Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., said he was working with colleagues to create an NTSB-styled program to investigate deadly storms. 'It would be amazing if meteorologists could have access to investigative reports that help us to figure out what — if anything — went wrong and what we can do in the future to be better,' Sorensen said, adding that 'clearly the tragic floods in Texas would benefit from such a report.' Sorensen's state was also hit with a powerful deluge this week, with about 5 inches of rain falling in 90 minutes over Garfield Park, on Chicago's west side, prompting multiple rescues. The Chicago and Texas floods were two of four extreme rainfall events in less than a week that researchers would expect once every thousand years. In meteorology and disaster management circles, the concept of an independent board to review disasters has percolated for years. Mike Smith, a meteorologist and former senior vice president at Accuweather, has been pushing the idea since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DOGE Cut National Weather Service Jobs. Trump's NOAA Pick Now Says He Wants To Fill Them.
The Trump administration's so-called Department of Government Efficiency slashed jobs earlier this year at the National Weather Service, cutting roughly 600 positions in the name of combating government waste. Now Neil Jacobs, President Donald Trump's pick to run the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees NWS, says that he'll make 'staffing the Weather Service offices a top priority' if he's confirmed. Jacobs' statement came during a Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday, as the administration has faced significant backlash over the NWS staffing cuts given the deadly flooding in Texas. A New York Times report this weekend raised concerns about whether staffing shortages inhibited NWS's communication about flash flood warnings with local officials. While former NWS officials told The Times that rain forecasts were as accurate as they could be under the circumstances, they noted that the weather service may have lost experienced staff who could have helped relay information about the flash flood warnings overnight. 'It's really important for the people to be there because they have relationships with the people in the local community,' Jacobs said during his Senate testimony. Previously, the Trump administration laid off or offered buyouts to hundreds of NWS staff. In the part of Texas where floods recently hit, the San Antonio/Austin NWS office was short six employees from its standard staffing of 26 people, NBC News reported. The San Angelo office, which provided alerts to parts of Central Texas, was also short four people from its standard staffing of 23, NBC noted. Tom Fahy, the legislative director of the NWS Employees Organization, told CNN that the Austin/San Antonio office was down a warning coordination meteorologist, a key liaison between forecasters and emergency managers. Jacobs' statement that staffing should be a 'top priority' at the weather service is just the latest to highlight DOGE actions that have needed cleaning up. The Trump administration previously dismissed employees who help oversee the country's nuclear weapons, as well as those who help fight bird flu, only to scramble to try to rehire them. It's unclear exactly how the weather service would pay for more staff. Jacobs also said Wednesday he supports Trump's budget, which cuts funding for NOAA by roughly a quarter.
