Matsumoto was born and raised on Lanai and, as vice president of resorts and administration for Lanai Co. Inc. from 1991 to 2000, was in charge of The Lodge at Koele and the Manele Bay Hotel, as well as the island’s two signature golf courses.
"We are very happy to welcome Kurt as COO of Lanai Resorts at an exciting time for the island of Lāna’i," said Paul Marinelli, vice president of parent company Lanai Island Holdings, LLC. "We took the time and proceeded very thoughtfully to find someone with the professional qualifications and background to be Lāna’i Resorts’ top executive in Hawaii. Kurt embodies the Lāna’i Resorts cultural standard – professional excellence, community awareness, deep appreciation of the island’s past, and a strong commitment to an amazing future."
Matsumoto will be leaving his position as general manager of The Club at Kukuiula on Kauai, where he has been for the past five years, to assume the Lāna’i Resorts, LLC, position on Dec. 1.
"I’m honored to join Lāna’i Resorts, LLC," Matsumoto said. "Lāna’i is my home. I never imagined I’d get an opportunity like this. It’s a blessing for Lāna’i to have someone like Larry Ellison come in with a great appreciation for the island as well as the willingness to work with the community."
Matsumoto’s roots are deep on Lanai. His parents, Yukio "Shoe" and Matsuko (Kaya), were married on Lanai in 1952. Kurt and his older brother Colbert both left the island after graduating from high school. Kurt has had a distinguished career in the travel and hospitality industry. Aside from running the two world-class resorts on Lāna’i, and serving as general manager of The Club at Kukuiula, Matsumoto was also general manager of Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows on the Big Island of Hawaii.
"I’ve worked on the mainland, in the Caribbean and on three different Hawaiian islands," Matsumoto said. "It’s as if those experiences were leading me to this place and preparing me for this position."
Marinelli said Matsumoto was uniquely qualified for the Lanai Resorts COO position because of his extensive expertise in resort industry management and his experience in every aspect of operations on Lāna’i including hospitality, construction, human resources, conservation, permitting and community relations.
Ellison purchased 97 percent of Lanai from Castle & Cooke in June. Lanai is often called the largest privately owned island in the United States, although individual homeowners, Maui County and the state government own approximately three percent of the land.
Nearly 3,000 people live on the island. Since Ellison bought Lanai, the island has already seen economic growth, with more than 100 new jobs created. The number of visitors to Lanai has also risen in recent months, with more than 57,000 visitors as of the end of September. For over 8,400 of these, Lāna’i was their only Hawaii destination.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
