MEDIA CONTACTFORAQUA HOTELS& RESORTS: SandiYara Em:
[email protected] Ph:808-221-2759(Hawai‘iStandardTime) BenjaminRafter PresidentandCEO BenjaminRafterwasnamedPresidentandCEOofWaikiki-basedAquaHotels&Resortsin November2008. Thecompanycurrentlyoperates16hotelsundertheAquaBoutiqueand Litebrands.Inthisposition,Rafterischargedwithadvancingthecompany’sglobalgrowth strategy. “Benisagenuinerisingstarinthehospitalityand technologyindustries,contributingabroadrangeof leadershipexperiencetotheAquateam,”saidPaulin.“His backgroundsaysitall,ashehasco-foundedorled e-commerceandtravelcompaniesinSeattle, LasVegasand Honolulu.Heworkedinmarketinganddistributionat WestinHotels&Resortsandhisrelationshipswith Cambridge TechnologyPartnersandWasserstein&Co. haveprovidedhimabroadviewofcorporateAmerica.” “Beniswellequippedtodealwiththechallengesof Hawaii’severchangingandcompetitivemarketplace.He sharesourvisionthatAquaisonitswaytobecominganinternationalbrandrenownfor serviceandculturalauthenticity.Hisappointmentallowsmetoexpandmyroleworking withourhotelownersanddeliveringonAqua’sservicestandardsandpromisestoour customers,”addedPaulin. Rafterhasspentmorethan15yearsguidingsuccessfultechnologyandtravel companies.Hehascreatedglobalinnovationcenters,actedasaprincipalstrategistfor Fortune500andstartupcompaniesandfoundedthrivingcompaniesofhisown. Mostrecently,hewaspresidentandCEOofJetAway/Travelworm,aLasVegas-based onlinetravelretailerfocusingoncasinoandleisurevacationmarketsacrosstheUnited States.PriortoTravelworm,RafterwasCEOofGet2Hawaii,aHonolulu-baseddynamic