Andrew Dawson to join Royalton International as CFO

Former Sunwing Vacations Group president Andrew Dawson is set to become CFO of all-inclusive hospitality company Royalton International.

Royalton, which was established in 2002 and, today, is privately owned by the Hunter family, runs 24 resorts across the Caribbean and Mexico.

Dawson spent nearly 17 years with Sunwing, initially serving as chief operating officer and president of tour operations. After the tour operator was acquired by the WestJet Group in 2023, he went on to lead Sunwing Vacations Group as president for nearly three years before stepping down in March of this year.

His departure from Sunwing marked the end of a remarkable run that helped shaped Canada’s vacation industry.

READ MORE: “I’ve achieved everything I wanted to do”: Andrew Dawson wraps up final month at Sunwing

Since joining Sunwing in 2009, Dawson was instrumental in turning the company into a powerhouse—building it into one of the largest vacation providers in the country and overseeing a strategy of full vertical integration.

From retail to airlines, resorts, and destination management companies, Sunwing became a tightly-controlled ecosystem designed for efficiency and growth.

But after nearly 17 years at the helm, Dawson felt the timing was right to fly in a new direction.

“It’s a change in era,” he told PAX in an interview last month. “I needed a change and the company needs to move on. It’s probably easier to do so with new ideas.”

In a statement to PAX on Monday (April 27), Dawson said that while he's new to the hotel business, "I’m excited to be reacquainted with many former colleagues and looking forward to being able to help them continue the growth and development of this amazing brand." 

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