Tortuga Resorts, a real estate and asset management platform focused on luxury beachfront hospitality across Mexico and the Caribbean, appoints Leo Schlesinger chief executive officer.
Schlesinger brings more than 30 years of hands-on operating and executive leadership experience to Tortuga, including international roles in London, New York, Santiago, São Paulo and Mexico. He began his career in banking and financial services with multinational institutions such as Citi and Cigna and later spent over 20 years in private equity, leading portfolio companies and building multi-country, brand-partnered platforms.
He most recently served as group CEO of Norte 19, one of Latin America's largest publicly traded hotel owners and operators, overseeing a portfolio of 154 hotels across diverse markets and working closely with global hotel brands, including Marriott and City Express. Previously, Schlesinger was CEO of Aliat Universidades, a private equity-backed portfolio company, where he transformed the organization into one of Mexico's largest higher-education institutions by integrating 16 schools across 51 campuses and digitizing operations into a scalable academic and technology platform.
"Tortuga's strength has always come from its people – our dedicated teams, trusted partners and the incredible communities we serve across Mexico and the Caribbean," Schlesinger said in a statement. "I'm thrilled to work alongside our brand partners and property teams to continue innovating and providing the resources to help deliver exceptional guest experiences and drive long-term value across our platform. Together, I am confident that we'll set new benchmarks for excellence and create meaningful experiences for our guests and communities."
Following the recently announced agreement to acquire a portfolio of 15 all-inclusive resorts from Hyatt Hotels across Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, Tortuga continues to be well positioned for its next phase of strategic growth, according to the company. In addition to this transformational transaction, Tortuga has continued to invest in its operational capabilities, talent and leadership, including appointing Hans Schroeder as chief financial officer last December.