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| Hiroaki Iizawa at the awards ceremony
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Saint Endréol Resort is a full-service golf resort located in Provence, France, operated by Kajima France Development S.A.R.L. Bustling with guests from every country in Europe, the 145-hectare resort features an 18-hole golf course, hotel, spa, and restaurants, as well as a thriving real estate business in villas, town houses and apartments.
The appointment of Hiroaki Iizawa as president of the resort in April 2000 attracted a good deal of attention: at the age of 31 he became the youngest president of a Kajima Group company.
Again in the spotlight, Iizawa received the 2008 Business Person of the Year from the Riviera branch of the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC Riviera). The award is presented each year at the end of November to a business person who makes outstanding contributions to local business over the year. This occasion marked the first time the award was presented to a person from a country outside of the European Union.
The BCC Riviera is a non-profit organization established in 1996 to facilitate communication between English-speaking business people and businesses on the Cote d’Azur. The association currently has almost 800 members. In selecting the recipient of the award, a shortlist of seven candidates is determined in a general vote by members, after which a selection committee makes the final decision. The committee selected Iizawa for his steady hand in developing the luxury resort since 2000.
Admitting that his efforts are starting to bear some fruit, Iizawa had this to say on winning the award: "I believe the award recognized Kajima’s development approach of creating a resort that delivers ‘affordable luxury.'"
Working with his staff of 80 French employees at Saint Endréol, Iizawa stresses that nothing is more important than communication, and says the key is always being ready to address issues flexibly, with common sense.
Commenting on his ambitions for the future development of the resort’s business, Iizawa declared, "I would like to take advantage of the resort’s new level of recognition to become even more active in the local business community and create new business opportunities."
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