Mr. Shaw, through his shareholding in Phoenicia Hotel Lux, acquired PML and PHCL on 01 July 2013. Mr. Shaw has been the driving force behind the refurbishment of the Phoenicia Hotel and has overseen its redevelopment and will continue to be fully involved in future phases of the development process of the Hotel. Mr Shaw is an entrepreneur and property developer with extensive experience in development, particularly within the leisure sector in Europe.
Mr Shaw is the Chief Executive Officer of Hazledene Group Limited, a development company incorporated in 1998 and based in Edinburgh, which develops commercial and residential properties and possesses expertise in hotel management and development. The Hazledene Group has a number of residential development sites under its ownership and management, with recent ventures including the creation of a new town situated at Stratton, Inverness, Scotland, involving the construction of 750 residential units at initial phase, and having infrastructure of circa €8 million installed. At completion stage, it is envisaged that the development will have in excess of 1,500 houses, retail, leisure, school and public health facilities. Mr Shaw became the Chief Executive of Recreaction SRL, following his acquisition thereof in 2012, which company owned and operated The Pragelato Village Resort in the Italian Alps. In 2013, the resort was redeveloped and then leased for 15 years to a French listed company and is now Club Med’s premier Alpine Village. Following its redevelopment, Mr Shaw sold the resort to HSBC Assurance. Further, Mr Shaw is the sole ultimate owner of The Park Inn by Radisson, located in Aberdeen, Scotland, which opened in 2010 as a 185-bed hotel. The hotel was constructed and completed together with adjoining offices which presently locate two major oil services companies’ global headquarters. Mr Shaw is also a director of two Spanish companies which own 300 hectares of land near Murcia, for the execution of a large leisure and residential development. Commencing in September 2018, extensive development has taken place, beginning with the creation of an 18-hole golf course and associated leisure and sporting facilities. A number of villas and townhouses have been constructed and sold, and development continues, with over 1200 residential plots under ownership. Mr Shaw was also the Chief Executive of Urbicus Limited which managed the purchase and realisation of over €750 million of distressed banking assets in the UK, during the period 2011 to 2018. Urbicus’ subsidiary Castle Capital lends development finance to third party developers, and funded two successful hotel developments in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as other commercial projects.
Prior to his property development career, Mr Shaw was a professional racing driver, in various categories. He has raced for TWR Arrows F1’s Junior Team in British Formula 3, as well as the International and Italian Formula 3000, amongst others. Mr Shaw continues to race historic Grand Prix events, and has won several races in recent years in both Europe and the USA, including the Monaco Historic GP. Mr Shaw is a board member of the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association and chairman of an amateur boxing club in Scotland. He was also a member of the previous First Minister of Scotland’s Sustainable Growth Commission.