The Abaco Club Announces Key Leadership Appointments
Southworth’s The Abaco Club on Great Abaco Island, The Bahamas, is pleased to announce the appointments of three executives to their leadership team: Michael Flint assumes the role of General Manager, Morris Wilkes joins the team as Food & Beverage Director and Moses Haven steps into the position of Executive Chef. The appointments come at a pivotal time for The Abaco Club, as the private club and residential community is currently undergoing a multi-million-dollar investment in new residential real estate developments, amenities and member services.
Flint will spearhead all aspects of The Abaco Club as it undergoes its transformation, prioritizing service excellence, elevating member experiences, and establishing a dynamic and skilled team. As Food & Beverage Director, Wilkes will lead all culinary operations at The Abaco Club, overseeing the five onsite dining venues and new Winding Bay Beach Club, in addition to spearheading the club’s popular annual members events such as LobsterFest. Chef Moses will work alongside Wilkes to execute his culinary vision for the club, implementing new menus and culinary programming, as well as focusing on training and team building.
“We are thrilled to welcome these three exceptional leaders to The Abaco Club,” said Southworth President Tommy Southworth. “Michael’s extensive experience leading prestigious member- and guest-focused organizations around the world, and his rich knowledge in club operations, member
experience and team leadership, along with Morris Wilkes and Chef Moses’ deep culinary expertise and passion, align perfectly with our vision of delivering a best-in-class array of services and experiences for our members. We’re excited to see where their collaboration at The Abaco Club takes us.”
Born and raised in Jamaica, Michael Flint brings a wealth of experience, with over 35 years in the luxuryclub and resort industry. Since starting his career with The Ritz-Carlton Hotels in 1987, Flint has ascended through the ranks, initially on the food & beverage side, honing his expertise at luxury establishments such as Boca Raton Club & Resort, Delano Hotel in Miami, Sanderson & St. Martin’s Lane Hotels in London, and PPHE Hotel Group. After transitioning to operations management, Flint’s esteemed career includes leadership roles at globally acclaimed private clubs and residences, such as The Albany in The Bahamas and, most recently, Mövenpick Hotel & Residences and Muthaiga Country Club in Nairobi, Kenya. Returning to The Bahamas with his wife Lily, Flint embraces the exciting challenges of steering The Abaco Club into a new era.
Morris Wilkes started his career in hospitality 15 years ago, working across hotels, island resorts and exclusive private clubs within every discipline of food & beverage, with strong expertise in the Caribbean. From opening club lounges and new restaurants to revitalizing existing dining establishments, implementing new programming and leading teams upwards of 300 people, Wilkes experience is extensive and varied. In the private club space, Wilkes worked as the Director of Food & Beverage at Bakers Bay Golf & Resort & Beach Club in The Bahamas, opening a new 150 seat restaurant and training an entirely new team, and most recently worked as the task force Director of Food & Beverage at The Ruby Club, a private club nestled within the gated community of Pleasanton, California,, where a big component of his role was creating exciting events for a younger generation – a component that is equally as important to The Abaco Club, who place a strong focus on unique programming and events.
Chef Moses Haven brings over 20 years of culinary experience to his new role leading the restaurants and food & beverage programming and operations at The Abaco Club. A graduate of the Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida, Haven worked his way up at several upscale Florida restaurants before moving to The Bahamas and taking on Head Chef and Executive Sous Chef roles in some of the country’s most reputable clubs and resorts including Atlantis Paradise Island, Lyford Cay Club and Albany Resort, where he worked alongside Flint. Moses is excited to call The Bahamas home again as he returns to take The Abaco Club’s culinary offerings to new heights.
These leadership appointments come at a crucial time for The Abaco Club as they move into this next phase alongside the Southworth rebrand, with a focus on building community and authentic connection, expanding their extraordinary experiences, and strategic residential development. Over the next two years, members will see enhancements such as the addition of the highly anticipated Winding Bay Beach Club; renovations to The Cliff House & Tip-Top restaurants; three new space activations where guests can gather for anything from beachside drinks with a view to sunrise yoga; and a dedicated amenities corridor with more pickleball courts and even a new putting course designed by Abaco resident, Club Ambassador and Open Champion Darren Clarke. In addition to all of this, the newest and most exciting neighborhood, The Cays at The Abaco Club, designed by AvroKO, will open phase one in 2024. Additional phases of amenity and real estate development are soon to be announced.
About The Abaco Club
The Abaco Club is an extraordinary private, lifestyle club and residential community situated along the crystal-clear water of Winding Bay on Great Abaco Island in The Bahamas. This soul-enriching, 500-acre sanctuary provides members effortless living with an authentic Bahamian sense of place and connection. Families unwind in barefoot luxury at island-inspired homes, golfers enjoy a heralded Scottish-style links course perennially ranked No. 1 in The Bahamas, anglers pursue trophy bonefish and deep-sea marlin in world-renowned waters, members gather for sociable fun and imaginative cuisine and cocktails, and people of all ages relax and play on two-miles of uninterrupted powder-soft, white sands and the crystal-clear turquoise waters of Winding Bay that make up one of the most beautiful beaches on earth. For more information, visit theabacoclub.com.
About Southworth
Southworth is a privately held lifestyle company specializing in the development and management of private clubs and highly amenitized and programmed residential communities. Founded to challenge the industry status quo in 1991, Southworth recognized an opportunity to think beyond the restrictive private clubs of the day. Today, many national and international club communities later, the Southworth legacy continues to evolve. With a newfound commitment to forward-looking culture and values, and with the next generation of family leadership firmly in place, Southworth has reintroduced itself as the trusted curator of an elevated lifestyle whose inclusive clubs offer one-of-a-kind community and connections for a life well-lived. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Southworth currently owns and operates private clubs and residential communities across North America, the Caribbean and Europe. These award-winning properties include: Willowbend on Cape Cod, Mass.; Renaissance on Boston's North Shore; Meredith Bay on New Hampshire's famed Lake Winnipesaukee; Creighton Farms in Aldie,Va. 35 minutes west of Washington, DC; The Village at Machrihanish Dunes in Argyll, Scotland; and The Abaco Club, located on Great Abaco Island in The Bahamas. For more information, visit SouthworthClubs.com.