Karen Sheldon named Director of Sales at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara
The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara has named Karen Sheldon as Director of Sales, effective immediately.
Karen Sheldon started her hospitality career with Westin Hotels and Resorts. After working in the Westin GSO, opening the Westin SFO Airport and then working for the legendary Mauna Key Beach Hotel on the Big island of Hawaii, her dream job came along four years later and so began her Ritz-Carlton career and legacy.
For 27 years, she led the Ritz-Carlton GSO team as the company grew from 11 hotels to over 100, through two Malcom Baldridge award applications, Marriott purchasing Ritz-Carlton, leading the RC GSO to a strategic account model and finally being an integral part in the change management of the GSO's after the Starwood merger. Their portfolio of luxury hotels grew to seven luxury brands and over 300 hotels and resorts worldwide and was instrumental in the team's astonishing revenue contribution through the integration and being awarded the GSO team of the year in 2016.
After being furloughed and separating from the company, Karen is thrilled to be returning and joining The Ritz-Carlton, Bacara, Santa Barbara sales team as Director of Sales. Her long standing client relationships, revenue generating, and leadership skills will help propel the property to being the true luxury oceanfront resort in California.
Karen graduated from USC and lives in Long Beach with her husband Mark and their 7 year old lab Nation. She has two daughters, one graduat ed from UCLA while playing D1 waterpolo and her youngest is a senior at University of California Berkeley.
