South-African born Roy Peires (12.12.1951) is the entrepreneur of broad vision who runs the globally expanding Club La Costa World Resorts & Hotels group of businesses.

Chairman and founder, he started Club La Costa in 1984 offering holiday ownership at a small Spanish resort and achieving rapid growth for his company through acquiring prime development sites in leading holiday locations and designing, building and operating resorts and hotels across Europe, then beyond, all bearing the stamp of affordable high quality. Expansion continues within Europe and in the US, with entry into the countries of Asia and Central America currently under consideration.

With his talented team of directors, he helms a dynamic and innovative business known for its ability to keep abreast of holiday trends and create products tailored to clients' needs both for flexible holiday choices worldwide and property ownership. Outstanding facilities and concierge style services have become the hallmark of its resorts, which have achieved tourist body and other notable awards.

Club La Costa World Resorts & Hotels has a portfolio of 28 distinctive resorts, most of which are mixed use comprising whole ownership holiday homes, fractional property ownership, holiday ownership and holiday rentals, located in England, Scotland, Austria, Spain, Tenerife, Turkey, Australia and the US. New resorts are currently under way, a flagship golf resort in Turkey and the company's second US resort, and are scheduled to open in 2012/13.

The company employs upwards of 2,000 people across all its operations, with three principal divisions - sales of whole ownership and fractional ownership Club La Costa holiday homes: CLC Estates; holiday ownership clubs: Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels; rental products/leisure sales: CLC Leisure. Additionally, Club La Costa Travel services clients' travel needs and a private members' Yacht Club offers luxury sailing holidays aboard Club La Costa catamarans.

A large resort management department handles every aspect of the day to day running and adherence to strict quality standards at Club La Costa resorts in 6 countries, representing more than 3,000 apartments, holiday homes and hotel rooms.

A key sponsor of RDO (Resort Development Organisation) the European industry's self-regulating trade body, the company has been among the first to implement EU legislation and consumer protection measures.

Roy Peires takes a strong personal interest in charitable causes with grants and sponsorship through registered charities The Smile Foundation and The Peires Family Foundation.

The Smile Foundation

In 1999, Club La Costa founded The Smile Foundation on Spain's Costa del Sol, a charity dedicated to providing donations, including material items, to worthwhile projects and causes, and individuals in need, in the local communities of southern Spain - and since 2007, Tenerife. Roy Peires firmly believes in the principle of "investing in the local community in which we live and do business".

Through The Smile Foundation, Club La Costa has made significant contributions to two major charitable projects on the Costa del Sol: the €3 million Cruz Dias/ADIMI Hospital to help children with disability and their families, which is being constructed in Mijas, and a reception centre at the Cudeca cancer care hospice. Numerous organisations in both mainland Spain and Tenerife have received substantial help.

Club La Costa employees, and guests at Club La Costa resorts, all participate in raising monies to support the Foundation's work and the company absorbs all the charity's associated administration and publicity costs, as well as giving a share of its profits. None of the committee members receives a salary or claims any expenses in respect of their work for the Foundation and 100% of all donations reach their intended destination.

Generous support is given to local families and associations in both host communities, these have included holidays for less able youngsters, gifts of clothing, furniture, mobility equipment, computers and Christmas food hampers.

The Peires Family Foundation

Through the Peires Family Foundation, registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales since 2006, Roy's philanthropic interests extend to supporting many organisations in areas of medical research and healthcare provision worldwide, education and relief of poverty.

Literally hundreds of charitable causes benefit from the Foundation annually, including hospitals, schools, orphanages and religious organisations. Projects have included a soup kitchen in Jerusalem and provision of much needed ambulance equipment.