Tim Husbands has resigned his position as CEO of the Westport House and Estate development project - just eight months after he was appointed to the position.
Husbands, who had helmed the Titanic Belfast project from 2011 until taking up the position at Westport house had turned the Belfast tourist attraction into one of the top destinations in the country and saw it crowned the world's leading tourist attraction at the World Travel Awards.
In a statement issued by both Husbands and the Hughes family, who own Westport House and Estate it was stated the CEO was leaving to return to mainstream tourism.
In the statement Husbands stated: "Delays in the advancement of the project have resulted in a longer lead-in period than we had initially predicted. I have completed as much preparatory work as I can on the project and the time is right for me to seek more immediate opportunities within the wider tourism industry here in Ireland.
"The Westport House and Estate Project is in the very best of hands with the Hughes family and their senior management team, who I have very much enjoyed working with. The estate is primed to become the leading leisure and business destination in the West of Ireland, especially with the significant increase in both domestic and international tourists in the area.
"I wish the Hughes and all the team the very best with the project and thank them for the opportunity to play an early role in the Westport Estate story.”
The Hughes family added: "We are indebted to Tim for his hugely valuable strategic input on the project at such a crucial stage. Unfortunately project delays are part and parcel of life when undertaking significant renovations on an Estate that is steeped in history and heritage.
"We wish Tim every success in the future. We are now considering the organisational needs of the project and will begin a fresh recruitment process immediately. Our senior team remain fully committed to delivering the very best visitor experiences across all our Westport Estate businesses and we look forward to updating on Estate developments very soon."
