The Company Founder: Michael Burns

Resort industry veteran Michael Burns founded Private Residence Resorts (PRR) after nearly 25 years of developing and managing resorts for some of the world's most respected companies.

He began his career in 1978 with Vacation Internationale, a pioneer in points-based vacation timesharing. After five years with Vacation Internationale, Burns joined Marriott Hotels and Resorts as the Director of Marketing and Sales for Marriott's new timeshare resorts in Orlando, Florida. From 1984 thru 1989, Burns worked to expand the timeshare division into a national and international brand.

In late 1989, Burns was recruited by The Walt Disney Company to create their new Resort Timeshare division. As the first employee, he created the product concept and business model for what eventually became the Disney Vacation Club. As Vicepresident and General Manager, Burns led the growth of the Disney Vacation Club beyond Walt Disney World to locations in Vero Beach, Florida and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

In May of 1996, Burns returned to Vacation Internationale as President and Chief Operating Officer. With 21 different resort locations and over 30,000 owners, the company his father had co-founded 25 years earlier had grown to be one of the largest multi-site, points-based vacation timeshare companies in the world. In early 1999, Burns formed Private Residence Resorts. In September of 2000, construction began on his first high-end fractional resort, Les Saisons in Ketchum, Idaho. One year later, construction of PRR's second fractional property, Hearthstone in McCall, Idaho began.

Burns is a member of the American Resort Development Association and Co-founder and chair of the special task force on Marketing and Sales Practices for the Resort Timeshare industry. He is also a member of the Urban Land Institute and a regular speaker at ULI and ARDA conferences as well as conferences and seminars on fractional ownership.

Born and raised in Bellingham, Washington, Burns received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Washington in 1978 and is also a 1995 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School Executive Business development program. He is a resident of Mercer Island, Washington where he enjoys skiing, sailing, bicycling and playing tennis with his four children.