Alumnus Profile: Thomas W. LaTour (BA '63), Principal, LaTour Signature Group

Tom LaTour is well known for his vision, creativity, and business acumen. The School's Alumni Association 2005 Industry Leader of the Year and a member of its 2008 Wall of Fame Class of Visionaries, Tom is one of the founding partners of LaTour Signature Group, a joint-venture business with ResortCom Elite that provides superior management services to small, luxury fractional ownership properties throughout North America.

As the former chairman and chief executive officer of the Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group, he is applying his more than 40 years of experience in the travel and hospitality industry to this booming new vacation real estate market.

Tom actually began his illustrious career as a dishwasher at the Kellogg Center! After graduating in 1963, he began working for American Airlines as general manager for the Sky Chef division. He joined Amfac Hotels in 1973, and for 10 years helped operate the diversified hotel and restaurant chain's 17 nationwide properties.

In 1983, Tom joined founder Bill Kimpton in the ambitious endeavor of pioneering the then new hospitality niche of boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants. Throughout his nearly quarter century with the company, he saw the exclusive Kimpton brand expand to include 40 boutique hotels and restaurants throughout 17 cities in the United States and Canada.

The Kimpton brand stands out for its commitment to helping guests maintain and enrich their lifestyles on the road. Each property reflects the energy, personality and pulse of its distinct location, history and architectural style. Kimpton, under Tom's direction, provided highly personalized guest services and welcomed travelers with an atmosphere that embraced its signature elements of care, comfort, style, flavor and fun.

Tom retired in 2006 after a 23-year career at Kimpton, during which his dedication and visionary leadership established it as the leader in the boutique/lifestyle hotel segment. He also created strategic alliances to address global issues and eco-friendly efforts such as AIDs research and Trust for Public Land. He is rightfully proud of his legacy with Kimpton, and would like to be remembered for "creating opportunities to grow."

While vacationing in 2005 in Punta Mita, Mexico, Tom had an epiphany. He says, "I saw the beginnings of this smaller, more exclusive shared-ownership vacation travel category forming, and was intrigued at the possibility of influencing its evolution." His epiphany became a reality in early 2007, when Tom joined long-time friend and business associate John E. Small, along with ResortCom International's President Jeff Healy, to form San Diego-based LaTour Signature Group. According to Small, "Tom LaTour has the incredible vision and extraordinary business acumen necessary to lead the explosive growth in this niche market by providing the ultimate luxury brand for smaller fractional properties."

Tom and his hand-picked executive group are focusing on providing personalized vacation experiences and life-enhancing memories for owners at the highest end luxury properties with 100 units or less. Tom expects to work first with developers and then with owners to provide LaTour Signature Group hallmarks such as exceptionally well-trained staff, personalized services, and world-class amenities. In addition to heading this new business venture, Tom remains on the board of directors for Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group, and also serves on the boards of many nonprofit organizations, including the Hoffman Institute and the REDF "Investing in Employment Hope."

He is a trustee of the San Francisco Maritime Park Association, and serves on the San Francisco Planning and Urban Development Association Advisory Board. In addition, Tom is founding board member of the Union Square Business Improvement District, past chair of the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, and is on the advisory board for California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Tom and his wife, Barbara, are members of MSU’s Beaumont Tower giving society, and he has, with his brother, Charles (BA '61), a member of the 2005 Wall of Fame Class of Alumni Leaders, established the LaTour Family Endowment for Student Travel.

Along with Barbara, Tom owns and operates the 25-acre LaTour Vineyards in Napa Valley where they produce barrel-fermented Chardonnay, Pinot, and Syrah wines.

Upon his induction into the Alumni Association Wall of Fame Class of Visionaries in November 2008, Tom gave timely advice to the students: "The world is behaving quite unexpectedly, and if you are not scared to death about your next career decisions, you are probably not making the right choice. Be scared to death, because that means you challenge yourself."