Canadian energy mogul Rick George opens the doors to his family’s new Bahamian getaway on Great Abaco Island
As a young student working in the oil fields near Brush, Colorado, Rick George first got a glimpse of the life that lay 
ahead of him. “I needed to afford to go to the university, and the best jobs were in the oil patches,” says the current president and CEO of Suncor, Canada’s largest energy company and one of the world’s largest independent energy companies.
George worked summers in the Denver Basin fields while attending Colorado State University and solidified his path to the top as a major player in the global energy sector. “I’ve traveled all around the world, but I always loved the oil patch,” he says. “It’s a great industry to be in.” After spending 10 years with Sun Company both in the US and the UK, he moved to Calgary in 1991 to take the reigns at Suncor.
But it wasn’t until recently that his sights turned to the ocean for recreation rather than oil. “All the credit is due to Julie, my wife of 37 years. It’s always been her dream to own a home on the water, somewhere warm, because we’ve been to a lot of cold spots in our travels.”
The couple recently constructed a home on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas at the Ritz-CarltonÂ’s tony Abaco Resort. Located directly on the water with unbeatable views of Winding Bay, George says this is a home not just for himself and his wife, but for his entire family. With three children and two grandchildren, heÂ’s hoping those numbers will soon increase. After a recent trip to visit the property with his family, it was decided that his son and daughter will both soon be holding their wedding ceremonies right there.
“The large patio spaces create a lot of usable outdoor space. You look right into the horseshoe bay,” says George, whose oceanfront home features 5,500 square feet of interior space coupled with the same amount of terrace space. Combine that with five bedrooms, five full and two half-bathrooms, a pool with its own island, and a covered lookout tower, and you’ve got a Caribbean paradise.
“There’s a short walk to the beach and great amenities at the Abaco Club, including a great golf club,” George says. “You have it all right there. It’s a terrific location.” For more information on the Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, call 866-770-2619 or visit ritzcarltonclub.com.