Patrick Freeman has been appointed as the new CEO of Pontos’ sustainable development project Ombria Algarve in Portugal. Freeman has most recently served as President of Cisneros Real Estate where he led the sustainable development of Tropicalia in the Dominican Republic. Freeman aims to establish Ombria not only as a destination but as an example in sustainable real estate development.

An engineer by training, Mr. Freeman began his career in large-scale public infrastructure before transitioning to hotel and resort development nearly 20-years ago, which has taken him from the United States to the Caribbean and Latin America.

For Pontos, Freeman’s priority of long-term collaboration in the Algarve area together with other instances is key in developing the Ombria area. “We are very pleased to have an experienced and visionary leader at Ombria. Freeman’s expertise in developing and integrating large-scale projects to serve the surrounding target groups and the local community is significant, now that we can finally put the area to use after 23 years of development work. These themes will be further highlighted in future stages of the project,” says Timo Kokkila, CEO of Pontos Group.

Patrick Freeman is honoured by his role of leading Ombria’s coming stages “Ombria represents for me the culmination of years of professional work and dedication to the creation of incredible destinations that are grounded in responsible development, integration with the community, and environmental responsibility.   My experience in working around the world has taught me that the long-term success of any project is directly related to a positive impact and meaningful relationships with the communities surrounding it.  This translates directly to our respect for the environments we work within and our ability to deliver genuine and authentic experiences to our guests and owners while creating job and career opportunities along the way,” Freeman states.

Ombria is situated in a tranquil countryside setting, near one of the Algarve’s largest Nature Reserves and 7km north of the town of Loulé. The development features an 18-hole golf course opening this Spring; a 5-star hotel, managed by Viceroy Hotels & Resorts,  opening later this year with 141 guestrooms, suites and residences; 5 restaurants, swimming pools, a conference center, a spa and kids’ club, and over 300 homes ranging from apartments to bespoke villas.