I Work and Live on Richard Branson’s Necker Island

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Arran Main-McKendrick, 36, who is the deputy general manager of Necker Island. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I drive a golf cart to the office. During the two-minute journey, I might bump into a giant tortoise, a kangaroo, or Richard Branson waving good morning.

In April 2022, I started working at Richard Branson’s Necker Island resort in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). I began as the guest services manager and, in January 2023, became the deputy general manager.

Before I came to Necker, I worked as an events and sales manager in London. I’ve always kept my eye on Virgin Limited Edition because it felt more my pace.

I’d lived abroad before working as a cast member for Walt Disney World in Florida for seven years after university, but I’d never lived on an island.

I saw the head of guest services role, and I sent my résumé. They invited me for an interview, and I made it to the final stage. I told my husband we might have to move, and he said, “Alright. Let’s do it.”

We didn’t know much about Richard Branson’s island

I’d heard Necker Island was incredible, but apart from that, I didn’t have any preconceptions. My husband and I applied for our visas and went for it — we’ve always been adventurous.

We arrived by boat in April 2022. We’d moved our whole lives to this tiny island — it was amazing and nerve-racking. I remember going to the staff village and being greeted by my new co-workers who were having a party. The next morning, I could see Necker Island properly. It’s total paradise.

There are 24 rooms on the island, spread across the “Great House” and individual Balinese houses around the island. Necker also has two private beaches. Our conservation team looks after the island’s giant tortoises and lemurs.

Guests can book the island exclusively or non-exclusively with other guests from June to December.

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We don’t really have a typical guest. People will come to Necker Island for a conference or to celebrate a birthday, and Richard brings a lot of philanthropic groups. We keep the identity of our guests close to our chests, but I’ve met people that I never would have expected to meet.

My day-to-day work

My responsibilities range from running logistics with the boat team to picking up guests, to chatting with engineers about the wind turbines, to helping housekeepers take linen off the bed.

On a typical day, I’ll go to the Great House and chat to the guests having breakfast about their evening. We will have a team briefing and go through the guests’ plans for the day. A day could include kangaroo yoga, a lemur feed, lunch in Turtle Beach, and tennis in the afternoon.

Sometimes I work 9-to-5, and sometimes I’m partying with the guests until 4 a.m. After work, we can go to the beach for sunset, but sometimes we’ll put on Netflix. Other nights we’ll leave the island.

Many of the Necker staff are local and live on Tortola or our neighbouring island, Virgin Gorda. We also have an employee village on Necker Island. The cost of living in the BVI is surprisingly comparable to living in London.

The island is paradise, but there have been hard days

During our downtime, staff can use the island’s amenities and go kite surfing, use the tennis courts, or go scuba diving.

One of my favorite places on the island is the crow’s nest: a hot tub on the roof of the Great House. I like watching the stars there because there’s not much light pollution.

When Richard Branson and his wife Joan aren’t traveling, the island is their home, and we see them often. They are generous and kind, and often invite us to dinner.

There have been challenging days, like when Hurricane Ernesto came through in 2024. We have a protocol on what to do, but it was one of the scariest nights I’ve had. We had to make sure the guests and staff were safe. A lot of objects were smashed, and we had 48 hours to get the island ready for the next guest coming in.

You adapt quickly to island living

I think everyone gets island fever now and again. We leave the island once a week. We’ve got staff boats that run to Virgin Gorda, where around 4,000 people live. We might go for dinner or even grocery shopping.

Every Thursday, we have our groceries floated in on a barge that we order from a supermarket on Tortola, an island 30 minutes away by boat. I miss being able to pop to a coffee shop in London, but it’s certainly saved me money.

We miss our family and friends, but they can visit as we have special rates.

You really need to visit to get the island energy, that’s when it comes to life.

It’s amazing how quickly you adapt. The Necker staff are like a family, and we couldn’t be happier here.