Topic HR

News & Stories

Securing capital: IFH in British hands
2.5.2008

Frankfurt. IFH Aktiengesellschaft located in Frankfurt introduced its new five-year expansion strategy announcing that it had sold its share majority to an investment company in London. IFH is specialised in quality benchmark systems and training in hotel management. Its client portfolio includes both national as well as international hotel groups.

Bad Reichenhall to grow as professional training location
18.4.2008

Bad Honnef/Frankfurt. Career Partner GmbH, sponsor of International University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Bad Honnef in Germany further extends its professional training activities. After it announced it would be founding a branch in Bad Reichenhall - strategically well-located between Munich and Salzburg in Austria - a few weeks ago, it is now entering into a joint venture with Steigenberger Hotels AG. The hotel group also owns its own hotel academy - likewise in Bad Reichenhall.

News: Where to study hospitality and tourism
18.4.2008

Berlin. With its new study guide "Where to Study Hospitality and Tourism 2008", the German Hotel Association has for the first time published a complete overview of all courses of study in hospitality and tourism offered by German speaking institutes of higher education.

Treugast and Bad Honnef University to offer education in China
21.3.2008

Munich. Treugast Solutions Group and the International University of Applied Sciences Bad Honnef,Bonn found a joint venture for extending their professional education activities in China. The joint venture will become majority shareholder of the International Academy of Hospitality in Shanghai as "Career Partner China GmbH". The academy's strategic and academic development is to be promoted together with local partners.

Enlightening representative survey about staff commitment
Respectful behaviour motivates most
7.3.2008

Munich. Committed employees who are willing to work are decisive for the success of a business. But what employees find motivating may differ depending on the nationality. Multinational businesses have to consider this fact when developing their personnel strategies. Current data of surveys from 22 countries show: "respectful behaviour" plays the most important role all over the world.

Portrait: Dr. Thomas Schmidheiny, shareholder of Grand Hotels Bad Ragaz
About enjoying values and visions
8.2.2008

Zurich/Bad Ragaz. The company headquarters of Dr. Thomas Schmidheiny is concealed in an unobtrusive two-storey office building; company signs adorn the wall behind the entrance door. However, the building is located in a well-chosen location: right beside vineyards in Jona at the southern end of Lake Zurichsee - called "golden coast" not only because of the sun. This is the headquarters of Schmidheiny's Holcim cement factory, but the Max Schmidheiny foundation is also located here, as well as Spectrum Value Management, the "family office", which includes the Grand Hotels Bad Ragaz with Hotel Quellenhof and Hotel Hof Ragaz. The hotels near Chur are among the leading businesses of the European hotel industry. Major shareholder Thomas Schmidheiny belongs to those owners that work and live in complete discretion and rarely give interviews. He made an exception in the case of hospitalityInside.com.

In portrait: André Witschi, Steigenberger Chairman from today
The networker
1.2.2008

Munich/Frankfurt. André Witschi, Chairman of the Board of Accor Hotellerie Deutschland until July 2007, starts office as Chairman of the Board of the German Steigenberger Hotels AG today. For tourism in Germany, it is a blessing that Witschi, originally from Switzerland, is staying in Germany. A portrait of one of the most influential top managers of the German hotel industry.

A charity idea: Holidays for children in need
Hotels caring for the less fortunate
21.12.2007

Vienna. In Austria, the first hoteliers have now joined a charity project based on the idea of an Austrian PR manager. The start of "Global Family Charity" is imminent in Germany.

The challenge facing HR: Most department don't have a strategy
In the hand of the applicant
21.12.2007

Duesseldorf. The first decade of the new millennium has brought human resources to new heights. Whereas until recently the hotel industry has described staff shortages only in the world's "emerging markets", companies in Europe are now facing the same problems. Manual Konen, Managing Director of the Personnel Agency and Consulting Firm, Konen & Lorenzen, in Dusseldorf, describes the changes in recent months and what can be learned from them.

Focus HR: Dubai is facing a massive demand in employees
Facing the collapse of quality
14.12.2007

Dubai. Dubai is booming and the need for employees is becoming greater every day. Unlike in any other city, the hotel industry of Dubai is clearly dependent on growth and human labour. In the Burj Al Arab alone, eight employees care for a single suite. Should Dubai stick to its extreme ambition for luxury, the city will see the breakout of a true "war of talents". Even budget concepts with reduced staff numbers will not lower their need for employees to a significant extent. This spring at a conference, experts estimated the region's need for employees to be 1.5 million people by 2015. In the short term, there will be an expected demand for 170,000 employees within the next four years. The projected room volume still exceeds all standards so far.

VIP News

Change and cluster

HI+Change and cluster

Augsburg. Accor appointed a new Group Chief Commercial Officer, Fabio Datteroni has moved to Saturnia di Terme, Premier Inn is expanding its middle management with four Cluster Managers in Germany, Falk Bartels is responsible for the pre-opening at Leonardo Royal Nuremberg, and Christof Keller has been appointed Director at Rheinhotel Dreesen.

New and proven heads

HI+New and proven heads

Augsburg. Daniela Schade's comeback leads her to Deutsche Hospitality, Achat Hotels appointed a new head of procurement and the GNTB elected its board for the next three years.

New tasks, new positions

HI+New tasks, new positions

Augsburg. Marriott has promoted Satya Anand to the new President EMEA. Marcus Bernhardt and Ulrich Johannwille took up their position as CEO and CFO of Deutsche Hospitality on 1 November, Siegfried Nierhaus returns to Deutsche Hospitality as VP Middle East, Fotis Fakes is promoted to Senior Director Operations & Commercial Int. Resort Hotels. Fabio Leoni now manages the Hotel Le Massif in Valle d'Aosta, Ruby Hotels strengthens its entire HR team and Ruby Workspaces becomes a separate business unit, also in terms of personnel. Robert Petroviċ leaves The Ritz-Carlton Berlin.

New trust

HI+New trust

Augsburg. Jasper Muller, formerly citizenM, has thematically entered Serviced Apartments. Club Med has appointed a CEO for Europe and Africa and the Graf von Moltke Group has appointed a new CEO for all hotel activities.

Going for a new job or extension

HI+Going for a new job or extension

Augsburg. Dr. Peter Fiedler has been appointed CFO at Kempinski, Walter Marcheselli remains chairman of Best Western Italy, Peter Martin takes over the Steigenberger Bad Neuenahr and his colleague Thomas Swieca becomes the GM at the Steigenberger Inselhotel Konstanz. Sascha Wagner takes over the Intercity Wiesbaden and Sarah Bartel will run the me and all hotel in Ulm. Elections were held at Hotrec.

Welcome and Goodbye

HI+Welcome and Goodbye

Augsburg. TUI is restructuring its Group management. Leanne Harwood becomes IHG's COO for EMEA, her predecessor Pascal Gauvin retires and Simon Betty becomes CEO Europe at Adina. Willem van der Zee has left Event Hotels, Christoph Hager Zoku Wyndham appoints four new regional managers. Ruby Hotels promoted another two colleagues in Development. Consultant Michael Hirst leaves CBRE, Pogda Demircan is head of mrp hotels in Istanbul. There are further changes at RIU Dubai-Deira, InterCity and Vicotor's Erfurt.

Accor now has only two regions in Europe

HI+Accor now has only two regions in Europe

Paris. Accor is adapting to the new circumstances through Corona and its asset light strategy and is changing its organisational structure: Five regions in Europe so far will become two. In addition, Franck Gervais, CEO Accor Europe, officially left this week.

Mourning for Rudy Münster

HI+Mourning for Rudy Münster

Augsburg. The industry mourns the death of former Kempinski board member Rudy Münster. Anna Spjuth is appointed Chief Commercial Officer at Scandic, Daniella Boeken joins the management team at Ruby, Boris Simm is promoted to Group Vice President Operations at Ruby and Benjamin Dietsche has been promoted to Director of the German-speaking countries at Relais & Chateaux. Walter Pint takes over Arborea Marina in Neustadt, Eduard Singer left Novum Hospitality.

New responsibilities

HI+New responsibilities

Augsburg. Franck Arnold is Managing Director of The Savoy London and responsible for two Sofitel and the planned Fairmont Windsor. Soner Berke is Managing Director of Ospedia, Ksenia Muzykantova was appointed Group Manager Sales/Marketing at the Hospitality Collection in Italy. Gunther Hingsammer joined Soravia to strengthen investor relations.

Changes

HI+Changes

Augsburg. The newly founded UI Real Estate Digital appoints two managing directors, Dr. Ulrich Johannwille moves from Condor to Steigenberger as CFO, Ascan Kókai changes from the hotel operator NH to a retail specialist. Anees Shinnara is Director of the newly opened IntercityHotel in Oman, Claire Martin and Sven Flory support the Bürgenstock Resorts management, Kamil Madej becomes GM at the Lindner Prague Hotel and Aneta Antonucci again manages the spa of the Seehotel Niedernberg.

Breaking News: Marcus Bernhardt appointed new CEO of Deutsche Hospitality

HI+Breaking News: Marcus Bernhardt appointed new CEO of Deutsche Hospitality

Marcus Bernhardt.Photo: Claire Lise Havet

Frankfurt/M. With effect from November 1, 2020, the Supervisory Board of Steigenberger Hotels AG has appointed Marcus Bernhardt as CEO of Steigenberger Hotels AG/Deutsche Hospitality. He succeeds Thomas Willms, who resigned his mandate a week ago and left the company immediately. Bernhardt was CCO at the time when the current Chairman of the Supervisory Board, André Witschi, was CEO of Steigenberger Hotels AG.

Marcus Bernhardt comes from the Europcar Mobility Group, where as Group Chief Commercial Officer from 2013 to 2016 he is responsible for the areas of Global Sales, E-Commerce, Revenue Capacity Management, B2B and B2C Sales, Partnerships and Global Franchise, as well as Customer Care and Quality Management.

After the IPO of the company in 2015, he was appointed Managing Director for International Business in 2017, where he significantly influenced the expansion via franchise and alliances.

Born in Switzerland, he has been involved in the hotel industry for many years through various management positions. Marcus Bernhardt already worked for Steigenberger Hotels AG from 2004 to 2010 as Executive Vice President Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts and Group Chief Commercial Officer.

Change in the management floors

HI+Change in the management floors

Augsburg. The month of August brought a wealth of personal data. The management of the Italian star hotels was strengthened. And Langham Hospitality is building its presence in Europe with a hospitality weight from Dubai: Doris Greif, previously Senior VP Operations MEASA. Club Med has a new managing director for Germany. In addition, there have been many changes among the hotel directors. And Hotour Hotel Consulting is gradually handing over the reins to the next generation.

Breaking News: German hospitality CEO Thomas Willms does not extend his mandate

HI+Breaking News: German hospitality CEO Thomas Willms does not extend his mandate

Frankfurt/M. Ten months after the takeover of Steigenberger Hotels AG by the Chinese hotel group Huazhu, CEO Thomas Willms is surprisingly resigning from the Management Board - and thus ending his contractual relationship two and a half years earlier than planned. A successor seems to be in sight.

More responsibility

HI+More responsibility

Augsburg. Langham Hospitality appoints the Managing Director of the London hotel as COO of the group, NH Hotels has a new CFO, Victor Betro moves from Dubai to the Red Sea at Kempinski, Achat Hotels gives Marco Stumptner even more responsibility, and Commerz Real has a new head for global transactions.

Promotions

HI+Promotions

Augsburg. Orascom Development appoints Omar El Hamamsy as CEO, and ex Travel Charme Managing Director Thomas Haas now manages the hotel business of the Jagdfeld Group. Union Investment appoints Michael Bütter to the management team, Marcus Zorn is promoted to CEO at BNP Paribas Real Estate and Andrea Ludy takes over as GM of Hotel am Steinplatz, Berlin.

Time to change course

HI+Time to change course

Augsburg. Daniela Schade leaves Accor after 15 years, Starhotels appoints Francesco Brunetti as Managing Director, Michael Kain and Raoul Hölzle become GMs at Steigenberger, Cüneyt Sovuksu forms the new management team at Victor's Teistungenburg together with Steffen Radespiel, Maike Helmke moves to The Fontenay Hamburg and Ralph Katthöfer is responsible for two hotels in Rügen. Sabre appointed Tom Fecke as Country Manager DACH of Sabre, Travel Solutions a few weeks after extensive personnel changes in the USA.

Promotion

HI+Promotion

Augsburg. Antonello De Medici becomes hotel director at Hilton, Bernd Gieske moves to Travel Charme, André Vedovelli joins the board of directors at Elysée Hamburg and Chris Mumford will advise the Berlin recruiting company at LHC.

Careers with experience

HI+Careers with experience

Wiesbaden. Britta Beringer climbs the corporate ladder in Steigenberger Camp de Mar, Barbara Weisshaar becomes manager at Roomers Baden-Baden, Christian Veit climbs the Board of Directors of Deutsche Hypo and ZIA Managing Director Klaus-Peter Hesse moves to ECE.

Short-term changes

HI+Short-term changes

Augsburg. In Spain the founder of Tryp Hoteles, Rufino Calero, died. Hilton developer Ulrich Widmer leaves the company at short notice. Jan-Oliver Meding resigns from the board of Revitalis. And Gabriele Volz becomes the new CEO of Commerz Real.

Change of location

HI+Change of location

Augsburg. Ramsay Rankoussi and Daniel Trappler will be responsible for the development of the Africa and sub-Saharan business at Radisson Hotel Group. Reiner Sachau of Marriott International announced his retiring at the end of the year. Marc Hoffmann is new GM of A-Rosa Sylt, his predecessor Eckart Pfannkuchen will change to Deutsche Hospitality. HRS has appointed Iris Steinmetz as Senior Director Operations EMEA, Carole Ackermann was elected new President of Board of Directors of EHL in Lausanne and the Carlton Hotel St. Moritz has created an entire new position.

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