Topic HR

News & Stories

Newcomer: Helen Princess of Oettingen-Wallerstein, Interior Designer 
Staying authentic, at home and in the hotel
5.9.2008

Fremdingen Country estates, hunting and holiday homes have up to now dominated her resume, only recently has she begun to venture into the world of hotels: Helen, Princess of Oettingen-Wallerstein from Fremdingen near Stuttgart, has created a representative interior for the Graeflicher Park Hotel & Spa in Bad Driburg. In Norway, she created one of the first boutique hotels and recently she's been awarded a further project for a German stately hotel. Her noble descent has opened many a door and with her individualist style, she's not only made friends. "I would like to de-stereotype," she exclaims, "as only hotels with unique characteristics will survive! Worldwide." Her focus, the authentic restoration of historic buildings, has moulded such thoughts, yet she's equally open to working on new buildings.

Study: coincidence and not talent is decisive for entering tourism industry
Discouraging working hours
5.9.2008

Alpbach. Austria's growing resort hotel business is complaining about the shortage of experts and assistants more than ever. An Austrian study shows impressively why the drive for the hotel business has been so low. A core message that applies not only to the Austrian hotel industry - which is characterised by medium-sized businesses - but also to all German-speaking countries: very often, the decision to take over a hotel or a restaurant occurs through coincidence, not talent.

Employer rankings stand high, only the hotel industry fails
"We all slept through it until now"
22.8.2008

Munich. The best, most popular and most attractive companies - employer rankings are meanwhile like coals in Newcastle. More and more companies are taking advantage of the ranking lists in the battle to attract the most talented employees. Only the hotel industry has failed to recognise the opportunity. All the same, hoteliers are advised to consider carefully what competition they enter.

Heads of Personell meet youngsters
15.8.2008

Dusseldorf. Getting to know new companies, finding potential new employers... And the other way round, hotel companies presenting themselves to potential employees. The career fairs organised by "Your Careergroup plc" have set dates in Dusseldorf.

Internet: Now employees can evaluate their employers as well
Severe words, helpless hotels
15.8.2008

Munich. After the introduction of hotel evaluations in the Internet, there are now platforms which enable employees to evaluate their employers anonymously. Hotels often do badly in this respect, and they are helpless in dealing with the partly severe evaluations. There are only a handful of companies like Accor that implement strategic tools for internal communication with employees. Lawyers of employers warn employees, while the Internet portals defend themselves against the accusation of being nothing other than a platform for the frustrated or a means of agitation.

Singapore is booming, just like the rest of Asia - Cornell on the staff
There is a shortage of staff, not managers
8.8.2008

Singapore. By 2015, the number of visitors to Singapore is expected to double to 17 million; the  income from tourism is expected to triple to 30 billion Singapore dollars and it is estimated that more than a quarter of a million people will be working in the tourism sector. But Singapore is only a small piece in the large Asian puzzle. According to the Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management, China and India alone are in need of more than two million workers each in the hotel industry. In this challenging, dynamic environment, the first "ITB Asia" starts on October 22 and human resources will also be an issue for discussion. Judy Siguaw, Dean at the Cornell-Nanyang Institute, a branch of the renowned Cornell University in the US, has been observing the construction boom as well as the staff development in Asia.

Cornell offers a Master's degree for the hotel industry in Asia as well
Global studies: opportunity for Europeans too
8.8.2008

Singapore. Since 2006, the Cornell University has been offering a Master's course for the hotel industry as part of a joint venture with the Nanyang Business School in Singapore. The classes are still small, but due to the enormous growth in Asia, the course of study will become increasingly interesting for Americans and Europeans too. The new programme addresses employees who want to speed up their careers or aspire to change careers.

NEWCOMER: Markus Semer, 32, Kempinski Board Member
Reto`s translator
25.7.2008

Geneva. Young, dynamic, successful - this zippy cliché is simply unavoidable in the face of the flowing blazer of this 1.94-metre tall and slim man approaching the coffee table in the lobby of the Kempinski Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Munich. Markus Semer has arrived. Or better: he is present, apparent, and perceptible. In the polished-up lobby of the grand hotel, he clarifies what Kempinski does not want to be like in future: slow and antiquated. On May 1, 2008, at the age of 31, he advanced to Senior Vice President Corporate Affairs & Strategic Planning in the Managing Board of Directors of Kempinski Hotels & Resorts. Chairman Reto Witwer will celebrate his 60th birthday this year, and Semer could be his son. The unspoken question behind this statement makes Markus Semer roll his eyes reluctantly, but he smartly answers: "You can view it like that: two generations sitting at one table!" A newcomer chats about himself, the industry, Kempinski and strategies.

Majority on call on holiday
25.7.2008

Eschborn. A worldwide survey of almost 12,000 participants conducted by an online career portal has revealed that almost two thirds of all employees can also be reached by colleagues or customers whilst on holiday. Above all the Spanish and the French are real workaholics.

Summer courses for Hospitality Real Estate Management
16.5.2008

Bad Honnef/Bonn. With twelve students, the first "Hospitality Real Estate Professional" study course has been launched at the International University of Applied Sciences in Bad Honnef near Bonn. This summer's course, hold in English language will already welcome students from Asia and Eastern Europe. The course, which will conclude with a certificate, is unique in German speaking Europe.

VIP News

Career leaps at the turn of the year

HI+Career leaps at the turn of the year

Augsburg. Rotana has now officially appointed Guy Hutchinson as the new President and CEO. At NH Rogier M. Hurkmans takes the position of Regional Operations Director for 21 hotels in Germany and Austria. Roomers Munich has a new hotel manager in Fabian Ahrendt, and Benjamin Ploppa changed from BNP Paribas to Christie & Co Germany.

Grief and anticipation

HI+Grief and anticipation

Augsburg. On New Year's Day the founder of the German Lindner Hotels, Otto Linder, passed away. The revenue management specialist IDeaS also mourns the passing of its top manager Fabian Specht. – B&B Germany Managing Director Max Luscher becomes regional CEO for Central and Northern Europe. Kempinski now announces new names at management level almost weekly: this week a new VP HR and a new VP Global Sustainability. At Seetel, Walter Neumann as CED now has the operation under his belt. At JLL Hotels, Heidi Schmidtke has taken over the management, Stefan Giesemann has left. TUI Suisse is looking for a successor for its CEO Martin Wittwer. Leonardo is strengthening Convention Sales, and the Dutch Duco E. de Vries is now taking over Bahrain as GM.

Goodbye and hello

HI+Goodbye and hello

Augsburg. Andrea Jörger advances to Chief Developer at RIMC. Peter Habelitz is the new CFO at the Dutch operator Cycas Hospitality. Fritz Joussen remains TUI CEO until 2025,. Now Sasha Brin also leaves the Kempinski development team in Geneva. Kempinski-GM Martin Cramer will remain at the Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi under the new operator Mandarin Oriental. The new GM of Rocco Forte Villa Kennedy Frankfurt comes from Munich and the Director of Europäischer Hof Hamburg comes from Cologne.

Internal promotions

HI+Internal promotions

Augsburg. Selina has a new Managing Director for Germany and Austria: Graham Major-Ex. Sonnenhotels complements its management board with Mathias Laux. Tobias Hannemann takes over the position of Corporate Director of Operations at NOVUM Hospitality. Carsten Werblow moves to the Gambino Hotel Werksviertel as Director and hands over his previous position.

The personnel carousel is spinning fast

HI+The personnel carousel is spinning fast

Augsburg. Christophe Piffaretti is the new Chief Development Officer of Kempinski Hotels, Melissa Salibi becomes Chief Human Resources Officer and Marcel Kleffner VP Finance Europe. The first two are now also members of the Management Board. Hartmut Schröder makes way for Fleming's family offspring. Planteno Germany has a new Head of Finance. The Tschuggen Hotel Group has a new double head. In addition, there will be many GM changes and no CEO at Expedia any more.

Surprising changes

HI+Surprising changes

Augsburg. Svein Arild Stehen-Mevold takes over as Chief Portfolio Officer at Scandic at the turn of the year. Max Gross takes over Rober van der Graaf's duties at Radisson. The 12.18. group of companies brings Johann Kerkhofs on board. While Martin Brehm becomes the new GM of Maxx by Steigenberger Bad Honnef, Lina Wolf takes over the management of me and all Hotel Kiel. Stefan D. Ringgenberg became GM of Schloss Fuschls.

New week, new faces

HI+New week, new faces

Augsburg. Christian Renz is now CCO of the Corinthia Hotels. At the turn of the year Melanie Weiler becomes Head of Business Development at Geisel Privathotels. While Bastian Becker becomes GM Frankfurt Area, Andreas Gräber-Stuch takes over as GM at Melia Vienna. Maximilian Müller-Huck takes over the newly created position of Director Operations at Halberbacher Hospitality. As part of the transformation process, MRP Hotels Wien expands its management team.

New appointments

HI+New appointments

Augsburg.Mike Hämmerli, Senior VP Development and Member of the Management Board, has left Kempinski Hotels. Huazhu changes its Senior Leadership to drive international expansion. Sabre appoints Frank Trampert as Managing Director & Chief Commercial Officer, EMEA and APAC, Sabre Hospitality Solutions. With Lukas Willhöft, 25hours has a new Development Director Europe. Achat Hotels has appointed a new Director of Leisure Sales and two new Cluster General Managers. Marc Wachal has been responsible for the Munich Airport Marriott Hotel in Freising since July. And the Cornell Hotel Society's German Chapter has elected a new board and President.

New ascents on the career ladder

HI+New ascents on the career ladder

Augsburg. Kristin Intress isCEO at Worldhotels with immediate effect. Choice Hotels appoints Raul Ramirez Senior Vice President of International Strategic Planning. New CCO at Corinthia is Christian Renz. Three new General Managers for IntercityHotel. Jörg Arnold takes over from Regula and Jan E. Brucker as General Manager at Widder Hotels. Anna Hoffmann is the new General Manager at 25hours. New management at Trivago.

The responsibility increases

HI+The responsibility increases

Augsburg. Kempinski Hotels appointed Benedikt Jaschke as Chief Quality Officer and member of the Management Board. Roger Müller is now a member of the Management Board of the Holiday Home Division. me and all hotels strengthen their management with Maximilian Abele as Corporate Brand Manager. Annette Krumrey is the new Director of the Steigenberger Hotel Thüringer Hof Eisenach.

New management, new positions

HI+New management, new positions

Augsburg. LHW appoints Shannon Knapp as next President & Chief Executive Officer. New double leadership at Convivio with Daniel Frey and Marcus Bartenstein. Steve Carroll becomes Senior Vice President Capital Investments & Transactions. Birgit Eisbrenner becomes Regional Director Australia and New Zealand at A-Rosa. Gebeco founder hands over management to Michael Knapp and Thomas Bohlander.

The big carousel

HI+The big carousel

Augsburg. The two top heads of prizeotel will remain with the company, even after Radisson has taken over the budget design group. Almost three months after the new CEO took office, Kempinski announces the first personnel changes. Hilton lets well-known heads rotate, also because Rudi Jagersbacher says goodbye in the Middle East. GCH Hotel Group has made its COO CEO. Althoff has found a GM for Ameron Zurich. And Gert Prantner has retired from RIMC Hamburg; the internal restructuring that has been underway for some time is now complete.

New positions and reinforced management levels

HI+New positions and reinforced management levels

Augsburg. Frank Holzapfel, shareholder of J.T. Ronnefeldt KG, died last Wednesday. Uwe Jenssen complements the management team of the 7 Days Premium Hotels in Europe. The new position as CCO at Vienna House will be taken over by Dirk Führer. Anton Reichl also becomes the new CFO at Arabella Hospitality and completes the management of the company. Siim Karu is now Chief Revenue Officer at a&o.

Changes and opportunities

HI+Changes and opportunities

Augsburg. Georg Plesser from Rocco Forte Hotel Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt succeeds Henning Matthiesen at the Excelsior Cologne. Grand Bellevue Gstaad in Switzerland hires an internationally experienced manager as GM. Michael Bungardt leaves the expansive GSH Hotels and founds his own company. Achat Hotels continues to build up structures with a Revenue Manager, Althoff with a new VP Engineering. IntercityHotels rotates four GMs. And STR London was sold to an American data analyst.

Mergers, cooperations and new positions

HI+Mergers, cooperations and new positions

Wiesbaden. Last Friday, Barron Hilton, the son of founder Conrad Hilton, passed away. The consulting companies of Olaf Steinhage and Martin Schaffer merge. In addition, Kohl & Partner and pkf hotelexperts Vienna announce a closer cooperation. Kai Wientapper is now with Highstreet Group and Giampaolo Padula GM of Aman Venice Palazzo. In Frankfurt, Eduard Singer is drawn to Novum's IHG three franchise operations. Best Western Europe has a new Director Conference Service, Leonardo a Director HR Operations. Peter Krüger and Matias Kiep take up new positions at TUI AG. American Express GBT has a new CEO and Choice a Chief Transformation Officer.

New Heads

HI+New Heads

Augsburg. Daniela Fette-Rakowski has taken over the management of Jumeirah Frankfurt. Best Western reports two new appointments: Serhat Götz as Director Leisure Sales and Sebastian Prang as new Director at Seehotel Krautkrämer. And with Max Oehler Selina has found a general manager for its hotel locations in Berlin.

New Careers

HI+New Careers

Augsburg. B&B Hotels expands its management team with two Directors for Development/Acquisitions and Finance. Leonardo Hotels provides a new cluster GM in Frankfurt for Central Europe. Stephan Boesch returns from The Lanesborough London to Oetker Collection headquarters in Baden-Baden. And Wilko Weber joins Kempinski in Geneva as a revenue and digital strategist.

VIPs: From luxury to student hotels

HI+VIPs: From luxury to student hotels

Augsburg. Hilton's new luxury collection has found a new director with Feisal Jaffer. From now on, Willem van der Zee will manage all event hotels in Europe, while Oliver Fudickar, Executive Director DACH at Vienna House, will concentrate on the hotels in German-speaking countries. Richard Schestak will move as General Manager from Fairmont to Kempinski and from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok. In the same position, Philip Ibrahim will be responsible for the launch of The Student Hotel in Berlin.

New bosses all over the world

HI+New bosses all over the world

Augsburg. Karelle Lamouche is Accor's new CCO for Europe, at Airbnb Kathrin Anselm took  over the management in DACH, Eastern Europe and Russia. Christoph Eichbaum joins the investment team of Union Investment, Christoph Härle starts with his own company. Christie & Co brings three young experts on board. Raphael Krucker will be the new CEO of Andermatt Swiss Alps AG from 2020. Hard Rock hires Antonio Alvarez to Madrid as GM, Kempinski welcomes three new GMs. The Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotels and the Adina Apartment Hotel Berlin Checkpoint are also under new management.

Change at all levels

HI+Change at all levels

Augsburg. Radisson CEO Federic Gonzalez is said to run the Minnesota headquarters now in addition to his current job. As already reported, Accor has now confirmed Marc Dardenne as COO for the group's luxury brands in Europe. Michael Nöske is hotel director of the IntercityHotel Hamburg-Altona. And Stephan Hein replaces the opening director at Lulu Guldsmeden in Berlin.

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