ULRICH Eckhardt, president Middle East & Africa, Kempinski Hotels, will be one of the panelists involved in the session discussion entitled Owners View of the Industry at AHIC on May 4.
He will be among those talking about issues on working with owners and asset managers. Moderating the session which starts at 3.15pm will be Jalil Mekouar, executive vice president, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.
The other panelists are John Bamsey, chief operating officer, Middle East & Africa, IHG; Jean-Paul Herzog, president, Middle East & Africa, Hilton Hotels; and Roeland Vos, president, Europe, Africa & Middle East, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Kempinski Hotels is a gold sponsor at this year’s AHIC.
Eckhardt has more than three decades of experience in a variety of senior positions for prestigious hotel groups. He was appointed senior vice president Middle East & Africa in 2002. In 2007 he was appointed president Middle East and Africa, responsible for spearheading the luxury hotel group’s development drive in the region.
Kempinski’s portfolio of properties includes resorts in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America and Asia. Recently Kempinski Hotels in Jordan embarked on a recruitment blitz in the capital of Amman.
Hospitality professionals gathered at the Kempinski Hotel Amman for an open door recruitment day, ready to join Europe’s oldest luxury five star hotel group and pursue opportunities at existing and upcoming Kempinski resorts throughout the Middle East.
The recruited employees will join its Jordan based properties of Kempinski Hotel Amman, Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea and Kempinski Hotel Sawsana Aqaba, as well as the United Arab Emirates hotels of Kempinski Hotel Ajman, Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, and Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.
Anna-Maria Dreesen, regional director for HR, Kempinski Hotels Middle East and Africa, leader of the recruitment initiative said, “We observed an outstanding turnout, and the quality of the applicant pool was of an extremely high calibre. We are looking forward to engaging hospitality professionals from Jordan who will help us deliver the exceptional service standards for which Kempinski has become renowned worldwide.
“We would like to thank the entire team of Kempinski Hotel, Amman for the great support shown throughout this endeavour.”
Eckhardt says Kempinski Hotels offer its employees more than just remuneration and benefits packages that equal if not surpass industry standards.
“We recognise that people make a difference in the success of our operations, something we have witnessed over more than 110 years of hospitality. We value every team member and provide each one a career opportunity to grow with the company at the same fast pace by providing ongoing training that will help them achieve both their professional and personal goals,” he added.