In consultation with the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer prepares necessary information and basic documentation on the basis of which, the Board can make well-founded decisions. He presents matters and motivates proposed decisions, as well as reporting to the Board on the development of the Company. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for leading the work conducted by the Executive Committee and renders decisions in consultation with the other members of the Executive Committee, which consists of a total of eleven persons (including the Chief Executive Officer).
Executive Committee
KURT RITTER
President & Chief Executive Officer
Kurt Ritter joined the company in 1976 as the General Manager of SAS Hotel, Luleå in Sweden, and since held various Executive Management positions in business development and operations in Kuwait, Singapore, Vienna and Oslo in the company. As a graduate of the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Mr. Ritter started his career at Bellevue Palace Hotel in Bern, Switzerland and also held several executive positions at Ramada International Hotels in Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden, where he became the youngest General Manager at age of 27.
Kurt Ritter was appointed President & CEO in 1989 of the then SAS International Hotels with a portfolio of 21 hotels. He established the master franchise agreement for the Radisson brand in 1994 and took the company multi-brand under the corporate brand, Rezidor SAS Hospitality in 2000. In the course of his leadership, the company has been one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world.
Mr. Ritter was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration in Hospitality by Johnson & Wales University, Prudence, USA in 1997 and he was named Corporate Hotelier of the World in 2002. In 2005, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Hotels Investment Conference.
|
Nationality: |
Swiss |
|
Born: |
1947 |
| Year of Appointment: | 1989 |
| Year of Employment: | 1976 |
|
Education: |
Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland and INSEAD |
|
Shares: |
1) 134,100 |
Knut Kleiven
Deputy President & Chief Financial Officer
Knut Kleiven joined Rezidor in 1986 as the Group Accounting Manager and soon became the Group’s Operational and Corporate Controller. In 1994, Mr. Kleiven was appointed as Rezidor's Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Kleiven was then promoted to Deputy President and Chief Financial Officer of Rezidor. Prior to joining Rezidor, Mr. Kleiven held the position of Internal Auditor for the SAS Group.
|
Nationality: |
Norwegian |
|
Born: |
1954 |
| Year of Appointment: | 1994 |
| Year of Employment: | 1986 |
|
Education: |
Degree in Philosophy, Psychology and Law from University of |
| Board Engagements: | Mr. Kleiven is a member of the Boards of Directors of Feri Otelcilik ve Turizm A.S., Casino Denmark A/S, Casino Copenhagen K/S, SAS Royal Hotel, Beijing Co., Ltd., Hotel Investment Turkey A/S, Maçka Otelcilik Anonim Sirketi, Doriscus Enterprises Limited and Afrinord Hotel Investments A/S (Alternate director). |
|
Shares: |
1) 95,000 |
Per Blixt
Senior Vice President Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
Per Blixt was, prior to joining the Rezidor Group in 2006, Senior VP Corporate Communication/Investor Relations of Observer AB. Mr. Blixt has held a succession of executive posts with various Swedish companies, as well as being the spokesperson for the minister of Industry and Commerce. In addition to his Rezidor responsibilities, he is currently also non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the PR Consultancy Aspekta AB, in Sweden, and a member of the Board of Directors of Prognosesenteret AS, an independent marketing consultancy headquartered in Norway.
|
Nationality: |
Swedish |
|
Born: |
1959 |
| Year of Appointment: | 2006 |
| Year of Employment: | 2006 |
|
Education: |
Studies in Communication and Law, University of Lund, Sweden. |
| Board Engagements: | Mr. Blixt is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Aspekta AB and a member of the Board of Directors of Prognosesenteret AS. Prior to joining us, Mr. Blixt was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Communication and Investor Relations of Observer AB (publ). |
|
Shares: |
1) 17,700 |
Puneet Chhatwal
Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer
Puneet Chhatwal joined Rezidor in 2002 as Director of Business Development and was promoted to Vice President Business Development in 2004. Puneet Chhatwal started his career as a Management Trainee with the India Tourism Development Corporation and occupied several management positions within the hotels division. He later moved to France and thereafter Germany where he worked in Hotel Consulting, Project Development and Acquisitions for the Feuring Group. From 1998 to 2002, Puneet served as the Director of Development for EMEA region at Carlson Hotels Worldwide.
|
Nationality: |
German |
|
Born: |
1964 |
| Year of Appointment: | 2007 |
| Year of Employment: | 2002 |
|
Education: |
Masters degree in International Hospitality Management from |
| Board Engagements: | Member of the Advisory Board of IHIF, Berlin and AHIC, Dubai |
|
Shares: |
1) 10,000 |
Jacques Dubois
Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Park Inn & Country Inn
Mr. Dubois joined us in 1996 as Regional Director of Operations, and has since 1998 held the positions of Vice President Sales, Vice President Revenue & Channel Management, Vice President Distribution & CRM, and Senior Vice President Marketing, Distribution & CRM. Prior to joining Rezidor, Mr. Dubois was a District Director of the Carlson Companies under the Radisson brand.
|
Nationality: |
Canadian/American |
|
Born: |
1956 |
| Year of Appointment: | 2006 |
| Year of Employment: | 1996 |
|
Shares: |
1) 0 |
Olivier Jacquin
Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing, CRM and Distribution
Mr. Jacquin joined us in 2003 as Senior Vice president of Sales, prior to which, he was the Global Sales Director of Europcar International, Director of Sales for Concorde Hotels Group and Director of Sales & Marketing for Concorde La Fayette hotel in Paris. Prior to that Mr Jacquin held various positions in operations in Africa & the Caribbean.
|
Nationality: |
French |
|
Born: |
1966 |
| Year of Appointment: | 2006 |
| Year of Employment: | 2003 |
|
Education: |
Sales and Marketing Degree from Institut Supérieur Européen de |
|
Shares: |
1) 0 |
Thorsten Kirschke
Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Kirschke joined Rezidor in 1995 in Corporate Food & Beverage and has since then held various managerial positions in operations and in all areas of Rezidor’s master franchise agreement around the globe, including Russia, China, Middle East and Scandinavia. Since 2002, Mr. Kirschke has served in the position of Area Vice President of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, South East Europe, Switzerland and Italy.
|
Nationality: |
German |
|
Born: |
1964 |
| Year of Appointment: | 2006 |
| Year of Employment: | 1995 |
|
Education: |
MBA degree in Hospitality Industry from IMHI Essec |
|
Shares: |
1) 12,459 |
Beathe-Jeanette Lunde
Senior Vice President People Development and Radisson SAS Franchise Operations
Mrs. Lunde joined us in 1986 during the pre-opening of the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel, Stavanger. Following several hotel Department Head positions and General Manager, she was promoted to Vice President Human Resources, Vice President Franchise Services and her current role as Senior Vice President. In addition to the Head of HR and Franchise Operations responsibility, reporting to her is Vice President Corporate Safety & Security and Vice President Responsible Business. Prior to joining us, Mrs. Lunde was employed by Conoco Norway Inc. and the Norwegian Industry Association for Oil Companies.
|
Nationality: |
Norwegian |
|
Born: |
1962 |
| Year of Appointment: | 2006 |
| Year of Employment: | 1986 |
|
Education: |
Hospitality Degree from the University in Stavanger, Norway |
|
Shares: |
1) 10,000 |
Gordon McKinnon
Executive Vice President of Brands
Brand Leader Hotel Missoni
Mr. McKinnon joined us in 2002 as Vice President of Brands & Concept Development. He was one of the founding team members of Malmaison Hotels, Bars and Brasseries, and served as the Managing Director (Board member position) of the Malmaison Brand Company. Prior to joining Malmaison in 1999, Mr. McKinnon has held several leadership positions in marketing and communications companies in the United Kingdom.
|
Nationality: |
Scottish |
|
Born: |
1960 |
| Year of Appointment: | 2002 |
| Year of Employment: | 2002 |
|
Shares: |
1) 3,000 |
Marianne Ruhngård
Senior Vice President and General Counsel (since 2000) and Secretary to the Board
Ms. Ruhngård joined us in 2000 and has since held the position as Vice President and General Counsel. Prior to joining us, Ms. Ruhngård was employed from August 1992 to March 2000 by PLM AB (publ.) in Sweden where she held the position of Associate General Counsel. Prior to August 1992 Marianne Ruhngård practised as a court clerk at the Uppsala County Administrative Court and as a Junior Judge at
the Administrative Court of Appeal in Stockholm.
|
Nationality: |
Swedish |
|
Born: |
1960 |
| Year of Appointment: | 2006 |
| Year of Employment: | 2000 |
|
Education: |
LL.M. from University of Uppsala. Diplomas in English, Russian |
|
Shares: |
1) 0 |
Eugène P. E. Staal
Vice President Technical Development
Eugène P. E. Staal joined us in 2006 and was appointed Vice President Technical Development. In this role, Eugene heads the technical development of all Rezidor hotels and plays a key role in construction, design and architecture of our hotels - new builds, conversions and renovations. Working closely with Future Openings and Operations team, Eugene Staal and his team are also vital in ensuring the timely openings of our hotels. Before joining Rezidor, Mr. Staal was in charge of Technical Services for the Hyatt International hotels. During his post with Hyatt 1988 to 2006, Mr. Staal held various managerial positions in the US, Asia and Europe.
|
Nationality: |
Dutch |
|
Born: |
1964 |
| Year of Appointment: | 2007 |
| Year of Employment: | 2006 |
|
Education: |
Bachelor Degree in Hotel Administration from University of |
|
Shares: |
1) 4,000 |
1) Dated July 2008