Kurt Ritter is the President & CEO of The Rezidor Hotel Group and recently celebrated 30 years with the company - under his management, Rezidor became one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide. Today, it comprises 5 brands featuring 324 hotels with over 66,000 rooms in operation or under development in almost 50 countries. Since November 2006, Rezidor has been listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.

Born in Switzerland in 1947, Kurt Ritter learned the meaning of providing guests with attentive service as a child in his parents' hotel. After completing his education at the "Ecole Supérieure de Commerce du Canton de Vaud," he went on to graduate from the prestigious Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne. His first position took him to the Hotel Bellevue Palace in Bern as Assistant Manager.

From 1970 to 1976, Kurt Ritter held a variety of positions at Ramada International Hotels in Belgium, France, United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden. At the age of 29, he was the youngest General Manager in Sweden and the entire Ramada chain. In 1976 he was appointed General Manager of the SAS Lulea Hotel in Sweden, before taking up a similar position at the SAS Kuwait Hotel in 1979. In 1984, he was promoted to Vice President Middle East for SAS International Hotels (SIH) and moved to Singapore. In 1988, Kurt Ritter became Vice President & COO and returned to Europe, where he was appointed President & CEO of SIH in 1989.

In 1994, SIH signed a Master Franchise Agreement with Radisson Hotels Worldwide, which led to the company's name being changed to Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts. In 2001, the company was renamed Rezidor SAS Hospitality. In September 2002, Kurt Ritter signed an agreement with Carlson Hotels Worldwide to develop the Country Inn, Park Inn and Regent brands in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In November 2005, he signed a worldwide license agreement with the Italian fashion house Missoni, to develop and operate a lifestyle hotel brand of the same name: Hotel Missoni.
 

Kurt Ritter was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration in Hospitality by Johnson & Wales University, Prudence, USA in 1997. Kurt Ritter received several awards - such as "Corporate Hotelier of the World 2002", the "International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) Lifetime Achievement Award", and the "Brillat Savarin plaque". In early 2007, he was also named a Carlson Fellow.

Kurt Ritter is a visionary and true gentleman. A genuine leader of people, he is admired throughout the industry for his commitment to and genuine believe in hospitality, his straightforward approach and philosophy for work and life, and his charismatic and dynamic personality. Kurt Ritter is married to Lara Ritter, has three children and lives in Brussels.