Mr. Martin R. Smura takes the helm as new Chief Executive Officer of the Kempinski Group on 1st July. The 50-year old brings a vast amount of management experience and expertise from top international hotel Companies on five continents: his most recent remit was that of Executive Chairman of the Board of the Dorint Hotel Group. He also held other relevant board mandates.
Smura completed his studies at Cornell University, New York and California State University Hayward in San Francisco, where he finished his MBA studies. This led to an outstanding international career in the hotel business.
Important steps in the career of the designated CEO include a seat on the board of Azimut Hotels, Russia’s largest hotel group, and the chairmanship of the Board of Directors of Adlon Holding. His operative spurs were mainly earned during his 15 years with Intercontinental Hotels Group, among other as Director Operations in East and Western Europe. There, aged just 28, he held his first general management post, becoming its youngest Regional GM at 30.
“We are confident that in Martin R. Smura with his outstanding leadership will continue to uphold the grand hotel tradition and quality at Kempinski. In particular, his leadership skills, strategic vision regarding the brand’s further expansion, his excellent network and long-standing bonds of trust, also with our partners, will strengthen the group’s position for the future. At the same time I would like to sincerely thank Markus Semer for his invaluable involvement and dedication towards the Kempinski Group over the last 16 years and over the last three years as CEO for having successfully repositioned and succeeded in making the company profitable by setting a financially sound strategy with an achieved sustainable net portfolio growth. Kempinski, which is celebrating its 122nd anniversary this year, has never been stronger and more competitive as an independent international hotel luxury brand, and we owe Markus Semer and the team our appreciation for this remarkable achievement. We wish him all the best in his new professional assignment as of January next year”, says His Excellency Abdulla H. Saif, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Kempinski AG.
