Rupert Simoner has been appointed as the new CEO of Vienna International Hotels & Resorts, Austria’s largest hotel operator, effective as of the 1 September 2014.
Mr Simoner has vast experience in the tourism and hospitality sector, most recently as Senior Vice President of Kempinski Europe and as General Manager at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains St. Moritz.. Having worked at Kempinski since 1995, the Austrian has gained an international reputation as an excellent hotelier and corporate leader. Mr. Simoner has also been regarded as one of the great ambassadors of the company, having represented the Kempinski hotel group throughout Asia, Africa and Europe.
Dr. Franz Jurkowitsch, Supervisory Board Chairman of VI Hotel, says of the appointment: “Many years of extremely fruitful collaboration with Mr. Rupert Simoner make us confident that he will successfully lead the company VI, which was set up and very successfully managed by Dr. Andreas Karsten, towards a very promising future.” Dr. Jurkowitsch is also very pleased to have gained Dr. Karsten as advisor on the planned IPO while being able to continue to count on him as consultant on real estate acquisition and financing: “Dr. Karsten will remain in the Management of the German subsidiaries in order to ensure the ongoing expansion in Germany.”
