Josef Kufer to lead the Africa Region of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts

German national Josef Kufer is to be promoted to the position of Senior Vice President Africa from 12 February 2007. He will also become a member of the Executive Committee of the Swiss international hotel group. In this position he replaces Bernard Granier, who will continue to act as a consultant to Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.

Josef Kufer, who will be based in Cairo, will be in charge of the hotels in Morocco, Mauritius, Tanzania and Tunisia as well as the future projects in Africa. Following the rapid growth of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts’ Middle East region and a resulting strategic realignment of the company’s operational areas, Egypt with its 13 properties (previously incorporated in the Middle East area) will henceforth be included in the Africa region, thus allowing a greater focus on the further development of this important and growing market. The Middle East and Asia team based in Dubai will continue to focus on the 18 new openings in the area as well as the further expansion into the Asian markets.

Kufer gained first-hand international experience as General Manager of the Grand Hyatt Hotels in Oman, Indonesia, India and Taiwan. He previously held a number of senior and regional leadership roles in Food & Beverage. Most recently he was General Manager of the company’s flagship Mövenpick Hotel & Resort Beirut in Lebanon.

"As General Manager of the Mövenpick Hotel & Resort Beirut Josef Kufer proved that he is ideally suited for greater responsibility", said Jean Gabriel Pérès, President & CEO Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts referring to the promotion. "It is our aim to grow executives from within the company and to offer them opportunities for promotion. In Josef Kufer we are delighted to have found a top in-house candidate for this position."

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