Reto Wittwer - President and Chief Executive Officer

In July 1995 Reto Wittwer was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the renowned Kempinski hotel group, Europe’s oldest luxury hotel management company, which operates internationally. Over the past 30 years he has gathered extensive experience in the international hotel industry and is considered one of the leaders in luxury hospitality. Wittwer previously held the position of President and C.E.O. of Ciga S.p.A. and prior to that, he was President and CEO of Swissair Nestlé Swissôtel Ltd.

Reto Wittwer was born in Switzerland. He is a graduate of the renowned Swiss Hotel Management School in Lausanne. After his successful studies he started his hotel career at the Palace Hotel in Madrid. The following six years he worked for Inter-Continental Hotels in Paris, Frankfurt, Geneva and Tehran. In 1976 he was appointed to Director of Food & Beverage of the Mandarin Singapore International. Two years later Wittwer moved to the Peninsula Group in Hong Kong as Resident Manager. In March 1979 Wittwer joined Hyatt International in the capacity of General Manager and as such, worked in Canada, Mexico and Indonesia. In 1982 Wittwer returned to Paris as General Manager of the Le Méridien Montparnasse.

Five years later he changed to the Swissair Nestlé Swissôtel Ltd as Vice President Asia. During his five years with Swissôtel he was promoted to Senior Vice President Operations and was then appointed President & Chief Executive Officer. In 1992, Wittwer joined CIGA S.p.A. as President & Chief Executive Officer.

Wittwer has received many honours for his contribution to the Hotel and Tourism Industry, including the “Freedom of the City of Paris” and the title “Knight of Honour of France”. Reto Wittwer summarises the Kempinski philosophy as a “clear commitment to distinctive luxury in hospitality with a strong quality and service standard, based on over 100 Years of Hospitality”. It is Wittwer's aim to expand on Kempinski’s European heritage by creating an international collection of the world’s most luxurious and unique hotels and resorts. Each property is strongly individual in product and style, setting Kempinski apart from any other luxury hotel Group.