From the archive
Movingon up T
o spend a decade and half at the helm of a multinational organisation is an achievement in any industry, but in the hotel game it means joining
exalted company. When Kurt Ritter stepped down from his role as president and CEO of Rezidor at the end of 2012, he had been in the role for just shy of 25 years. His successor as longest-serving hotel chief was Reto Wittwer, Kempisnki’s president and chief executive since 1995 and, like Ritter, a seriously big beast within the global hotel community; an individual whose reputation and personality has become synonymous with the company under his stewardship. But when Wittwer finally decides to hang up his keys, who will be left to laud for longevity? The industry has changed almost beyond recognition in a little over a decade, with increased emphasis on new markets, asset-light growth and branding creating a sector that can at times look as though it has moved away from its roots and become just another business driven by process optimisation and contract management. This shift has also influenced the turnover of those at the very top. Among the world’s ten largest hotel groups, the longest serving CEO is Best Western’s David Tang, who has spent a relatively modest ten years in the role.
Big (Swiss) cheese Back when Tang was taking the reins in 2004, Jean Gabriel Pérès already had his feet firmly under the table at Mövenpick’s Zurich headquarters. The Parisian celebrates 15 years at the helm of Switzerland’s primary hotel operator this year. Keen to downplay the milestone’s significance, he nevertheless acknowledges that it puts him among a select band of hoteliers, even if there are marked differences in their respective career trajectories.
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com 23
Jean Gabriel Pérès celebrates 15 years in charge of Mövenpick this year, but he is far more excited about what the future might bring. The chief executive sits down with us to discuss Swiss virtues, new markets and why he’d like to stay in the hot seat for a while yet.
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