Kempinski appoints new Middle East & Africa head

Kempinski Hotels have selected Henk Meyknecht as the new senior vice president regional operations Middle East and Africa.

Meyknecht brings over 30 years of hospitality experience to the role, and has worked with properties in the region, in Kuwait, Bahrain, and also Jordan, where he was responsible for three Kempinski hotels.

Meyknecht joins Kempinski in the region directly from the Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai.

Commenting on Meyknecht’s appointment, Kempinski Hotels CEO and chairman of the management board Markus Semer said: “We’re delighted that Henk has returned to the region as he brings a level of expertise and skills which are critical to our expansion plans and our existing operations. We’re confident that, as a Kempinski ambassador, he will quickly establish relationships with our owners in the region and drive operational performance.”

Originally from the Netherlands, Meyknecht speaks fluent Dutch, German and English. He holds degrees from Maastricht Hotel School in the Netherlands, as well as Cornell University (where he gained a degree in marketing), and the University of Hong Kong (where he gained a degree in business administration).

Meyknecht commented on his new role: “I am excited to be back in this dynamic region where Kempinski is growing its portfolio of hotels. I’m looking forward to visiting all of our hotels and owners and to supporting the opening of our new properties in Al Khobar, Beirut and Muscat.”