Luxury hotel management company Kempinski Hotels has named Paul Lonergan as chief operating and asset management officer as part of efforts to drive performance and growth.
Under the newly created position, Lonergan is responsible to lead operations and asset management strategies across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, excluding China and Mongolia.
The appointment comes as Kempinski undertakes a reorganisation aimed at realigning its global operations and asset management practices.
In the last 12 months, the company has made some strategic leadership changes to help drive its performance and growth strategy.
Last week, Barbara Biffi was named as the company’s chief brand officer.
Lonergan will also oversee capital investment planning to ensure consistency with Kempinski’s objectives for both ownership groups and guests.
He brings more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality sector, including two decades in operational leadership roles and 15 years in hotel asset management.
His background covers handling property pre-openings, large-scale refurbishment projects, capital expenditure programmes, and leasing strategies in mixed-use developments.
Lonergan also has experience in aligning the interests of hotel owners and operators in various markets.
Kempinski Hotels group chief executive officer Barbara Muckermann said: “As Kempinski continues to evolve from a traditional hotel operator into an agile, owner-aligned organisation, Paul’s appointment marks a pivotal step in that journey.
"He combines the strategic insight of an asset manager with the operational rigour of a hotelier, and that dual perspective is exactly what we need to unlock the full potential of our portfolio. Paul has a proven record of elevating iconic properties and building value for owners while maintaining the spirit of exceptional service that defines a storied brand like Kempinski.”
Alongside this appointment, Manish Nambiar has been promoted to operations senior vice-president for the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.
Joining Kempinski in 2004 as an area executive chef in Tanzania, Nambiar has held several leadership positions, including area general manager for Africa and vice president for Southeast Asia operations.
He most recently managed operations at the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok and successfully led property openings in Nairobi and Accra.
Both Lonergan and Nambiar will work together with teams at both corporate and regional levels to support Kempinski’s operational initiatives.
Lonergan added: “Kempinski’s heritage of timeless luxury is unique, and the opportunity now is to pair that heritage with performance-driven operating and asset strategies.
“Working closely with our hotel teams and ownership partners, we will focus on targeted CapEx, precise operating levers and distinctive guest propositions, ensuring every property delivers on the Kempinski promise while growing long-term value.”
