Reto Wittwer is the President and CEO of Kempinski Hotels & Resorts, Europe’s oldest and most established luxury hotel collection, founded in 1897, with 111 deluxe properties in major cities and vacation spots throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia..
Reto Wittwer has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Kempinski Hotel Group since 1995. Previously, he served in several top executive positions in the Luxury Hospitality industry (President and Chief Executive Officer of CIGA Hotels from 1992 to 1995, from 1987 to 1992 in various positions with Swisshotel Group, including General Manager/Vice President Far East Asia, Senior Vice President for Operations and eventually President and Chief Executive Officer). He also served as a Director of Johnson Diversey Inc. since 2002.
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Reto Wittwer was born in Switzerland. He is a graduate of the renowned Swiss Hotel Management School in Leysin.
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 Teheran. 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 consequently in Canada, Mexico and Indonesia.
In 1982 Wittwer returned to Paris as General Manager of the Le Meridien 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 then appointed President and C.E.O. 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”.