Design Hotels Promotes Bernd Neff, Sascha Wolff and Arno Schwalie to Executive Positions
BERLIN, Germany, 18 August 2009 - Claus Sendlinger, founder and CEO of Design Hotels AG, announces the promotion of Bernd Neff, Sascha Wolff and Arno Schwalie to senior roles within the company. Neff, Vice President of Brand, Marketing and Communications, manages the departments: Brand Management, E-Marketing, Account Management & Membership Services, Marketing, as well as PR & Communications. Wolff, Vice President of Finance, manages all legal matters for Design HotelsTM, including the contracting and renegotiation of membership agreements. Schwalie takes on the role of Director of Strategy and Development, through which he is also responsible for the global development of the member hotel portfolio.
BERND NEFF, VICE PRESIDENT OF BRAND, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Neff (44) started with Design HotelsTM in January 2007 as Director of Brand Management. Since joining he has been responsible for strengthening the Design HotelsTM brand. For example, he oversees the Future Forum events and the development of all Design HotelsTM publications, the Made by Originals campaign, new sales formats and all communications. He has an extensive background in the film, music, fashion and advertising industries as creative producer of TV shows for MTV, commercials for WPP, music videos, and major events such as FIFA World Cup 2006. Neff is a member of the Executive Management Team with commercial power of attorney.
SASCHA WOLFF, VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE
Wolff (37) trained and worked as a tax consultant at Epple, H"ormann & Kollegen, advising private and business clients on all aspects of accountancy practice, including auditing, company law, trusts and tax declaration. Wolff joined Design HotelsTM in February 2000 to direct the finance department. He manages the company's bookkeeping, invoicing, collections, operations analysis, controlling and IT. Wolff has been a member of the Executive Management Team since 2004 with commercial power of attorney.
ARNO SCHWALIE, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT
Schwalie (35) joined Design Hotels AG in 2006 as head of the department Strategy & Development. His responsibilities included the strategic development of the company and the management of hotel and real estate development projects. Schwalie brings several years of experience in strategy, marketing, and sales in national and international companies such as BMW. He holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration, a degree in International Business Administration from European Management Academy and a degree as Real Estate Business Economist.
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