Kempinski Hotels

Karin Sheppard is Chief Operating Officer for IHG's Australasia, Japan and Korea regions, as well as Franchising in Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA). A member of the AMEA Regional Operating Committee, Karin oversees the operations and performance of over 100 hotels in more than 10 countries across brands ranging from the luxury InterContinental Hotels & Resorts to the midscale Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. Sheppard has close to 20 years of international experience in commercial functions across a variety of industries, including technology, telecommunications and hospitality. Alejandro Bernabé has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer at Kempinski Hotels w.e.f October 2014, and brings renewed vigour to Kempinski’s Management Board. Bernabé is a Kempinski success story, having been groomed for senior management over the course of 16 years with the company. A graduate of the Hotel Institute Montreux in Switzerland, Bernabé graduated cum laude with a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts USA, as well as an MBA from Reims Management

School in France.