Photo Credit: Exterior of the Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin. Kempinski
Barbara Muckermann has left her role as Kempinski Hotels’ Group CEO after nearly two and a half years, amid departures across the luxury hotel company’s senior leadership, according to multiple sources who spoke to Skift.
Chief Financial Officer Gordon Drake, Chief Human Resources Officer Karin Raguin, Chief Development Officer Frank Veenstra, and Chief Brand Officer Barbara Biffi have also left the company, according to sources. Chief Commercial Officer Massimo Brancaleoni has resigned but it's unclear if he has left yet.
The reasons for the departures remain disputed, according to multiple sources we spoke to. The departures span several of the functions responsible for repositioning Kempinski, which reported 74 hotels and residences across 33 countries in a September 30 announcement. Most properties are managed for independent owners.
Some of the departing executives had joined only recently. Veenstra was named CDO in September 2025, while Biffi