The departure
Barbara Muckermann has left her role as group chief executive of Kempinski Hotels. Skift published the account on 19 October 2026 under Rafat Ali's byline and attributed it to multiple unnamed sources. Reports put her tenure at nearly two and a half years. Kempinski appointed her chief executive in May 2024, and the company's own appointment release is dated 21 May 2024.
The same reports name five further executives. They are Chief Financial Officer Gordon Drake, Chief Human Resources Officer Karin Raguin, Chief Development Officer Frank Veenstra and Chief Brand Officer Barbara Biffi. Chief Commercial Officer Massimo Brancaleoni has resigned, and his exit date is not established. Chief Information Officer Riko van Santen left the group earlier in 2026.
The affected functions sit in the group's repositioning. Finance, development, human resources, brand and commercial are in that list.
The count of six
The October wave holds four confirmed departures and one resignation without a confirmed exit date. A count of six holds when Van Santen is counted with them. Van Santen left earlier in the year, before the October wave.
Four executives left in October. A fifth resigned. The sixth left months earlier. That distinction decides whether the count describes one coordinated exit.
Two seats already filled
Kempinski has named successors to two of the departing executives. Andrea Vanni is chief financial officer, announced on 6 October 2026. Noel Attard is chief development officer, announced on 17 September 2026. The board presents both moves as continuity in the transformation.
The footprint
Kempinski reported 74 hotels and residences across 33 countries in an announcement dated 30 September 2026. A company release of 17 September 2026 gives 73 properties in 33 countries and more than 21 projects under development. The later figure counts residences alongside hotels, which accounts for the difference of one. Most Kempinski properties are managed for independent owners.
The sale question
Sources told Skift that the owners had been seeking a financial buyer. One person familiar with the talks said some prospective buyers balked at the asking price. The group is Bahraini-controlled.
Muckermann was separately speaking with bankers and capital providers about financing further hotel acquisitions. That is a second capital conversation, and it runs alongside the sale exploration.
No transaction has been announced. The sale account rests on unnamed sources. Kempinski has not confirmed it. The company did not answer Skift's detailed questions, and Muckermann declined to comment.
What the reports do not establish
The reasons for the exits remain disputed between sources. No successor to Muckermann has been named. Reports carry unattributed speculation that Chairman René Nijhof takes the chief executive role on an interim basis. Kempinski has issued no statement on an interim leader and no statement on the departures. Its press room carries no notice of either.
The financial record behind the change
Public filings for 2024 show consolidated revenue of €164.6 million, down from €174.9 million a year earlier. Management-fee revenue fell to €41.8 million. Total hotel revenue fell 3 per cent. Net profit rose to €17.6 million. The management report forecast a sharp decline in 2025 pretax profit.
How recently the seats were filled
Several of the departing executives joined within the past two years. Veenstra took the development role in September 2025, and Attard now holds it.
What the record supports
The departures are reported by Skift from unnamed sources and repeated by trade outlets that credit Skift. The 74 hotels and residences across 33 countries come from the company's own September count. The 2024 figures come from public filings. The sale exploration comes from sources and has no company confirmation. Kempinski has published no response to any of it.