Kurt Ritter, the President and CEO of the Rezidor Hotel Group, has received the award of "CEO of the year - Hospitality & Tourism" at the prestigious CEO Middle East awards. 

In granting the award, the judges recognized and praised Kurt Ritter's dedication and strong leadership, steering the firm to the fastest growing in the industry and a real driver of growth.  The judges credited Ritter's leadership in a challenging 2009, when Rezidor opened 36 hotels, and the continued drive in the first half of 2010, having opened 20 new hotels (4,674 rooms) and signed a further 24 hotels (5,081 rooms).

"I am both delighted and honoured to have received this award, it is fantastic for our company to be recognized in the Middle East, an extremely strong and competitive region for the hospitality sector" said Ritter.
The award was one of 15 announced at a gala dinner held in Dubai to mark the fifth year of the annual CEO Middle East awards, now recognized as the Middle East's premier awards and recognition ceremony for CEO's. Organized by ITP, the largest publisher in the Middle East the awards recognize and reward outstanding success, innovation, business excellence and ethics across Middle Eastern Business.

Kurt Ritter has been at the head of The Rezidor Hotel Group as President & CEO for more than 20 years. Honoured as the longest serving CEO in the worldwide hotel industry, he has been with the company for 30 years. Kurt Ritter is a visionary and true gentleman. Firmly believing that a company's success depends on its people, he has expressed Rezidor's vision with the three simple words - YES I CAN! echoeing Rezidor's service philosophy which empowers people to make decisions when they matter the most. He is admired throughout the industry for his commitment to genuine hospitality, his straightforward approach and "joie de vivre".

For more on Kurt Ritter's inspiring career, please visit: Rezidor - Kurt Ritter