News from Kempinski

The strategic move reinforces the brand’s commitment to differentiation across global luxury hospitality via disciplined expansion 

Dubai, UAE – 17 September, 2026 – Kempinski Group has announced the appointment of Noel Attard as Chief Development Officer, marking a natural evolution that leverages his two decades of service across the brand's operations, finance and corporate mandates. 

Attard, who most recently architected Kempinski’s business transformation strategy, is now tasked with overseeing the expansion of its global portfolio, building upon the foundations he set as Chief Transformation Officer, a role he assumed in early 2025. This internal appointment focuses on seamless business continuity as Attard captures growth opportunities across targeted acquisitions, management contracts, branded residences and brand debuts in priority and emerging markets. 
“As the author of our development strategy, Noel is uniquely positioned to step in and oversee its end-to-end execution, continuing his efforts to strengthen Kempinski’s luxury proposition through disciplined expansion,” commented René Nijhof, Chairman for Kempinski S.A. “His long-standing track record with the company, strong owner and investor relations and deep understanding of the evolving global, luxury hospitality landscape is invaluable to our progression, giving him the discernment and perspective needed to identify and pursue the right opportunities for our ongoing growth.” 

As a hands-on operational leader, Attard’s tenure has spanned 20 years of trading entity management, group-level strategic planning and key hotel openings, including Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square in Vilnius, Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz in Gozo and Kempinski Hotel Adriatic in Croatia. 

His approach to property development transcends transactional deal-making, prioritising real-world asset operations and ensuring expansion is informed by front-line expertise. For over ten years, Attard has previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Kempinski Trading DMCC (Dubai). Having previously served as Financial Controller and General Manager with the business, he brings deep cross-functional insight to his new role. 

“This next phase is about capturing immediate opportunities while ensuring seamless continuity with our brand heritage and portfolio of storied hotels across the world,” said Attard. “We have built a robust roadmap that is true both to Kempinski’s storied history and its growth-forward trajectory, and our priority is to execute that plan in full alignment with our core values to deliver the results we are known for.” 

Kempinski currently operates 73 properties in 33 countries around the world, with more than 21 prestigious projects under development. With its most recent internal appointment, it marks an organic progression toward evolving its strategic development as a recognised leader in global luxury hospitality. 
 

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