Jumeirah CEO Katerina Giannouka Leaves the Hotel Group

27.02.2024 - 05:31 / skift.com / Asia Pacific / Josh Corder

Katerina Giannouka has left Jumeirah Group one year into her time as CEO, confirms an internal document seen by Skift. The document is attributed to Jumeirah’s owning company Dubai Holding group CEO Amit Kaushal and was circulated to leaders in the organization.

“I wanted to share an important update at Jumeirah Group. Today, Katerina Giannouka sadly steps down as Chief Executive Officer, taking time to address some family matters before embarking on new opportunities outside of the Group,” reads the letter signed by Kaushal.

The letter also mentions that Giannouka will remain in Dubai “in the immediate future.”

Commenting on her departure, Giannouka, said: “It has been an honor to work with Jumeirah Group and Dubai Holding, and to have put in place the foundations for accelerated growth through 2030 and beyond. I extend my best wishes for Jumeirah and the entire team’s continued success.”

With Giannouka departing, Thomas B. Meier is again the most senior member of the company, having been chief operating officer since 2021. The letter mentions that Meier will serve as interim CEO, just as he did when previous CEO Jose Silva left, until a replacement is found.

The group is expected to release a statement on Tuesday morning.

Giannouka officially joined Jumeirah in December 2022, taking on the state-owned company right after Silva’s surprise exit from the company.

Giannouka joined the luxe operator from Radisson, where she was Asia Pacific president from 2017. Before that, she was a development vice president for Rosewood across Asia Pacific and China.

At the time of her hiring, she was Jumeirah’s first female CEO and one of the few female executives in the industry.

During her brief tenure, she set out to double the group’s portfolio, notably focusing more on signing hotels outside of the United Arab Emirates. Her predecessors had similar goals, but she set out to double the group’s footprint by 2030 and turn it in to a global brand.

The rise in luxury travel signifies more than just deep pockets — it’s a shift towards meaningful experiences. Millennials and Gen Zers are setting the pace, choosing travel as a form of self-expression. Jumeirah is tapping into this trend to accelerate its global reach, shifting the definition of luxury from mere opulence to personalized, purpose-driven experiences.