a highly experienced team
of talented hospitality professionals

Dr. Christoph Scherk's primary goal is to provide the best possible financial support for the success of all destinations. With his work for Welcome Hotels and Arabella Starwood Hotels & Resorts, he has accumulated extensive experience in both the commercial management of domestic hotel operations and collaborations with international hotel chains.

Additionally, he enhances the expertise of the Lindner Hotel Group with his exceptional knowledge in managing owner-operated businesses and in the private equity sector. As Chief Financial Officer, he is responsible for finance, procurement, IT, and asset management, and he will drive forward upcoming profitability-focused projects and investments.

Unusually for a hotelier, Christoph Scherk holds a PhD in Biophysics and a degree in Economics.

Frank Lindner has been a member of the board since February 2019 and is also one of the five shareholders. Prior to this role, he served as the managing director of Gebau Technik GmbH for approximately 20 years, a company within the Lindner corporate group that specializes in realizing real estate projects. Frank Lindner holds a degree in architecture and has significantly contributed to the development of the hotel group as a construction and project manager. 

Like the entire family, Frank Lindner is passionate about sports. He played in the 1st Water Polo Bundesliga for over a decade with the Düsseldorf Swimming Club and participated as a runner-up in the European Cup. He is married and has two children.

Since April 1, 2025, Gabriele Seidel has been serving as Vice President Operations & Commercial, overseeing both the Operations and Commercial divisions. Originally from South Africa, she began her impressive career in hospitality after completing her training as a hotel specialist at the Atlantic Hotel Kempinski.

She spent a decade in senior leadership roles at H-Hotels Group, including as Executive Director Sales & Revenue Management and Vice President Operations D-A-CH, where she was responsible for 56 hotels. Most recently, she served as Corporate Director Operations at Novum Hospitality Hamburg, where she was in charge of 126 hotels across eight brands and held a position on the supervisory board.

At the beginning of 2024, Henning Schneekloth-Plöger joined the leadership team of the Lindner Hotel Group as Vice President of Asset Management. Previously, he served as the Director of Tenant Relations Europe at Union Investment Real Estate GmbH. With 15 years of experience, Schneekloth-Plöger has provided consultancy services to both private and institutional real estate investors, with a focus on hotel assets at both national and international levels. In his role as Key Account Manager at Union Real Estate Investment GmbH, he managed portfolio tenants such as Motel One, the Radisson Hotel Group, and UBM Development AG.

Schneekloth-Plöger is a trained hotel manager, holding a Bachelor of Arts in International Management with Honours from the UK, as well as a Master of Science in Real Estate from IRE|BS/University of Regensburg.

Olaf P. Beck served as Director of Human Relations, Leadership Trainer, and Ambassador for Novum Hospitality in Hamburg for the past six years before his recent transition. He was co-responsible for the overall HR strategy and management of 150 hotels across 65 European locations, overseeing a workforce of 2,500 employees. Beck brings over 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry. After completing his hotel management training at the Savoy Hotel in Düsseldorf, his career took him to various senior positions with international and renowned hotel chains, including Marriott Hotels International. He served as General Manager at the SIDE Design Hotel in Hamburg and the Gräflicher Park Health & Balance Resort in Bad Driburg, which was named the best resort hotel in the DACH region under his leadership. 

Prior to serving as the Area Vice President at Lindner Hotel Group, Achim Laurs held the position of Cluster Director at Dorint Hotels AG for eight years, overseeing the Rhineland region as the Regional Director. In 2001, he relocated to Cologne to manage the Queens Hotel. Subsequently, in 2008, he transitioned to the Azimut Hotel Group in Cologne, where he inaugurated the Azimut Hotel while simultaneously fulfilling the role of Regional Director for the West.

Laurs is a seasoned hotelier, having honed his skills through training at Steigenberger Hotels AG. He furthered his expertise through diverse roles within the hospitality sector. His journey as a Director commenced at the Holiday Inn in Aachen.

With the brands L-Collection and 7Pines Hotels & Resorts, Carlos Fritz shares responsibility for the most exclusive destinations in our group. Before the properties came under the umbrella of the Lindner Hotel Group in early May 2024, managed by our sister company, 12.18. Hospitality Management GmbH, Carlos Fritz served as Head of Hotel Operations at 12.18. Carlos Fritz is particularly familiar with 7Pines Resort Ibiza. He played a key role in its opening in 2018 and led the team to great success as General Manager from 2019 onwards.

After studying at the Glion Institute of Higher Education in Montreux, Carlos worked in renowned establishments such as the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai, the St. Regis Resort in Aspen, the St. Regis Mardavall Resort in Mallorca, Badrutt's Palace in St. Moritz, the Relais & Châteaux Park-Hotel Egerner Höfe on Lake Tegernsee, and the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin.