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.

Gunnar von Hagen has dedicated 23 years to the Lindner Hotel Group, serving in various roles. Before joining the Düsseldorf-based hotel group, he served as a Rooms Division Manager for Peninsula Hotels in Beijing and worked at the Baltschug Kempinski Hotel in Moscow. Noteworthy international experiences include his tenure at the Hotel George V. in Paris. Prior to this, he held the position of Director Front Office at the Hotel Breidenbacher Hof in Düsseldorf.

Von Hagen holds a degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Human Resources and Organizational Management from AKAD Rendsburg. He completed his training as a restaurant specialist at the renowned Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg.

Sophie Sadler joined the Lindner Hotel Group in March 2023 as Vice President of Financial Planning & Asset Management before assuming her current position in January 2024. Previously, she served as Vice President of Finance at the startup The Embassies of Good Living AG and held responsibilities in Asset Management, Controlling, & Treasury for the hotel portfolio at Art-Invest Real Estate. She has also accumulated experience in the hospitality industry, including at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin.

Originally from Luxembourg, Sophie holds a Master of Science in Real Estate Investment Finance from Oxford Brookes University, a Certificate in Hotel Real Estate Investment & Asset Management from Cornell University, and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Finance and Revenue Management from the Glion Institute of Higher Education.

Until his transition to Lindner Hotel Group in early 2024, Holger Herrmann served as Regional Director at Radisson Hotel Group, overseeing 18 hotels and six new openings in Germany and the Netherlands.

Previously, Herrmann worked as District Director and General Manager in other hotels within the Radisson Hotel Group, including locations in Hamburg, Zurich, and Rostock. Prior to his extensive experience in hotel operations, Herrmann was responsible for revenue optimization, serving as Area Revenue Manager for over 30 hotels across more than ten countries.

Evert Schuele is an executive with over 30 years of national and international experience in multichannel sales, marketing, and sales management, having worked at companies such as Hurtigruten, HR Group, Hyatt, Starwood, and Kempinski. Since July 2024, he has been with the Lindner Hotel Group, where he is responsible for the entire commercial strategy and its implementation within the functions of sales, marketing, and revenue management, as well as commercial optimization with franchise partner Hyatt. His main focuses are customer analysis, optimization of e-commerce processes, and the implementation of B2B and B2C distribution strategies.

Evert Schuele holds an MBA from the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons (FHGR Graubünden), and certifications in risk management, real estate and asset management, and transformation from IIPER, Cornell University, and INSEAD. 

Barbara Lünenborg has been Vice President of Sales Management at Lindner Hotel Group since 2023. Her responsibilities include integrating the sales structures of the group with its partner, Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Additionally, she is in charge of establishing a central cluster sales structure. Leading a team of 50 colleagues, she oversees Active Sales, Sales Services, and the MICE & Events Service Desk for the four cluster regions of Lindner Hotel Group.

Following her high school graduation, Lünenborg underwent traditional hotel management training and has been working in various sales management positions within the group since 1995.

Maximilian Abele's path into the hospitality industry, ultimately leading to his role at the Lindner Hotel Group, began through his tenure with the Rosewood Hotel Group. There, he served as the Global Senior Director of Marketing & Communications, overseeing brand management for 31 pentahotels across Europe and Asia.

Max Abele embarked on his professional journey in the sports industry, including marketing roles with the Bundesliga football club, 1. FSV Mainz 05 e.V.. Prior to joining LHG, his passion for music and events led him to the Tomorrowland festival movement, where he successfully managed marketing efforts in the DACH region for two years. He currently resides in Mainz with his wife and two children.

Ulf Mehler has been responsible for the Revenue Management and central Group Reservations teams since autumn 2023. Prior to joining the Lindner Hotel Group, Mehler worked at the German tour operator Aldiana GmbH, where he led Yield Management. Throughout his career, he has worked with international tour operators and cruise providers, focusing on revenue optimization.

Ulf Mehler completed an apprenticeship as a hotel specialist. Additionally, he studied in Germany and the United Kingdom, earning a Bachelor of Arts in International Tourism and a Bachelor in International Management. Furthermore, he obtained an MBA through the postgraduate program at FOM. Mehler is married and has two children.

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. Beck is now positioned as Vice President of People & Culture, reporting to Arno Schwalie.

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.

Until his move to Lindner Hotel Group in 2023, Bardia Torabi served as General Manager responsible for the prestigious project "The Seven Visions Resorts & Places" located in Yerevan, Armenia, within the Upper Luxury segment.

Previously, he held positions such as Director of Sales & Marketing at Hotel Adlon, Berlin, and Area Director of Sales & Marketing for all 12 Kempinski Hotels in the D-A-CH region. In 2019, Torabi served as General Manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Sharq Village in Doha, Qatar. He is a trained hotelier with a diploma from Cornell University, New York, USA.

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 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.