Management Team

The foundation of our Group’s growth has been the investment in our personnel, bringing dynamic, creative, dedicated, highly educated and ambitious individuals on board to carry the business forward. Our 5,235 employees are from – both genders, at least 18 different nationalities, and various age groups.

Stuart Leven

Chief Executive Officer of Orascom Hotels Management (OHM)

Scottish

Stuart Leven joined Orascom Development as Chief Executive Officer of Orascom Hotels Management (OHM) in September 2023. In his new role, Stuart leads the transformation and expansion of Orascom Development’s hotel business. He is also a vital member of Orascom Development’s global Executive Committee, reporting directly into Group CEO Omar El Hamamsy. Leven has substantial experience in the hospitality industry. His decade of experience working with a wide variety of hotel brands culminated in the role of Vice President of Commercial for UK and Ireland at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). Notably, he also has extensive experience in the airline and cruise industry, including Vice President EMEA for Royal Caribbean Group.

Joachim Schmitt

Chief Operating Officer

German

Joachim is responsible for the operation management of the Group’s 30 hotels across 6 destinations, ensuring the implementation of Board strategy and policies. Previous to his 8 years with Orascom Hotels Management, he worked in Germany, Australia, Turkey, India, Sri Lanka, China and Egypt with international hotel companies such as Kempinski, Intercontinental, Oberoi and Four Seasons.

Jens Freise

Chief Commercial Officer

German

Jens, started his career over 20 years ago working for various hotel management companies in different countries, among them Kempinski and HMS International. Combining global market exposure and innate communication skills, he manages sales, digital distribution, revenue management, marketing and public relation activities of the group.

Saleh Ashmawy

Chief Financial Officer

Egyptian

Saleh started his career over 16 years ago working for various well-known audit firms among them KPMG. He joined Orascom Development in 2012 as Head of Consolidation managing multiple areas of finance and supervising all group finance and critical accounting treatments. In 2017, he was appointed as the CFO of OHM. His current responsibilities include monitoring and direct the implementation of strategic business plans, budget in term of the profitability and cash flow, maintaining and building treasury/banking relationships. Saleh holds a high diploma in finance and auditing from Cairo university and he is a member of ESAA,EST.

Beat Fornaro

Chief Officer Brand Development and Performance Management

Swiss

With over 20 years in the industry, Beat is dedicated to leveraging brand power through collaborative partnerships, crafting unique experiences, and curating content and hospitality concepts. He started his career at a Miami beach club and has since worked in the US, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe. He leads the group’s performance management and business development.

Sanjay Sharma

Chief Technology Officer

India

A passionate leader who thrives on driving business transformation and achieving tangible outcomes through innovation and technology – Sanjay Sharma is recognized as the top 10 CIOs in the Middle East and awarded the BT 150 (Business Transformation) in Silicon Valley.

As the Chief Technology Officer of Orascom Hotels Management, he is responsible for driving digital transformation and change within the Group. In his previous role as the Head of IT in Jumeirah Group, he has successfully led various strategic Programs to address the transformation of Customer Engagement, Business Processes, Back-office Operations, and IT Infrastructure.