New CEO named for Cologne Tourist Board | Buzz travel

At the beginning of 2020, Dr. Jürgen Martin Amann will become Chief Executive Officer of KölnTourismus GmbH (Cologne Tourist Board), the official tourism organization of the city of Cologne. Amann is currently the Managing Director of Dresden Marketing GmbH and he was the Procurator and Head of Ingolstadt Tourismus und Kongress GmbH until 2018. He will succeed Josef Sommer, who will be retiring after working at the city-owned company for almost 20 years.

Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker has welcomed the appointment:

“Cologne is a European metropolis that attracts millions of people every year as a travel destination for leisure activities. However, it is also an important location for international trade fairs and major congresses in the fields of science, business, and culture,” she says. “We want to continue to pursue and expand on this successful path for the city. I’m delighted that we were able to gain Dr. Amann for this position, as he is an acknowledged expert who has extensive experience in both the business and leisure activity segments.”
Mayor Reker thanked the outgoing CEO Josef Sommer for remaining in this position in Cologne even in difficult times. “From all over the world, millions of people come to Cologne every year because our city appeals to them in many ways,” she notes. “Under the leadership of Josef Sommer, the Cologne Tourist Board has managed to market this appeal.”

The search for a successor was conducted by a special Supervisory Board committee, which was assisted by a human resources consulting firm. The committee was composed of representatives of the municipal administration as well as of the parties that are represented on the Supervisory Board. “We are very satisfied that we were able to reach a clear unanimous decision. Dr. Jürgen Martin Amann will enable us to successfully continue the city’s tourism marketing activities with all of their current facets and challenges,” says Elisabeth Thelen, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of the Cologne Tourist Board.

Amann, 47, who has degrees in economics and geography, is thankful for the confidence that has been placed in him and he is looking forward to his new task:
“I’m very eager to take on this unique and exciting challenge in Cologne and to work together with the team of the Cologne Tourist Board to shape the future of this great travel destination and congress location,” he says.