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KEMPINSKI HOTELS ELEVATES GUEST EXPERIENCE WITH STRATEGIC APPOINTMENTS IN WELLNESS, EXPERIENCES AND GASTRONOMY TO DRIVE INNOVATION ACROSS GLOBAL PORTFOLIO
Kempinski Hotels has announced the appointment of three new Vice Presidents – Kristian Toivanen, Aurelia van Lynden and Dan Clayton – to its newly formed product and experience team. |
Category: Worldwide - Careers
- Appointments
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on Thursday 14 August 2025
 From left to right: Kristian Toivanen, Aurelia van Lynden, Rasha Lababidi, Dan Clayton
Photo credit © Kempinski Hotels
Kempinski’s product and experience team will be responsible for transformation across the entire lifecycle of bespoke experiences, from creative ideation to design and meticulous planning to flawless execution and continuous enhancement.
“This is an exciting moment as we reintroduce our guests to experiences that reflect the elegance of Kempinski and the distinct character of each destination," says Rasha Lababidi, Chief Product & Experience Officer for Kempinski Hotels.
"Kristian, Aurelia and Dan bring sharp insight and bold thinking across the wellness, travel, experiential and gastronomy verticals. Together, we’ll shape experiences that are emotionally rich, culturally grounded, and unmistakenly Kempinski, ultimately defining a modern standard of meaningful luxury.”
Kristian Toivanen brings a wealth of expertise to his new role as Vice President, Wellness & Spa.
With a career that includes positions at iconic luxury brands including The Savoy and Claridge’s in London, Toivanen specializes in the rapidly growing wellness segment within luxury hospitality. His comprehensive experience includes leadership roles at one of the world's leading integrative longevity resorts in Europe and global wellness resorts across Southeast Asia. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of The Aspen Tree, Thailand.
Aurelia van Lynden, has been appointed Vice President, Experiences, and joins Kempinski with over 13 years of world-class expertise in luxury travel and experiential hospitality.
From her early years at luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent, where she was responsible for building and growing the private client division, she has shown a consistent trajectory of creativity and excellence. Leadership roles at travel consultants Perowne International and Pelorus, honed her expertise in curating exceptional experiences for ultra-high net worth travellers, combined with a focus on quality control and customer satisfaction.
Dan Clayton joins Kempinski as Vice President, Food and Beverage & Hospitality, bringing a broad strategic lens to the evolving guest journey.
A recognised voice in hospitality innovation, Dan's expertise spans food and beverage strategy and concept development, experience design, placemaking, and culinary storytelling. His recent role as Director of Strategy and Insights at Keane, and previously at Meraki & Modus, saw him advising global developers and governments on master planning and experience strategy. In addition, he is also the founder and chief food writer at FoodSheikh, one of the region’s most influential gastronomy platforms. At Kempinski, Dan will help shape the future of in-hotel experiences - from restaurants and bars to the everyday rituals that define modern luxury.
The global luxury hospitality market, valued at more than US$166 billion in 2025, is experiencing unprecedented transformation as travellers increasingly prioritise wellness experiences and authentic cultural immersion over traditional luxury amenities.
These strategic appointments strengthen Kempinski's product and experience team capabilities as the company continues to elevate luxury hospitality standards across its global portfolio.
The addition of Toivanen, van Lynden and Clayton adds to an exceptional team that enables Kempinski to deliver distinctive experiences at the crossroads of local culture, personalisation, luxury, and excellence.
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