The Supervisory Board of the Cologne Tourist Board has unanimously appointed Stephanie Kleine Klausing as the new Chief Executive Officer of the company. This decision is the result of a structured selection process that was prepared by an in-house selection committee and supported by the management consultancy Kienbaum. Dr Jürgen Amann's contract will end on 31 March 2026, before its regular end date, by mutual agreement.
The new CEO, Stephanie Kleine Klausing, is a long-standing member of the company’s management team. She has been active in responsible management functions for the Cologne Tourist Board for many years and has played a key role in the company’s strategic development and the national and international marketing of Cologne as a tourist destination. Her promotion thus represents continuity, institutional knowledge and a strong internal perspective on development.
The Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Max Derichsweiler, announced:
“We are delighted to have been able to appoint Stephanie Kleine Klausing—a superbly qualified Chief Executive Officer—from our own ranks. She has had a deep and detailed knowledge of the Cologne Tourist Board, its partners and strategic areas of activity for many years. The Supervisory Board’s unanimous vote underlines our great confidence in her expertise and her ability to successfully continue the development of Cologne as a destination for tourism and conventions. The Supervisory Board thanks the outgoing CEO, Dr Amann, for his work and wishes him all the best for his future activities.”
First, the selection committee defined a comprehensive job profile and established a multi-stage selection process on that basis. The management consultancy Kienbaum supported the process by helping to identify, approach and evaluate suitable candidates.
Stephanie Kleine Klausing will take up her new position on 1 April 2026.