Change in Leadership at visitBerlin: Dr. Jürgen Amann Succeeds Burkhard Kieker

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Berlin, June 22, 2026 After 17 years at the helm of visitBerlin, Burkhard Kieker is stepping down from the executive board upon reaching the statutory retirement age. Since 2009, Kieker has had a profound impact on the company and played a decisive role in shaping Berlin’s development into one of Europe’s leading city destinations.

Franziska Giffey, Berlin’s Senator for Economics, Energy, and Public Enterprises: “Over the past 17 years, Mr. Kieker and his team have helped shape Berlin’s development as a global brand and top travel destination. I would like to thank him very much for his work. Berlin’s visitor numbers underscore his achievements. Going forward, Dr. Amann and Ms. Wendt will continue to lead visitBerlin. I look forward to continuing our collaboration.”

Kieker took over as managing director in 2009 during a period of economic uncertainty. At that time, the global financial crisis also posed significant challenges for the tourism industry. In the years that followed, Berlin experienced dynamic growth: in 2012, the city recorded around 20 million overnight stays; by 2019, that number had already risen to more than 34 million. Berlin thus established itself as one of Europe’s leading city destinations.

Burkhard Kieker: “Representing Berlin around the world for 17 years was a very special task and honour for me. I would like to thank the many partners and colleagues who supported and promoted Berlin tourism during this time with great dedication, creativity, and trust, as well as my colleagues at visitBerlin.”

Berlin’s New Head of Tourism: Dr. Jürgen Amann

With Dr. Jürgen Amann, who took office on June 1 of this year, and Sabine Wendt, who has served as managing director since January 2024, visitBerlin will continue to be led by a dual leadership team. The supervisory board of visitBerlin selected the 54-year-old tourism manager as Kieker’s successor in December 2025.

Dr. Jürgen Amann: “Berlin is one of the world’s top international tourism destinations and, for me, one of the most exciting cities in the world. It stands for freedom, culture, and a unique way of life. I am very much looking forward to working with Sabine Wendt and the entire visitBerlin team to further develop the Berlin brand and set new directions for Berlin as a tourism and convention destination.” 

Under the new co-leadership structure, Dr. Jürgen Amann is responsible for Destination Marketing & Commercial. Sabine Wendt, who has served as managing director of visitBerlin since 2024, continues to lead Destination Management & Corporate Development. Together, they aim to strengthen Berlin’s international appeal and further establish the capital as a premier tourism and convention destination.

A graduate in economic geography, he has many years of experience in destination marketing and tourism development. From 2020 to 2026, he headed KölnTourismus GmbH. Prior to that, the native of Upper Bavaria worked in Dresden and Ingolstadt, among other places.