Henning Matthiesen has joined RLA Global as Non-Executive Director
RLA Global, the international hospitality and leisure advisory firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Henning Matthiesen as Non-Executive Director, effective April 15, 2026. The appointment strengthens the firm's Resort and Hotel Consulting practice with the addition of one of Europe's most experienced luxury hoteliers.
Matthiesen brings over two decades of experience as a General Manager and Managing Director at landmark luxury properties. At 36, he was appointed General Manager for the pre-opening of The Augustine Hotel in Prague - a Rocco Forte Collection flagship - making him among the youngest General Managers in the group's history. His career continued across grand hotels in Germany and beyond, including as Managing Director of Excelsior Hotel Ernst in Cologne, where he led the long-term strategic repositioning of one of Germany's most established properties.
Most recently, as Managing Director of Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden, he led the most significant redevelopment in the property's 150-year history - overseeing structural modernisation, comprehensive room and infrastructure renewal, and the integration of sustainability standards within a protected heritage environment, all while maintaining uninterrupted five-star operations. He is particularly recognised for his ability to execute complex transformation programmes within live luxury environments, with a structured, owner-focused approach that aligns stakeholders across ownership, design, and operations.
Henning is known for bringing clarity to complex situations and for his ability to align people around a shared vision. At RLA Global, where senior consultants work closely and collaboratively across disciplines rather than in silos, his strategic mindset, creative initiatives and good instinct for people are a natural fit. Matthiesen is fluent in French, English and German.