Speaker profile

Lourie Kruger

Head of Transactions, Africa and Middle East
Westmont Hospitality Group

Lourie is a globally experienced investment professional executive with more than 20 years’ international experience in banking, real assets and hospitality, gained in over 35 countries, and throughout the investment lifecycle; from origination and underwriting, through active management, to disposal/exit.

He is currently the Head of Transactions, Africa and Middle East for Westmont Hospitality Group (WHG), one of the world’s largest private owner/operators of hotels where he oversees the in-organic growth of the company in MEA.

Mr. Kruger has been based in the GCC since 2009. Prior to WHG he headed up the investment arm of a prominent family office focussed on real assets globally. Previous to the family office Mr. Kruger spent 10 years with Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI), a major investment company focused primarily on mixed-use real estate and hospitality with investments in 37 operating companies across 23 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and North America.

During his time at KHI Mr. Kruger was CFO of the company, responsible for overseeing all the corporate finance activities of the company, treasury, capital structure programmes and M&A initiatives, including leading the initiative that saw the company dispose of 32 portfolio companies over an 8 year period.

Before moving to the GCC Mr. Kruger was with a South African investment bank where he was a founding member of the African Real Estate team within the bank.

Mr. Kruger holds degrees in Computer Sciences, Financial Economics, and an MBA from London Business School.