a&o Hostels appoints new Chief Financial Officer

a&o Hostels has appointed Markus Harder as Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Europe’s largest and fastest‑growing hostel operator, with approximately 30,000 beds under management, said the appointment will support its digitalisation strategy as the company continues to scale across Europe.

Markus Hader

Based in Berlin, Harder will work closely with CEO Oliver Winter and shareholders to drive the next phase of the group’s growth. He will lead a&o’s digital agenda, including the integration of cloud computing, AI and mobile solutions to streamline operations and enhance the guest experience. His remit also covers finance, legal, organisational development, business systems, risk management and procurement.

Harder previously served as CFO and Management Board Member at DeepL, where he oversaw a tenfold increase in company size and led two unicorn funding rounds. His earlier roles include CFO of Contentful and Finance Director at SoundCloud. He began his career in real estate investment banking at Morgan Stanley.

The appointment follows a&o Hostels’ €874 million refinancing with Apollo earlier this year, supported by equity commitments from Proprium Capital Partners and StepStone Group. The capital will help the company double the size of its portfolio and expand its pan‑European footprint. Over the past 24 months, a&o has acquired around 11,500 beds, both operational and under development or refurbishment. In 2025, the group welcomed a record 2.8 million guests and recorded 6.6 million overnight stays.

Oliver Winter, CEO of a&o Hostels, said: “Markus’s depth of experience spanning strategic and financial planning, financial analysis, as well as debt and equity fundraising, will be invaluable as we continue scaling and optimising the platform. His background driving growth at technology and AI‑led companies will support our near‑term focus on adopting automation to further drive innovation and efficiencies.”

Markus Harder added: “a&o is the clear leader in a category that institutional capital is only beginning to fully appreciate. The opportunity to help build the defining platform in European budget hospitality is what convinced me. Technology is reshaping the guest experience across hospitality, and a&o is positioned to lead that shift.”