Cenk Ünverdi

Cenk Ünverdi is the Chief Operating Officer of Rixos Hotels & All-Inclusive Collection, overseeing regions in the GCC, Central Asia, and Southern Europe. With 17 years in his career—all spent with the company—Ünverdi is widely recognised for driving strategic expansion, operational excellence and transformative innovation across the region's most high-profile luxury resorts. He oversees a growing portfolio of 19 operating hotels in the MENA region, encompassing 8,700 keys and over 7,000 team members, with a further 11 properties in development. Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi became the first all-inclusive resort worldwide to earn a MICHELIN Key under his leadership, affirming the brand's commitment to elevated guest experiences.

Ünverdi holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from Istanbul University. He played a crucial role in launching the ALL Inclusive Collection, a digital booking platform featuring resorts from globally renowned brands, including Rixos, SO/, and Swissôtel. He is recognized for driving strategic expansion, operational excellence, and transformative innovation across luxury properties.

Under his dynamic leadership, Rixos Hotels has expanded its portfolio to include six hotels in the UAE, two in Qatar, the largest waterpark in Qatar, Meryal Waterpark, and a hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Together with colleagues, he developed an innovative energy efficiency project in Dubai that delivered significant energy savings and marked a milestone in sustainable operations for the hospitality sector.

Career history

• Chief Operating Officer, Rixos Hotels & All-Inclusive Collection (GCC, Central Asia, and Southern Europe) – Current
• Regional General Manager, Rixos Hotels (UAE and wider GCC region) – Appointed April 2019
• Cluster General Manager, Rixos The Palm Dubai and Rixos Premium Dubai – 2018
• General Manager, Rixos The Palm Dubai
• Operations Manager, Rixos The Palm Dubai, overseeing pre-opening in 2012
• Started in finance, business administration and F&B at Rixos President Astana (Kazakhstan)

What Cenk Ünverdi could bring to his current COO role at Rixos Hotels & All-Inclusive Collection: With nearly two decades exclusively within the Rixos organization, Ünverdi brings deep institutional knowledge of the brand's operations and culture. His proven track record of hotel portfolio expansion, digital innovation (notably the All-Inclusive Collection platform), and sustainability initiatives positions him to drive continued growth across multiple regions. His demonstrated ability to secure premium distinctions such as the MICHELIN Key and World Travel Awards suggests he can elevate operational standards while maintaining luxury positioning in competitive markets.