a&o Hostels has appointed Markus Harder as Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.
The appointment strengthens the senior team at Europe’s largest hostel chain, which has approximately 30,000 beds under management.
a&o said it will leverage Harder’s experience in scaling technology and AI-led companies in Europe to support its digitalisation strategy.
Based in Berlin, Harder will work closely with CEO Oliver Winter and shareholders to drive the next phase of the group’s growth strategy.
He will lead a&o’s digital agenda, which is focused on integrating cloud computing, AI and mobile solutions to streamline operations and enhance the guest experience.
Harder will also be responsible for finance, legal, organisational functions, business systems and processes, risk management and procurement.
He previously spent four years as CFO and Management Board Member at DeepL, where he oversaw 10x growth and led two unicorn funding rounds.
His previous roles also include CFO of Contentful, which has since been acquired by Salesforce, and Finance Director at SoundCloud.
Harder began his career in real estate investment banking with Morgan Stanley.
Earlier this year, a&o Hostels completed an €874m refinancing with Apollo.
Alongside equity commitments from Proprium Capital Partners and StepStone Group, the refinancing will support the company’s strategy to double the size of its portfolio and expand its pan-European footprint.
Over the past 24 months, a&o has acquired approximately 11,500 beds, both operational and being developed or refurbished.
The growth supports its mission to bring budget-friendly accommodation, targeting families, school groups and backpackers, to more European cities.
In 2025, a&o 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.
“In particular, 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 and deliver even stronger operational and financial performance.”
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, alongside a team that genuinely innovates, is what convinced me.
“Technology is reshaping the guest experience across hospitality, and a&o is positioned to lead that shift.”
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