European hostel chain a&o Hostels has appointed Markus Harder to Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. The company will leverage Markus’ experience scaling technology and AI-led companies in Europe to support its digitalisation strategy.
Markus will be based in Berlin, and will work closely with CEO Oliver Winter and shareholders to drive the next phase of a&o Hostels’ growth strategy. He will lead the company’s digital agenda, which is focused on integrating cloud computing, AI, and mobile solutions to further streamline operations and enhance the guest experience.
“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.”
Oliver Winter, CEO, a&o Hostels
Markus will be responsible for all finance, legal, organisational, business systems and processes, as well as risk management and procurement functions.
His previous roles include four years as CFO and Management Board Member at DeepL, where he oversaw 10x growth, whilst also leading two unicorn funding rounds. Other relevant past roles include CFO of Contentful (since acquired by Salesforce) and Finance Director at SoundCloud. Markus started his career in real estate investment banking with Morgan Stanley.
“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.”
Markus Harder, CFO, a&o Hostels
Earlier this year, a&o Hostels completed an €874m refinancing with Apollo. Along with equity commitments from Proprium Capital Partners and StepStone Group, this will support its strategy to double the size of its portfolio and expand its pan-European footprint.
Over the past 24 months, the company has acquired approximately 11,500 beds, both operational and being developed/refurbished. The company’s mission is to bring its budget-friendly offering, targeting families, school groups and backpackers to more European cities. In 2025, a&o welcomed a record 2.8 million guests and had 6.6 million overnight stays.
