Heike Mahmoud, born in 1964, became Chief Operating Officer (COO) of CCH – Congress Center Hamburg, a business unit of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, on March 1st, 2018. As fully authorized officer, the business administration professional is also a member of the Executive Board of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH.

Heike Mahmoud has been active in the national and global convention and event business for more than 25 years. In 2015, the U.S. ‘Meetings & Conventions’ magazine counted her among the industry’s 25 most influential women world-wide.

Heike Mahmoud began her career with a Professional Congress Organizer (PCO) firm in 1993. In 1998, she accepted the position of Sales and Marketing Manager at Estrel Berlin, Europe’s biggest hotel and convention center complex. After joining visitBerlin as Director Conventions with full executive powers in 2001, she successfully developed the Berlin Convention Office (BOC), which she then headed until accepting her new role at HMC. During her tenure from 2001 until 2017, Berlin emerged as one of the world’s most successful conference and convention destinations.

In the global ranking of international association convention venues published by the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), Berlin took first place in 2015 for the first time ever. Furthermore, the volume of bookings for conferences, conventions, events and incentives in Berlin grew threefold under her leadership, and her organization established foreign event acquisition offices in London, New York, Sao Paulo and Beijing.

Heike Mahmoud is an active volunteer in numerous associations, institutions and organizations affiliated with the global meetings industry. From 2016 to 2017, she was a member of the Executive Committee of the BestCities Global Alliance; she served as Vice President Meetings Industry and as a member of the Executive Board of European Cities Marketing from 2012 until 2015; and she was President of the MPI Germany Chapter from 2008 to 2012 after having served as President Site Germany Chapter from 2003 -2007, among other positions.

In her new role in Hamburg, it will be her responsibility to position the New CCH – Congress Center Hamburg as one of Europe’s top-ranking convention centers once the construction and redesign work at the complex will be completed in August 2020.