New position: Kristina Golik becomes a&o's first Director of Operations & Integration

Berlin, 16th October 2025 – “All right,” “No problem,” “I can do that at short notice” – just a few of the phrases typically used by Kristina Golik. The 28-year-old is the new Director of Operations & Integration at a&o Hostels. The position was created to strengthen standards in the long term and manage integration processes for new projects. The German-Croatian native has been with the company since 2015. Most recently, she was assistant to Chief Operating Officer (COO) Torsten Loos, to whom she will continue to report. Kristina Golik: “Standing still is not an option for me – what matters is what we can do even better tomorrow.” The proportion of women in management positions at a&o is currently 40 percent – and rising. “As Director of Operations & Integration, I want to set an example here too,” says Golik.

Torsten Loos, COO: “With the introduction of this position, we are sending a clear signal for growth and sustainable structures in our company. We are delighted to fill this important role with Kristina Golik, who knows our company inside out and shares our values.”

From cost optimization to integration strategies, the new Director of Operations & Integration's responsibilities are extensive and varied. For Kristina Golik, resources and processes are “never finished” but always evolving and must be continuously coordinated and aligned with each other. She values short distances, clear communication, and personal exchange as the basis of her work: “Quality is teamwork—and it arises where everyone takes responsibility for the common result.” New locations will receive Golik's special attention in the coming months. Currently, 44 properties in 29 cities and ten countries in Europe belong to the a&o portfolio.

“Looking forward to expansion – we are very well prepared”

After completing her dual degree in hotel and tourism management, Kristina Golik first became a management trainee in 2018 and then general manager at a&o Aachen Hauptbahnhof in 2019. At the end of 2022, she took on the position of COO assistant. “I see myself in an interface role between the operational and management levels,” says Kristina Golik, defining her new role. “This requires communication and creative solutions with short decision-making paths – I really appreciate the pace and creative freedom.” Brighton, Antwerp, Brussels, Florence, and London have been added as new locations in the last year and a half alone, with more new openings on the horizon. Kristina Golik: “I am very much looking forward to my role in the further expansion of a&o – we are very well prepared.”