Former chief executive of SAS Anders Ehrling new head of Scandic.

• Head of Scandic hotels steps down
• Swedish tourism industry booms

Anders Ehrling, former head of the airline SAS Sweden, has been appointed as President and CEO of the Nordic regions biggest hotel chain, Scandic.

Swedish private equity firm EQT acquired Scandic from Hilton Hotel Corporation for 833 million euro in 2007, kicking off an European expansion with new hotels in Germany and Poland. Scandic will shortly be opening new flagship hotels in Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Hamburg and Berlin.

“Anders has a valuable background in the airline industry and has extensive experience of leading a company in an intensely competitive business with changing market conditions, where the focus is always on the customer experience and on a competitive cost structure,” said Vagn Sørensen, chairman of Scandic.

Anders Ehrling – who has been working for SAS for 23 year - will take up the post on 1 September this year. He currently serves on the board of insurance company Trygg Hansa, Swedavia (formerly the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration), telesales firm Vendator and Destination Åre.

"We will continue the journey of taking a strong brand to new heights. It’s an inspiring task that fills me with enthusiasm", Anders Ehrling said.

In March the hotel said that Frank Fiskers was stepping down as chief executive officer after three years at the post. He took on a new role as partner of a London-based hotel real estate investment firm.

Scandic today has more than 150 hotels in ten countries.