Management team

Zain Richardson is Chief Executive Officer of the ASW Group. He joined the company in March 2025. He holds a BA and MA in English and French from the University of Oxford and completed his MBA at The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in the USA. Zain brings two decades of experience leading global luxury brands, previously serving as Chief Marketing and Customer Officer for Aero, the California-based luxury airline. Prior to Aero, Zain served as Chief Marketing Officer at Aman Group across all verticals. He started his career in management consulting and then served in various commercial leadership roles at Marriott International, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Expedia Group. Zain Richardson is responsible for leading the company’s growth and strategy for the group and its business units.

Alexander Koenig is founder of First Class & More and an expert in hospitality and tourism with a focus on loyalty programs. Alexander holds a PhD and Master in Business Management from the University of Mainz in Germany. He started his professional career in 2000 as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. In 2004 he joined McKinsey & Co. where he was part of the European Marketing Practice. In 2008, he moved to Dubai and worked several years as the Head of Branding and Market Research for Emirates NBD. During his time in Dubai, Alexander started his own company First Class & More which became the leading German insider portal for smart luxury travel. In 2018, First Class & More became part of the ASW Group and Alexander Koenig is now Managing Director of the First Class & More International AG.