speakers as of 6 january 2015 - hotel investment forum...

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Speakers As of 6 January 2015

Rummy Anand Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Rummy Anand is presently working as Senior Director Development, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group since October 2010. Prior to joining Carlson, he has held senior positions with Mahindra Holidays & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels Group and Indian Hotels. He brings broad experience in diverse business and cultural environments to Carlson, including 5-years working in international roles, based in Bahrain and Singapore. In the present role, his main focus is to drive the Growth of Hotel Brands and thereby maximizing the ‘value creation’ for Carlson Rezidor Hotels in South Asia. Rummy has a total experience of more than 30-years, out of which more than 20-years have been with the Hospitality Industry in Sales, Marketing, Development and Advisory Roles. He has a deep understanding of Hotel Industry and believes as a leader who inspires confidence in people. His credentials include Bachelor of Science degree from Delhi University and Post Graduate Diplomas in Sales, Marketing, PR and Advertising.

Kiran Andicot Marriott International, Inc. Kiran Andicot holds the position of Vice President, Hotel Development with Marriott International based in New Delhi, India. Mr. Andicot joined Marriott International in January 2006 in their development planning and feasibility department. Before joining Marriott, he worked with the real estate and hospitality consulting division of Ernst & Young in Dubai and prior to that with HVS International in New Delhi. Prior to HVS, he spent over seven years working in hotel operations with the Taj and Oberoi group at various locations in India. Mr. Andicot is an alumnus of the Oberoi School of Hotel Management (now OCLD), Delhi.

Deepika Arora Wyndham Hotel Group Deepika Arora, regional vice president, Indian Ocean, EMEAI is responsible for growing the portfolio of Wyndham Hotel Group brands including Wyndham® Hotels and Resorts, Planet Hollywood® Hotels, TRYP by Wyndham®, Ramada®, Days Inn®, Howard Johnson® Super 8® and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham® in the Indian Ocean region as well as maximizing the performance of the region’s franchises. With over 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Arora joined Wyndham Hotel Group in June 2010 and, within one year, helped establish the first properties in the region for several of the company’s brands. She joined Wyndham Hotel Group from Hilton Worldwide, where she was director of development, responsible for the development strategy for Hilton brands in India, including the management of the development process from sourcing and negotiations to the closure of management agreements. Arora also served as senior manager of strategic consulting and research for Jones Lang Lasalle in New Delhi, responsible for a variety of real estate planning projects. In addition, she held various managerial roles in development with CPG Consultants in Singapore and Bangalore and Jurong Consultants in Bangalore. Arora holds a bachelor’s degree in planning and a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the School of Planning & Architecture in Delhi, India. She is based in Wyndham Hotel Group’s Gurgaon, Haryana, India offices.

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Julian Ayers Alila Hotels & Resorts Julian Ayers Regional Vice President – India Subcontinent and Middle East, for the luxury group Alila Hotels & Resorts. Heralded by Sunday Times UK as the world’s coolest chain, Alila’s brand attributes lie in its innovative, purpose-driven architecture and its holistic destination experiences crafted by design, services and the environment. British born, Julian’s career has spanned the globe, in locations as diverse as India, Oman, the Caribbean, Indonesia and UK and has worked both with large hotel groups (Hilton and Intercontinental) as well as with boutique hotels. A graduate of Suffolk College he honed his skills at Gleneagles in Scotland before crossing the pond to Jamaica. Currently residing in Delhi (when not travelling) with his family, Julian drives Alila’s operations and expansion across his region.

Ajay Bakaya Sarovar Hotels Ajay Bakaya is the Executive Director of Sarovar Hotels. He oversees the operations and development of the 70 hotel group in India and Africa. Ajay is a 1980 graduate of The Oberoi School and a 1983 postgraduate alumnus of Cornell-Essec, France. His 36 years of international hotel experience includes assignments in Africa, Australia, France, India and the UK. Ajay's experience includes that of a GM with Oberoi Hotels. He was Director - Rooms at Australia's largest hotel, the 800 room Four Points by Sheraton, Sydney. He has also worked as AGM at The Sheraton on the Park, Sydney, a 600 room deluxe hotel, part of Starwood’s Luxury Collection. Ajay is a keen mountaineer, an adventure traveller and a half marathon runner. He has been the highest fundraiser for the Delhi half marathon for several years. He was also awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Federation of Hotels & Restaurants Association of India.

Jasmita Banga STR Global Jasmita Banga joined STR Global in October 2013 and is responsible for the company’s business development function and initiatives in Central & South Asia. Jasmita started her career with Hyatt International, working in hotel operations in the rooms division of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Mumbai. She has also worked as a Consultant with Horwath HTL prior to joining STR Global. Jasmita holds a Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from IHM Mumbai and a MBA in marketing.

Sanjay Bansal Aurum Equity Partners LLP An investment-banking veteran with a knack of concluding large, complex transactions. Sanjay has over 20 years of experience with a deep and on the ground understanding and exposure of handling more than a 100 mid and large sized transactions, across a range of multiple sectors. Over the years Sanjay has developed an expertise of concluding complex transactions that require a nuanced perspective of the client’s business, as well as, the macro environment impacting the client’s decisions. Sanjay is a passionate supporter and enabler of the entrepreneurial eco-system in India. He encourages aspiring and budding entrepreneurs through angel investments in early & concept stage companies. Sanjay is a charter member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) and the Indian Angel Network. Clients are moving to much smaller, more entrepreneurial investment banks where the accent will be on relationships, reliability, high levels of service, entrepreneurialism, which harks back to an earlier era of investment banking. Boutique investment banks, established by professionals with solid on-ground experience are better positioned to work closely with the clients in delivering value - Sanjay Bansal.

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Andrea Belfanti ISHC Andrea Belfanti is the Executive Director for the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC). Andrea has been with ISHC since April 2009, has over 15 years experience in the hospitality industry and has previously held positions with InterContinental Hotels Group, The High Museum of Art, Walt Disney World and Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge. Andrea earned her bachelor’s degree from the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Administration at the University of South Carolina. ISHC is a professional society with 200 members with work experience in over 60 countries. Membership is by invitation only and members are owners, principals, directors and/or officers in their firms and are leaders in the industry in their respective areas of expertise.

Vivek Bhalla Casam Hospitality Vivek Bhalla is Co-founder of CASAM Hospitality, an asset management and consulting firm providing customized solutions to maximize the long-term value of hospitality assets. The company leadership has over 30 years of experience with the top global hotel chains (Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Starwood) across 20 markets in Asia Pacific and the Middle East including Australia, China, India, and South East Asia. In addition the CASAM leadership has worked in senior management positions in all key functions in the hospitality space from sales and marketing, revenue and distribution, operations, development planning and finance, and asset management, enabling a 360 degree perspective to unlocking asset value and consulting solutions. Prior to this Mr.Bhalla was Senior Director Operations – South Asia with Starwood Hotels and Resorts and was responsible for the Pre-Opening and Operations of the groups 40+ hotels in India and South Asia. He has also held senior management roles in Sales and Marketing as Director of Revenue Management for Asia Pacific for Starwood Hotels, Corporate Revenue Manager Hyatt International Hotels and Revenue Manager South East Asia for Hyatt International Hotels. Mr. Bhalla holds a Master’s Degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.

Gaurav Bhushan Accor Asia Pacific Gaurav Bhushan is Chief Development & Investment Officer for Accor Asia Pacific. He is responsible for Accor’s Hotel Development, Investment & Asset Management activities in the Asia Pacific region. Accor currently has over 593 hotels in its network in Asia Pacific and a committed pipeline of approximately 280 hotels across the region. It is also an investor in various countries across Asia Pacific including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Greater China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand & India. Accor Development offices in the region are located in Sydney, Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai & New Delhi. Over the last few years Gaurav has also lead the development of various Joint Ventures and partnerships in the region for Accor. Accor’s key Joint Venture partners in the region include Tourism Asset Holdings Ltd (TAHL), LaSalle Investment Management, Ambassador Group (South Korea), Interglobe Enterprises (India) & Pacifica Partners (JV between GIC & Host Hotels & Resorts) & Ascendas Land Pte Ltd (Singapore). Gaurav began his career with Accor in 1995 in Australia and has held a variety of roles in Operations, Finance and Hotel Development. He has an MBA degree, and also a post graduate qualification in Applied Finance and Investment (Securities Institute of Australia).

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James E. Burba BHN Jim Burba is the co-founder and president of Burba Hotel Network LLC (BHN), the worldwide leader in developing and producing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. BHN hosts ten events each year around the world including: ALIS, ALIS Law, ALIS Summer Update, AOCAP, HICAP, HICAP UPDATE, HIFI, CHRIS, HOLA, and Hot.E. In 2008, BHN and Google teamed up to host Digital Discovery Day (D3) and in 2011, Burba was retained by the ITC, a joint agency of the UN and WTO to help organize WEDF which focused on tourism development in the least developed countries of the world. Actively involved in the hotel investment arena for 30 years, Burba was formerly: a principal at Pannell Kerr Forster, Senior Managing Director with Insignia/Hotel Partners, VP/Worldwide Director of Advisory Services at WATG, and President at Horwath HTL (US). A member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) and the Industry Real Estate Finance Advisory Council (IREFAC), Burba has received numerous honors including the Educational Institute Lamp of Knowledge Award, IREFAC’s first Crystal Ball Award, and the ISHC Pioneer Award. In 2007, California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, re-appointed Burba to his second term on the California Travel & Tourism Commission and he recently served on its Executive Committee.

Amisha Chohan Sanlam Securities UK Amisha is a consumer equity analyst, specialising in hotels, at Sanlam Securities UK, an investment bank and stockbroking firm with strong fundraising capabilities. She has over 10 years’ experience as an analyst (buy-side and sell-side). Amisha graduated from Nottingham University with a master in finance and investment in 2004 having read business finance at the University of Durham.

Kapil Chopra The Oberoi Group An alumnus of The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development (OCLD), Mr. Chopra’s experience as an hotelier spans over two decades. Under Mr. Chopra’s leadership, EIH Ltd, the parent entity of The Oberoi Group, has grown from strength to strength, with an exponential rise in both occupancy and profits. As an unparalleled ‘people’s person’, Mr. Chopra is dedicated to cultivating talent and service excellence within the Group, earning him the title of ‘Hotelier of the Year’ from Hindustan Times in 2012. The success of award winning properties - The Oberoi, Gurgaon and Trident, Gurgaon can be credited to his meticulous planning and vision. The two hotels have received multiple prestigious awards In his current role, he has been instrumental in opening the two flagship properties – The Oberoi, Dubai and Trident, Hyderabad. Apart from being an hotelier, Mr. Chopra is also influential in the art sector. He founded The Wall, India’s first art e-magazine. Mr. Chopra is also passionate about healthcare and is the founder of charitybeds.com, which helps the economically challenged get free hospitalization in private hospitals.

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Rajeev Chopra The Residency Hotel P Ltd The Residency Hotels Pvt. Ltd., the first independent, professional hotel Management Company in India, set up in 1985. Over 40 years of experience in the Hotel Industry, mainly connected with hotels of Deluxe and Luxury properties. After an Oberoi Hotel background, brought in International chains by Holiday Inn, Marriotts and Starwoods developed and asset managed properties like JW Marriott Mumbai, Renaissance and MEA Mumbai, and Westin Hyderabad. Developed and Managed hotels like Four Points by Sheraton at Vashi, the Resort Mumbai and St. Marks Hotel in Bangalore. Over the 40 year period built and developed and managed at least 35 hotels in various parts of the country.

Atul Chordia Panchshil Realty Chairman and CEO of Panchshil Realty, Mr. Atul Chordia, has over two decades, forged one of India's most recognized real estate brands - Panchshil Realty. Mr. Chordia, with his acute business sense and motivation to provide only the best, has been instrumental in transforming the way real estate is perceived. Today, Panchshil is known for its iconic commercial and corporate projects, and has redefined the concept of luxury and lifestyle. Under Mr. Chordia's aegis, Panchshil was the first to bring in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in real estate with Merrill Lynch. His vision for tomorrow's Pune also saw the Government of India notify the first IT & IT-eS Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in India as far back as 2007. Ever the achiever, it is Mr. Chordia's vision that makes Panchshil a trendsetter in luxury living and branded homes with landmark projects like yoopune by Philippe Starck. More recently, Panchshil announced Trump Towers Pune - India's first Trump-branded high-rise residential. An alumnus of Ness Wadia College and a commerce graduate from Pune University, Mr. Chordia is a keen follower of sports, and has also participated in moto-cross racing at the national level. A true visionary, he aspires to build communities and spaces that bring happiness. He aims to bring the world to Pune and through Panchshil create wealth assets for this great city.

Simon Cooper Marriott International, Inc. Simon F. Cooper became President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific in September 2010. He oversees the operation, development and strategic positioning of the brands and luxury groups in Asia Pacific. Mr. Cooper served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Ritz-Carlton from February 2001 until he assumed his current position, after a distinguished career with Marriott Lodging, including serving three years as President of Marriott Lodging Canada. His first hospitality job was with Canadian Pacific Hotels & Resorts. Among his many professional honors, Mr. Cooper has served on the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars, Canada Institute Advisory Board and as Chairman of the Board of Governors for Canada's University of Guelph. While he was President and COO of Ritz-Carlton, Mr. Cooper presided over a major expansion of the brand. In 2008 Mr. Cooper was named “Corporate Hotelier of the World” by HOTELS Magazine. In June of 2010, he received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Guelph. Born and educated in England, he earned an MBA from the University of Toronto.

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Mike Crawford Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Mike joined Four Seasons in August 2014, and stepped into the newly created role of President, Asia Pacific. A key part of the world to support the Four Seasons global expansion strategy, Mike is responsible for all business activities in the region, including implementing the company’s growth plan and delivering on financial objectives associated with the strategic plan for the region. A 24-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company, Mike’s background includes business and real estate development, project management, and extensive operational experience in the hospitality and entertainment industry. He has deep knowledge of the Asia Pacific market, and most recently served as Senior Vice President and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort and President of Walt Disney Holding Company, Shanghai. Mike led the negotiation to establish Disney’s sixth destination resort in Shanghai China. While having overall P&L responsibility for the multi-billion dollar development, he also was responsible for creating the management company consisting of thousands of employees and focused on running the resort with Disney’s Joint Venture partner and other key government agencies. Mike earned an MBA with honours from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, after receiving an undergraduate degree at Bowling Green State University in his native Ohio. He is based at the company’s corporate office in Singapore.

Hari Mohan Dangayach Dangayach Group Mr. Hari Mohan Dangayach established “Dangayach Group” over 40 years ago, what started as a simple gemstone business has now become a Multi- Business Conglomerate. Born in Jaipur in a business family, Mr. Hari Mohan Dangayach had a passion for Gemstones especially Emeralds which led him to branch out to start his own Gemstone business. After becoming a pioneer in the Emerald Industry, he expanded into Jewelry manufacturing and became a leader in Diamond Jewelry. Further expanded the jewelry business domestically and internationally and now caters to global clientele. He further evolved into Hospitality and Real Estate development as well. Starting with a small hotel, he has now built and owns few other hotels in and around Jaipur. Mr. Dangayach then moved forward into Real Estate construction and has built a few apartment buildings and commercial towers. Today he is well established in Jewelry Industry, Hospitality Industry and the Real Estate sector. He now proudly owns Marriott Jaipur, Ramada Jaipur, Chomu Palace, Four Points By Sheraton Agra and upcoming hotels in Hyderabad and Udaipur.

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Uttam Davé Uttam Davé is a noted hospitality and tourism industry expert. Between 2004 and 2013, he was President & CEO of InterGlobe Hotels, a joint venture between InterGlobe Enterprises and Accor for the development of Ibis brand hotels in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. From 2004-2011, he was also Head of Development for Accor Hotels in this region and led Accor’s development to over 60 hotels and over 12,500 rooms during this period, in addition to 4 convention centres. Uttam served of the Board of AAPC India Hotel Management and also played a key role in the development of hotel assets for Triguna Hospitality Ventures. He is currently on a sabbatical, pursuing personal interests. Uttam is a leading hospitality and tourism industry expert with more than thirty years of development, planning and management experience. Till 2004, Uttam was Chief Executive Officer for Pannell Kerr Forster Consultants, India. Prior to joining PKF as founder-chief executive (1999), Uttam was co-founder and Partner of Tourism Futures from 1993 to 1999. Prior to that, Uttam was Managing Director of Choice Hotels India, which he co-founded in 1986 and grew to a nation-wide network of 16 hotels open or under development. From 1983-1993, Uttam was also founding Partner of AK Davé & Associates, India’s first full service tourism and hospitality consulting practice. The Indian Government appointed Uttam to the Working Group on Tourism for the 10th Five Year Plan (2002-2007), and he has served on the apex National Tourism Advisory Council. Uttam is also the author of “India’s National Tourism Strategy 2002-2020” undertaken for the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Uttam has a Master of Science degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA, and Master of Arts degree from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi.

Bjorn N. DeNiese Mayfair Hotels & Resorts Bjorn is currently a Director with Mayfair Hotels & Resorts, based at Gangtok, Sikkim. Having pursued his degree in hospitality and business management from the Merit Swiss Asian School and the University of Lausanne respectively, he went on to work at Geneva, Jaipur and New Delhi before settling with the Mayfair Group initially based at Bhubaneswar. Subsequently he went on to Mayfair Darjeeling and was an integral part of the team setting up Mayfair Gangtok Spa Resort & Casino - the only 5 Star Deluxe Hotel in the North East of India also boasting of the country's first land based five star on shore Casino. He is additionally involved with the development of tourism and business in the North Eastern region of the country through the Sikkim Hotel and Restaurant Association, the Young Leaders Connect Project and Rotary International.

Manvi Sinha Dhillon ET Now & Times Now Manvi Sinha Dhillon (Consulting Anchor, ET Now & Times Now) has had a sixteen-year career in television business journalism. As Managing Editor of NDTV Profit, where she straddled roles ranging from anchoring and production to business development and operational leadership, Manvi interviewed corporate CEOs, Finance Ministers and Heads of International Organisations. Her extensive understanding of India’s business environment is reflected in her experience as NDTV's lead anchor at the World Economic Forum at Davos, and in developing prime shows such as The Bottom Line and Unstoppable Indians, while tracking daily developments in programmes like Profit Fundamentals and Countdown. Previously, Manvi was a presenter of the India Business Report on BBC World. At NDTV, Manvi also produced Uncommon Ground, anchored by philanthropist Rohini Nilekani. In an eight part series, the show brought together leaders of industry and civil society to explore themes that are crucial for India's future development. The dialogues were given permanent shape in a book by the same name. Prior to joining NDTV, Manvi was in the Audit and Business Advisory division of Arthur Anderson and completed the Intermediate level from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. She has a BA (Honours) degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College.

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Sachin Doshi APG Asset Management APG is Dutch pension asset manager with over €375 billion of assets under management as of 31 August 2014. In his role, Sachin is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the firm’s €3 billion private real estate investments in the region. Sachin has over 12 years of real estate investment, investment banking and asset management experience in Asia Pacific. Prior to joining APG in 2011, Sachin was a Vice President in the real estate group at Merrill Lynch based in Hong Kong and Sydney and started his career as an Analyst at Salomon Smith Barney in Sydney. Sachin graduated from the Australian National University with Honors in Engineering and Physics. He was on the Dean’s List and was awarded the University Medal. Sachin is a member of the Urban Land Institute and sits on the Management Board of ANREV - Asian association for Investors in Non-listed Real Estate Vehicles.

Pankaj Dugar IREO Mr. Dugar has 15 years of experience in the hospitality sector focusing on aspects like identifying and establishing new businesses, sourcing strategic partners, leading venture negotiations & commercial structuring, managing project planning, design and execution of mixed-use & hotel projects. Prior to Ireo, he was based in Singapore with Grove International Partners where he focused on real estate investments in non-Japan Asia and global hospitality investments. Mr. Dugar has also worked for Global Hyatt Corporation in the USA, Europe and Asia in several positions, including Vice President of Real Estate and Development in their Chicago headquarters. While at Hyatt, he was responsible for the acquisition and development of hotels and asset management. He was involved in the development of trophy hotels such as the Grand Hyatt (Mumbai) and Park Hyatt (Paris, Milan and Zurich). He also led the launch of Hyatt Place in India. He holds a degree in commerce from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta and an MBA from IMI, New Delhi (in collaboration with IMD, Lausanne).

Adil Engineer Brookfield Financial

Adil Engineer, Partner in Brookfield Financial with more than 22 years’ experience in the Construction and Real Estate industry. He was instrumental in setting up the operations of Brookfield Financial in India and is responsible for originating and executing debt and capital market, and investment brokerage transactions for Brookfield Financial in India. He also has experience on the buy side especially in evaluating project participation based on identifying suitability of land parcels, project conception, preparation of viability models and project budgets and monitoring and managing of projects under execution, especially with regard to cash flows and budgets.

Stephen Farrant ITP Stephen has led the International Tourism Partnership (a unique industry body that focuses exclusively on developing the sustainability of the industry) since early 2009. In that time he has led the growth and development of key programmes such as the Youth Career Initiative (www.youthcareerinitiative.org), the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (jointly with WTTC), and Green Hotelier online, as well as instigating new industry programmes on issues as diverse as human trafficking in the global hotel sector, water management and stakeholder engagement. Stephen studied Modern Languages at Oxford University, before a career combining travel and tourism with sustainable development, including time at British Airways, VisitBritain and the RSA (www.theRSA.org). In late 2013 Steve led the successful transfer of ITP to become part of Business in the Community (www.bitc.org.uk), which is part of the Prince of Wales’ family of charities.

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Darshan Gangolli IL&FS Investment Managers Mr. Gangolli has an experience of over 19 years in real estate and infrastructure investment and project development in principal and advisory positions for institutional investors. Mr. Gangolli’s immediate 5 years’ experience before joining IIML was as President - Finance for a large listed Indian real estate firm, and as CEO for an affordable housing company. Prior to his stint with real estate developers, Mr. Gangolli led acquisition and investment situations as part of Real Estate Private Equity teams with Kotak Real Estate, AIG GRE and Actis in India with key hospitality investments made in Lemon Tree Hotels and Pride Hotels Ltd. Darshan joined IIML in 2014 after his earlier stint with IL&FS Group (1998-2005), where he has to his credit projects such as National Games Village, Gachibowli, Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad; JN Pharma City, Vizag; and Gangavaram Port, Vizag, AP Special Economic Zones - investments of over US$ 1.4 bn in public private partnership formats. He has also worked for 4 years in engineering research and international marketing in the heavy engineering sector prior to his MBA. Darshan is a Hubert Humphrey - Fulbright Fellow to Michigan State University (2004-05), while at IL&FS IDC - Commended for the Gangavaram Port and Hyderabad International Convention Center project advisory to Andhra State Govt. which proposed his candidature and was selected thereafter. He undertook research on tourism infrastructure, real estate finance & municipal bonds development at Michigan State. Darshan holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (1992) from Pune Univ. and a Masters in Business Administration from Asian institute of Management, Manila and was an International Scholar to McGill University (1998).

Sunil Ghadiok Nidra Hospitality Pvt Ltd A professional hotelier, with over 35 years of experience in the hospitality business, Sunil has worked in senior management and development positions with Bharat Hotels Ltd. and The Park hotels. With Bharat Hotels ltd he oversaw the operations of the Intercontinental Hotels in Delhi, Mumbai and Srinagar. He did his schooling from Mayo College, Ajmer and holds a Post Graduate Diploma from the Oberoi School of Hotel Management. Sunil brings with him a multitude of assets; a strong operational background, concept development and is well versed in dealing with construction, renovations and project management. He has successfully led many pre-opening teams and launched hotels and food and beverage outlets during his career. A patron of modern Indian art, he holds a keen interest in the works of emerging artists. Despite his busy schedule, he is staunch food lover and an avid traveller. In his current scope of work Sunil operates Nidra hotels in key destinations in the Indian subcontinent focussing on the upper midscale- midscale segment.

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Sandeep Gupta Asian Hotels (West) Ltd Mr. Sandeep Gupta is a young dynamic eminent leader in the field of hospitality and has developed properties that cater to all the segments at various price points, ranging from mid-scale affordable accommodation of Choice Hotels to high end luxury experience of Hyatt & JW Marriott hotels in the country, introducing novel concepts in luxury living. He is an alumnus of Notre Dame University, USA with specialization in Finance and Marketing. He been associated with Edenpark Hotels Private Limited (Owners of Clarion Collection, New Delhi) as the Managing Director and Executive Director- Inovoa Hotels & Resorts Pvt. Ltd. Since July 2007 he is an active member of the Delhi chapter of YPO, the “Young Presidents Organization“. He was previously, the President elect of Entrepreneurs Organization or EO, the under forty wing of YPO, having been a dynamic member of the board for several years. Aria Hotels and Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd. (subsidiary company of Asian Hotels West Ltd.) of which Mr. Sandeep Gupta is the Executive Director, has developed a 500+ rooms 5 Star Deluxe Hotel under the Brand JW Marriott, at Aerocity near Indira Gandhi International Airport at New Delhi which has recently commenced operations.

Naveen Jain Duet India Hotels Naveen Jain is a veteran hotelier known for his enthusiasm for work and passion for excellence carrying more than three decades of experience in the Indian hospitality industry across investment, treasury, corporate finance, operations finance, project execution and general management. After having worked with Oberoi Hotels for 25 years, Naveen joined Duet India Hotels in 2008 and presently heads the organisation as President of the company. Under Naveen’s leadership, Duet has grown as an institutional player in a short span of time. It has been able to leverage on the high credibility of its investors and has access to funding pipeline. Duet also introduced Holiday Inn Express brand in India in joint venture with InterContinental Hotels Group. Naveen is a Commerce graduate from Sri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University and a Chartered Accountant. He is also associated with various industry forums.

Sudeep Jain Starwood Hotels & Resorts Sudeep spearheads Starwood’s expansion strategy in South Asia. He is responsible for leading a team to grow Starwood’s footprint and achieve its growth goals. Sudeep brings with him over 13 years of rich and varied experience in the hospitality industry across diverse roles in several countries. Prior to his role with Starwood, Sudeep was the Managing Director at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels and Hospitality Group for India since its inception in 2008. Under his guidance, the company achieved industry leading status completing over 60 feasibility and market studies, more than 20 operator searches and mandates to sell more than 10 hotels on behalf of owners. He was selected amongst the Top 100 most Influential People in the hospitality industry by the Hotelier Magazine for the year 2013. Sudeep was earlier with Starwood Hotels & Resorts as Vice President, Global Development Marketing and Planning based at the company’s U.S. headquarters where he worked for six years. Prior to that, he worked with Bain & Company, Inc. as a management consultant leading client teams and also as an investment banker with Merrill Lynch, Singapore. His career has taken him across a number of places including New York, Boston, Singapore, Sydney, Hong Kong and India enriching his experience and enhancing his global perspective. Sudeep has a Bachelor’s Degree from Dartmouth College where he double majored and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has also completed the PDP program at Cornell Hotel School to further enrich his hospitality knowledge.

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Aakanksha Joshi Economic Laws Practice Aakanksha Joshi is an associate partner in the Infrastructure, Hospitality and Corporate practices of Economic Laws Practice (ELP). She graduated from Government Law College, Mumbai and obtained her Solicitor’s qualification from the Bombay Incorporated Law Society. Aakanksha has experience in corporate, infrastructure, commercial and real estate law. She has been involved in various infrastructure, corporate and hospitality transactions ranging from drafting and review of construction contracts, concession agreements, bid documents and hotel agreements. She also advises on joint venture and private equity transactions, primarily in the infrastructure and hospitality space. She has represented various kinds of clients ranging from government bodies, construction companies, power generation companies, international hotel management companies, hotel owners and private equity funds. Aakanksha has been named as an associate to watch for Projects, Infrastructure & Energy for by Chambers Asia-Pacific 2013 and 2014. The IFLR1000 Energy & Infrastructure 2014 guide has recommended her as a Rising Star in India. Prior to joining ELP, Aakanksha was an article clerk and an associate with DSK Legal, Mumbai and worked on corporate and real estate transactions

Rajeev Kale Thomas Cook India Limited Mr. Rajeev Kale having begun his career with The Taj President Hotel in 1991 as management trainee, moved to Cox & Kings in 1993, gaining valuable expertise and experience in a diversity of travel and finance verticals, including Outbound Travel, Credit Control, Accounts, Costing, Contracting, Product Management, Operations, Sales and MICE. Mr. Kale also played a pivotal role in setting up the “Duniya Dekho” brand. His 14 year stint was witness to rapid growth, from Jr. Executive to Senior General Manager. Mr. Kale joined Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. in 2007 as Head of MICE, playing an impactful role in starting MICE operations for the organization- building a business and growing from strength to strength- from a 4 member team and turnover of approx 14 cr to a 150 plus people and a turnover of 200 cr. In recognition, he received the prestigious Managing Directors Award in 2009. In 2012, Mr. Kale took over the Domestic business- a key strategic focus area for the Company. Today as President & Chief Operating Officer- Leisure Travel (MICE, Domestic & Sports Holidays) and a member of the “Execom”- the Senior Management Team at Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, and a sterling yoy growth performance, Rajeev Kale looks forward to steering his Team and The Company to impressive heights. Mr. Kale has completed his graduation in Commerce from MVLU College (Mumbai University). His hobbies include listening to music and playing table tennis. He continues to indulge in his passion for trekking- whenever he can get away!

Vikram Kamat Kamat Hotels (India) Ltd Vikram Kamat knows and loves only 3 things, Hotels, Restaurants and Franchising. So much so, he is the Gold medalist in hospitality across all the Institutes of Hotel management in India. Having setup up his own successful mid-market hotel brand VITS - Luxury business hotels at the early age of just 22! He then has gone on to further his success with Kamat's original family highway restaurants. A keen believer in innovation and in depth knowledge of his field, he has 3 patents to his credit. Author of numerous books, audio programs and articles on each aspect of hospitality, he has gone to the depths of each aspect. His belief is that the purpose of business is return on capital, be it Mental, Money or Manpower capital. He believes in profitable growth that can only come from the four areas of business. Clear Strategy, efficient Operations, People creation, and aggressive marketing. Winner of numerous awards till date in various aspects of hospitality. He has till date interacted with hundreds of hotel owners, in over hotel locations, and trained over 2000 hospitality professionals. It is this that has given him the expert's edge in Hotels, Restaurants and Franchise

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Rishi Kapoor MGM Hakkasan Hospitality Rishi Kapoor is a seasoned hotelier with 2 decades of experience in the luxury hospitality sector across operations, development, marketing, strategy, and asset management. Mr. Kapoor is the Senior Vice President of International Development for MGM Hospitality, a division of MGM Resorts International focused on developing non-gaming luxury concepts. He is responsible for the implementation of MGM Hospitality’s strategic plan to establish, through management contracts and strategic joint ventures, world-class hotels and integrated real estate developments that showcase and promote the company’s brands. Mr. Kapoor handles Asia, India, Middle East and North Africa. Prior to this, he was Vice President of Development – India for MGM Hospitality, where he led the development of the Bellagio, MGM Grand and Skylofts brand; with 5 luxury hotels and integrated developments currently under construction. Before joining the division, he worked as director of strategy and marketing for The Imperial, New Delhi. There, he led the rebranding, repositioning and management turnaround of this historic property in India to its current iconic luxury hotel brand. His experience also includes various marketing and operations positions with The Oberoi Group and ITC Hotels. Mr. Kapoor received his degree in hotel management from the Institute of Hotel Management, Pusa, New Delhi, in India. He also completed post-graduate training in general management, operations and marketing.

Dhunji Kavarana WelcomHeritage Mr. D. Kavarana, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), WelcomHeritage Hotels joined ITC Hotels as a management trainee in 1977. Since then he has worked in most of the ITC Hotels mainly in the F&B discipline, until the year 1999. Subsequently from the year 2000, he has been the General Manager within the Luxury Hotels of ITC, viz at Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Delhi and lastly at Mumbai as the Area Manager West and General Manager at ITC Maratha. With his experience at ITC Hotels for nearly 35 years, his tenure at WelcomHeritage Hotels will focus on expanding the Brand to 50 Heritage properties by the year 2015, providing guests with a Royal experience at the WelcomHeritage Palace Hotels and an adventure at the Nature Resort destinations.

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Rajiv Kaul The Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts As president of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, Rajiv Kaul balances his time and energies between providing strategic direction to the group, guiding its eight award-winning properties towards operational excellence and market leadership, as well as overseeing the development and launch of new properties. A believer in both the science and art of hospitality, Kaul guides his team in following a systematic and process-oriented approach towards driving business excellence across all functions – operations, sales, public relations, marketing and human resources. Under his leadership, The Leela’s portfolio has nearly doubled, and is on track to being widely recognized as a group setting new benchmarks in luxury hospitality. Kaul brings over three decades of luxury hospitality leadership experience to his role, including serving in top positions at some of the country’s finest and most celebrated luxury hotel chains. He has spearheaded flagship properties at The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, including the Oberoi hotels in Egypt, and Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, including Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai. Under his thoughtful leadership, hotels have flourished, gained national and international accolades, and carved a unique niche for themselves across the globe. A recipient of the esteemed “Hotelier of the year” title by PATA Travel Writers Association at ITB Berlin, 2005, Kaul is an industry thought-leader, his views and inputs are regularly sought on various hospitality panels and forums. Kaul is a member of the Global Advisory Board of the US-based Preferred Hotel Group (PHG), a global collection of unique and independent hotel groups, destination resorts, and luxury residences. He is also a member of the La Conferie de Chevalier du Tastevin, one of the oldest international wine confraternity, created in 1934 in France. He is also a member of Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, an International Association of Gastronomy which aims to bring together enthusiasts who share the same values of quality, fine dining, and the encouragement of culinary arts. A graduate from the Oberoi School of Hotel Management, Kaul holds an MBA in Hotel Management jointly awarded by Cornell Hotel School, Ithaca USA & Ecole Superieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales, France’s Leading Business School. Kaul is also an alumnus of the prestigious IMHI at Cornell-Essec in France. Kaul is married with two children.

Rattan Keswani Lemontree Hotels With over 32 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Rattan Keswani is the Deputy Managing Director of Lemon Tree Group. He is also the Chairman of Carnation Hotels Pvt. Ltd. (A joint venture between Lemon Tree Hotels and Rattan Keswani). Prior to joining Lemon Tree Hotels, he was associated with Trident Hotels (part of The Oberoi Group) as a President from April 2008 till April 2012. Rattan was responsible for ten Trident Hotels in India. In addition, he oversaw Maidens Hotel, Delhi and Clarkes Hotel, Shimla. He has worked across various Oberoi Hotels & Resorts in India and overseas. An alumnus of the Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development, Rattan started his career with The Oberoi Mumbai in 1983, as the Assistant Front Office Manager. Apart from a brief tenure with Holiday Inns Worldwide, Mr. Keswani had two tenures with The Oberoi Group, the last till the middle of April 2012. Rattan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce. Married with two children – a son and a daughter, Rattan is an avid reader and enjoys travel, movies, and sports – with tennis and cricket being his keen interests.

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Achin Khanna HVS Achin Khanna is the Managing Director of the Consulting & Valuation practice at HVS South Asia. Over the past seven plus years at HVS, he has performed and overseen hundreds of market studies, economic feasibility analyses and large scale portfolio valuations varying from limited-service properties to upscale and luxury hotels. His clients include public & private sector banks, private equity firms, real estate developers, hotel companies, state agencies and management companies. Prior to joining HVS, Achin spent ten years in the United States and worked with Hilton, Homestead Studio Suites and the Wyndham Hotel Group across various roles in hotel operations, revenue management, franchise relations and business development. Achin holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Hospitality Management from Widener University, Chester, PA and a Masters in Business Administration degree from The University of Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Thorsten Kirschke Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Thorsten Kirschke is responsible for leading the strategic growth of Carlson Rezidor’s hotel business in Asia Pacific. Currently, Carlson Rezidor has more than 190 hotels in operation and under development in the region. Carlson Rezidor’s brand portfolio includes Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Radisson Red, Park Plaza®, Park Inn® by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM. Thorsten, who was born in Hannover, Germany, is a hospitality veteran with more than 25 years of experience. Prior to coming back to Asia, he was President of the Americas and the Chief Operating Officer of Carlson Rezidor’s global business. During Thorsten’s tenure in the Americas, his achievements include brand revitalization, accelerated development and the creation of an effective, global commercial organization. Previously, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for The Rezidor Hotel Group based in Brussels, Belgium. Kirschke has a master's degree in hospitality from IMHI Essec University, Paris.

Avneesh Kohli AmbujaNeotia Hospitality Avneesh Kohli is responsible for developing hotel projects and operations in Eastern India for all new hotels for AmbujaNeotia Group - Hotels. An alumnus of École hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland, Avneesh has worked with International brands- Swissôtel, The Oberoi Hotels and Resorts and Taj hotels. He is experienced in hotel operations and recognized for owner relations, strategic planning, innovative solutions and hotel openings.

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Michel Koopman The Leela Ambience Gurgaon Hotel & Residences Michel Koopman was appointed as General Manager of The Leela Ambience Gurgaon, on 1st April, 2013. His last assignment was with Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas, United Arab Emirates as the Director of Operations Middle East & General Manager Eastern Mangroves Hotel and Spa. A stalwart hotelier with over three decades of experience, Mr. Koopman holds a broad range of operations and marketing talent in managing multiple hotel units, organizational re-structuring and pre-opening hotel experience with globally acclaimed hotel groups. A Dutch national and a graduate from Steigenberger Hotelberufsfachule (Germany) with a high school degree from HotelSchool (Certificate), The Hague, Holland, he has held successful stints with various international hotel groups including Hyatt International, Hilton and Intercontinental. His professional assignments took him to various international destinations like Europe, Australia, China and other Asian countries with multicultural and dynamic environment, rapidly raising his professional capabilities from Director of Food & Beverage, Executive Assistant Manager (Rooms) to serving General Manager’s role several times with Hyatt International and Intercontinental group. He also held a regional position with Intercontinental hotels group. His most recent regional role was with Ana Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spa. With continued focus on operational excellence of hotels and his enviable background in F & B and Rooms, Mr. Koopman holds equal interest in “people” and “marketing” which he considers to be key in success of any hotel.

Akshay H. Kulkarni Cushman & Wakefield Akshay leads the C&W hospitality efforts in South & South East Asia based out of Singapore. He leads teams of experienced hospitality professionals across the region offering a range of services including Consulting, Asset Management and Transactional Services besides having dedicated Hotel Valuation teams in Singapore, India, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea. Through formidable market knowledge, experience and dedicated & innovative services to clients, C&W Hospitality has built strong relationships across developers, operators and investors who regard him and his team as trusted advisors. In a career spanning 21 years, Akshay Kulkarni has delved in most aspects of hospitality ranging from materials management, F&B operations, H R, training and development, education with majority of his professional life dedicated to real estate and transaction management. He has been an integral part of the transformation that organized hospitality real estate has seen in India where he has led to the creation of a sustainable business model for Cushman & Wakefield. Akshay has worked with leading hotel brands including ITC, Accor and Intercontinental amongst various global brands from across Europe & Africa and the Asia Pacific.

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Suresh Kumar Fortune Park Hotels Ltd An Advanced Management Qualification (AMQ) degree holder from School of Business-Bond University, Australia and a Science Graduate from Delhi University, Mr. Suresh Kumar joined ITC Hotels Ltd. as a Management Trainee in 1978. In a career spanning about three decades, Suresh has held several managerial positions in ITC Welcomgroup’s prestigious hotels commencing his career as General Manager in 1987 at a young age of 29 years. Sheer dedication and strong work ethics soon earned him the portfolio of Vice President for the Southern Region of ITC Hotels Ltd. In April 2005, Suresh Kumar took over as Vice President Operations - ITC Hotels based in Delhi. Since October 2006, he assumed the mantle of President, Fortune Park Hotels Limited, A wholly owned subsidiary of ITC Ltd. Under Mr. Kumar’s dynamic leadership initially as the President, and currently as the Chief Executive Officer, the Company has witnessed a phenomenal growth. Currently Fortune Hotels has 75 Alliance Hotels, with an inventory of close to 6000 Rooms, of which 42 Hotels are operational, and the balance at various stages of development. Mr. Kumar has been awarded a number of accolades, including ‘The Green Hotelier’ award by International Hotels and Restaurants Association (IHRA) in 1996, ‘Safari India Best Hotelier, 2004 & 2009’, ‘PATWA International Young Achievers Award’ in 2008, ‘PATWA International Achiever Award’ in 2010 and 2011. At present he is a Management Committee Member of Hotel & Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI), Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) and Executive Committee Member of Hotel Association of India (HAI).

Mandeep S. Lamba JLL Mandeep has spent over 30 years in the Hospitality Industry. Heads the Hotels & Hospitality Advisory Business for India, Sri Lanka, Nepal & Bangladesh. After successful stints with International Hotel Brands such as Choice Hotels, Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) and Carlson Residor in General Management positions, he became, in 2001, President of ITC Fortune Park Hotels, part of the USD 8 billion ITC Group. He is credited for having built the Fortune hotels Brand and establishing it as a leading player in the Indian Mid-Scale Hospitality sector growing the business over 100% year on year throughout his term. Post his career with ITC, Mandeep set up joint ventures to own and operate hotels in the Indian upscale sector with the multi-billion dollar Real Estate and Financial services conglomerate, Dawnay Day Group UK, Private Equity Firm Duet International UK and subsequently with Onyx Hospitality Group, the leading hospitality player in Thailand. Prior to moving to Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) India he spent three years in a consulting role as President with TEN Hotels and Hospitality Solutions, a company he founded in 2011 providing end to end solutions to the hospitality Industry. An established Industry leader, Mandeep is respected for his insight into the Indian Hospitality Industry, having won several awards & recognitions for his accomplishments. He is a regular invitee to several Industry forums and a speaker in Seminars & Conferences in India & abroad.

Sahdev Mehta DoubleTree by Hilton Pune Sahdev joined the hotel in August 2012 and guided the transition from the project stage into the operations phase, overseeing each aspect of the hotels transformation into a fully operational property. He has more than 14 years of experience in hospitality management in India, USA, France and Malaysia. He has a proven talent for devising and implementing successful business strategies and is devoted to ensuring an exceptional experience for each guest who enters the hotel. Sahdev is passionate about food, and it was this passion that led him to spending the majority of his career leading the Food & Beverage Projects with international chains like Hyatt and Marriott. His most recent assignment was leading the food production team at Marriott International.

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Rajeev Menon Marriott International Mr. Menon joined Marriott International in 2001 as General Manager of the Renaissance Mumbai Hotel & Convention Centre and the Lakeside Chalet Marriott Executive Apartments. In 2004, Raj was promoted to General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, responsible for eight Marriott International properties in the region. Prior to joining Marriott, Mr. Menon served in management positions with Welcomgroup Sheraton Hotels in India and Stamford Hotels & Resorts and Radisson Hotels & Resorts in Australia. Raj Moved back to India with his family, in 2007 as the Area Vice President where he heads the South Asia region. Mr. Menon holds a diploma in Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition from PUSA in New Delhi, India.

Sudip Mullick Khaitan & Co Sudip is a Partner in the Commercial and Real Estate Practice at Khaitan & Co, Mumbai. He has vast experience in Real Estate, Hospitality, Infrastructure, Construction and Commercial Contracts. He also specializes in litigation and arbitration arising out of construction, commercial and management contracts. He has advised many real estate owners, developers, corporate houses, investors, hotel owners / operators in the real estate and hospitality space. He has an in depth legal and commercial understanding of hotel development, construction as well as management contracts.

Amit Nagpal Hyatt Hotels & Resorts Amit is Director Development-South Asia for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. He has over 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry. His experience includes business development, feasibility & market studies, pre-opening, and hotel operations. In his earlier assignments he has worked as: Director Development–South West Asia for InterContinental Hotels Group, Consultant with HVS (New York), General Manager at Wingate Inn Commack (New York), and Fairfield Inn Exton (Pennsylvania). He is a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) with Master’s in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration from University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Anupam Narayan Rockwood Associates, LLC Mr. Narayan has 30 years of business experience and founded Rockwood Associates LLC in 2010. Since then he has provided strategic advice to clients in Peru, India, China, Switzerland and the United States. Prior to that he served as President and CEO and Director of Red Lion Hotels Corporation, a New York Stock Exchange company. From 1998-2004, he was with Best Western International, based in Phoenix, Arizona. He served as Acting CEO and Senior Vice President for Finance and Global Strategy and helped define Best Western’s brand and expansion strategy worldwide. Prior to 1998, he was with a Kohlberg, Kravis and Roberts (KKR) hotel and real estate company and closed $4.0 billion of debt financings, completed two Initial Public Offerings which raised $300 million, and was actively involved with real estate development, mergers and acquisitions and the capital markets. He is a frequent speaker at hotel industry and investment conferences worldwide and serves on various Boards including Ginger Hotels and Swiss International Hotels in India. Mr. Narayan is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, India and he received his MBA at the University of Florida, USA.

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Vikram Oberoi The Oberoi Group Mr. Vikram Oberoi is the Chief Operating Officer and Joint Managing Director of EIH Limited, the flagship company of The Oberoi Group. Mr. Vikram Oberoi has a degree in Economics from Pepperdine University in California. After his graduation, Mr. Oberoi gained work experience as a stockbroker at ANZ McCaughan in Australia. Thereafter, he returned to India to join The Oberoi Group’s management team. As Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Oberoi is actively involved in the management and operations of Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and Trident Hotels in India. The “Oberoi” brand has come to represent fine luxury hotels which offer efficient and personalised service. Mr. Oberoi has held various management positions within The Oberoi Group in India. He was actively involved in the re-engineering of systems and processes of the company, working closely with the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. In 1997, as General Manager of The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur, India, Mr. Oberoi set new standards of excellence in personalised service. He led a young and committed team, winning international accolades and recognition for The Oberoi Group. Mr. Oberoi is the son of Mr. P.R.S. Oberoi, Executive Chairman of The Oberoi Group and grandson of late Rai Bahadur M.S. Oberoi, the founder of The Oberoi Group.

Deepak Ohri lebua Hotels & Resorts Deepak Ohri, a name that has become synonymous with the ‘luxury experience’, joined lebua at its inception in 2003 and has not only brought the vision of the brand to reality but expanded this vision across continents with several of the world’s finest five-star hotels, restaurants and bars. Drawing on a unique vision of hospitality that aspires to tap into a deeper level of exchange with guests and create lasting emotional connections, and supported by a career that includes operational and executive roles with leading hospitality businesses, Mr. Ohri is recognized as an innovative industry leader, making him a sought-after speaker on luxury and strategy at international conferences and a lecturer at top business schools. He is a three-time recipient of the Most Enterprising Entrepreneur Award (2008 to 2010) by the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards and The Best in Asia: Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2011 to 2013). Recently, Mr. Ohri announced the expansion of lebua’s dining concepts to Europe, starting with the 2015 opening of the restaurant Breeze in Frankfurt, Germany. He continues to explore hotel management contracts and dining opportunities for lebua in exceptional city and resort destinations worldwide.

Lalit K. Panwar Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India Dr Lalit Panwar, IAS, Rajasthan (1979) has a doctorate in tourism and MSc In Zoology. He has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, effective 30th October, 2014. Dr Panwar has long-standing association with the tourism sector – Chairman & Managing Director, ITDC for 3 years from April 2010, during which he turned the loss-making ITDC into a dividend paying corporation; CMD, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation & M.D., R.T.D.C. (1999-2002); Director Tourism, Rajasthan and M.D., R.T.D.C. (1991-95); Secretary, Tourism, Art & Culture, Rajasthan (1998-2002). His many achievements included conceiving and implementing Palace on Wheels in 1992; Heritage Hotels and several cultural festivals in Rajasthan. He was responsible for launching ‘Tourist Police’ in Rajasthan in 1993. He has written several books / policy papers including on Rural Tourism (for IDS, University of Sussex), Eco Tourism and Palace on Wheels. He served as visiting faculty at University of Wageningen, Netherlands, at University of Rajasthan and IITM, Gwalior. Dr. Panwar received National Tourism Award 2012 from Ministry of Tourism (as CMD, ITDC); National Hospitality Education Award 2011 from Ministry of Tourism and Pacific Asia Travel Writers’ Association (PATWA) Award at ITB Berlin (March 2012). Dr Panwar was Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs from April 13, prior to appointment as Secretary Tourism.

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Shapath R. Parikh Parikh Inn Pvt. Ltd. Shapath Parikh is a Director at Parikh Inn Pvt. Ltd. (“PIPL”), a family run organization in the business of developing and owning mid-scale hotels. PIPL currently owns one operational hotel (Fortune Park Centre Point) in Jamshedpur and one under construction hotel in Vadodara. Shapath is instrumental in the group’s expansion activities, which includes the Vadodara venture and several other upcoming projects in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India. Prior to joining the hospitality business in mid 2012, Shapath was an investment banker for 11 years, having worked at leading organizations such as Lehman Brothers, Nomura and Barclays PLC, both in New York and Mumbai. He most recently served as a Director at Barclays in Mumbai, heading the investment banking coverage effort for a number of sectors. Shapath has a Bachelor of Science degree (majoring in Finance and Information Systems) from the Stern School of Business, New York University.

Rajesh A. Punjabi Hilton Worldwide Rajesh leads the company’s multi-brand, multiple partners and high-growth development strategy in India. Prior to joining Hilton Worldwide in 2006, Rajesh was Vice President with Ambit Corporate Finance Pte. Ltd., a leading Indian investment bank. In his eight years with the company he was responsible for initiating, negotiating and managing some key merger and acquisition transactions. He was also involved in the company’s hospitality practice. Before Ambit, Rajesh worked in the Business Advisory Division of Arthur Andersen, where he was responsible for advising, leading multinational companies on investment structuring, foreign investment and taxation. Rajesh has actively participated in representing the industry at various forums including Global Real Estate Institute (GRI) and The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Rajesh is a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Mumbai and a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Dilip Puri Starwood Hotels & Resorts Dilip Puri took over as the Managing Director India and Regional Vice President, South Asia for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in January 2010. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is the largest international operator of four and five star hotels in India and currently operates 39 hotels under management and franchised arrangements. Starwood has a portfolio of nine distinctive and compelling brands that include St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Westin, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, Le Méridien, Aloft and Element. Starwood expects to have 100 hotels under operation, development or management contracts signed by 2015. With almost 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Dilip comes with a wealth of experience in operating hotels, in depth local knowledge and the right credentials to take the lead to drive and support Starwood’s aggressive expansion plans in the region. Dilip has worked with major Indian hospitality brands like Taj and Oberoi as well as with Intercontinental Hotels Group and Sarova Hotels internationally. He brings with him a global perspective that has been honed through operational and development roles in India, South Pacific, Australia and Africa across luxury and upscale hotel categories. Prior to assuming his new role with Starwood, Dilip was the Chief Executive Officer of Duet India Hotels. A graduate in Economics from Delhi University, Dilip holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Hotel Management from the Oberoi Center for Learning and Development. He has also done an Executive MBA program for IHG General Manager’s with the Poon Kam Kai School of Business at the Hong Kong University. Dilip is based out of the Starwood Regional Office in Gurgaon and has been spearheading Starwood’s ambitious expansion plans in the region ever since he took over the role. Dilip is a voracious reader and an avid golfer.

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Elizabeth Randall-Winkle STR Global Elizabeth (Randall) Winkle is Managing Director for STR Global Limited and is based out of London, England. Prior to being appointed Managing Director, Elizabeth had been Director of Operations for the company with responsibility for operations and client relationship management. Elizabeth has been active in the industry, speaking at international conferences and participating on panels at various events. Mrs. Winkle was invited to take part in the Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series (DDLS) at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration (SHA) in 2011 and at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in 2012. Elizabeth joined STR Global from the financial services industry, having served as Interim President/CEO for Pasadena Federal Credit Union in California after previously serving as Vice President, Member Services for the $120 Million organization. Mrs. Winkle is a 2007 recipient of the World Council of Credit Unions’ (WOCCU) Young Credit Union Professional Award and represented the organization on a Cooperative Learning Tour in Ecuador. In 2006, she was honored with the Callifornia Credit Union League’s Tomorrow’s Star award. Elizabeth holds a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University

Dhruva Rathore Hyatt Hotels & Resorts A post graduate in Business Administration, Dhruva Rathore has been in the hospitality industry for nearly twenty five years. He started his career as a Sales & Marketing management trainee with Indian Hotels Company Limited followed by a stint with ITC Hotels Limited. He subsequently occupied leadership positions in Sales & Marketing at Parkroyal New Delhi and with Indian Hotels Company Limited in Delhi. He joined Hyatt Hotels & Resorts in February 2005 to set up their sales organisation in India, moved to the Development function in 2008 and is currently their Vice President, Development, responsible for the Indian subcontinent and Maldives.

P. Rudran Arcil Mr. Rudran has over 40 years of management and leadership experience in reputed banking and financial institutions like RBI, IDBI and SIDBI. He joined Arcil in April 2012 as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer and presently guides the strategic and operational aspects of the Company. Prior to joining Arcil, Mr. Rudran was the first Managing Director & CEO of ISARC, an ARC sponsored by SIDBI group & major banks; before that he was associated with SIDBI as its Chief General Manager and headed various Head Office departments, besides heading / working in the Zonal and Branch offices of SIDBI and IDBI. He is M.Com, LLB and CAIIB with diploma in Industrial Finance. Mr. Rudran has attended several training programmes in and outside India on important topics relating to banking and finance. He was also a member of the Working Group on Rehabilitation of SMEs constituted by RBI, and a consultant to GTZ, Germany for a brief period. Mr. Rudran is specialized in project appraisal, monitoring and follow-up, restructuring / reconstruction of distressed assets and NPA management.

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Lokesh Sabharwal Accor Accor, the world’s leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, is present in 92 countries with over 3,600 hotels and 470,000 rooms. Its extensive offer of complimentary brands encompassing Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, The Sebel, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure, Adagio, ibis, ibis styles, ibis budget and Formule1 – provide a comprehensive range of options from luxury to budget and extended stay. Lokesh Sabharwal is a professional hotelier with over 16 years of experience in hotel development, consulting and operations. Based at the Gurgaon office, he is responsible for leading Accor’s growth activities across India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, besides being a key member of the regional strategy and operations team. Before joining Accor, Lokesh was Director Development, South West Asia for IHG. Prior to IHG, Lokesh worked with HVS in the New Delhi office in the Consulting & Valuation division, where he was responsible for directing valuations, feasibility and market demand studies for investors, lenders and hotel companies. Previously, he worked with Hyatt Hotels Corporation across various hotels in management and front line roles. Lokesh has completed his Hotel Management from the International College of Hotel Management, Adelaide, Australia and also holds a Diplome Culinaire d’Hoteliere from Le Cordon Bleu. He has also completed a Certification in Real Estate, Development and Hotel Investment from Cornell-Nanyang, Singapore.

Sheldon Santwan Saffron Synergies Pvt Ltd Sheldon Santwan brings with him over 18 years of publishing experience in the travel and hospitality industries. Through the years, he has worked closely with various state governments and tourism boards in an advisory capacity, along with various government agencies and he is also a part of the tourism sub-committee and steering committee of the Indian Merchants’ Chambers (IMC). He is also on the International Advisory Board of France Tourism (Atout France) for India. Sheldon has been invited to speak at various national and international forums like HIFI (Hotel Investment Forum India), HICSA (Hotel Investment Conference - South Asia), and EFT (Eye for Travel) etc. He has also been a guest speaker at three WTO (World Tourism Organisation) Summits in Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka where he spoke about the tourism opportunities in India and the Asian region. He is also part of the Advisory Board of Lavasa Corporation Ltd. in India. At Saffron Synergies as the driving force behind two trade magazines – TravelBiz Monitor and Hospitality Biz - he started India’s first and only weekly travel publication in the form of TravelBiz Monitor 5 years ago and live news portal for the travel industry www.travelbizmonitor.com. Subsequently he started Hospitality Biz and www.hospitalitybizindia.com, the only live news portal for the hospitality industry. TravelBiz Monitor website ranks in the top 5 Google worldwide search for travel-related news.

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Rakesh Sarna Indian Hotels Company Ltd Mr. Rakesh Sarna, joined Indian Hotels Company Limited as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer on 1st September, 2014. Mr. Sarna brings over three decades of experience across various leadership roles with Hyatt Hotels Corporation. He was the Group President - Americas with a portfolio of 146 Full Service hotels, 233 Select Service hotels and 15 Vacation Ownership facilities across North America, the Caribbean and Latin America with around 40,000 employees. In this role, Mr. Sarna was responsible for the development and management of all owned, managed and franchised hotels across all Hyatt brands. Previously, he served as Chief Operating Officer- International from June 2007 until his appointment as Group President- Americas in October 2012. During this time, he was responsible for the development and management of all owned, managed and franchised hotels across all Hyatt brands and for overseeing the Divisional Offices in Hong Kong for Asia Pacific; in Zurich for Europe, Africa & Middle East; in Dubai for South West Asia and in Mexico City for Latin America. In addition, during this time, Mr. Sarna was also responsible for co- authoring the brand attributes of Andaz (Hyatt’s boutique brand) and leading the launch of this new brand. Mr. Sarna has had and international upbringing. He moved to Canada as a young adult and completed his Diploma in Hospitality Administration from Ottawa.

Rushabh Shah Horwath HTL - India Mr. Rushabh Shah, Associate Director at Horwath HTL-India has been actively involved in hospitality sector consulting since 2009. He has rich & varied consulting experience covering market analysis, feasibility studies, valuations and appraisals across twenty four Indian markets and three international destinations. During his tenure, he has liaised with bankers, investors and various domestic and international hospitality chains assisting in multiple strategic consulting projects including expansion plans and entry strategy advice. He has a mix of professional skills including financial, commercial and diligence evaluations to add to his hotel consulting knowledge and experience.

Siddharth Shah Khaitan & Co. Siddharth is a Partner in the Funds and Corporate Practice Group at Khaitan & Co in Mumbai. He has vast experience in the Funds space having over the years advised large number of clients on matters related to fund formation involving structuring & organization of domestic and offshore funds across asset classes, corporate and regulatory advice in relation to operations of the funds, foreign investment and exchange control laws. In addition to fund formation, he also has substantial experience in corporate transactional space including fund investments (including PE investments in real estate sector), public and private acquisitions, corporate restructuring and capital markets (involving public and private offerings).

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Nirupa Shankar Brigade Hospitality Nirupa Shankar, Director, Brigade Hospitality, is responsible for bringing new focus and energy into the Company by streamlining its marketing and revenue management initiatives, focusing on increasing the company’s bottom line and creating a business environment that is objective and data driven. She has been instrumental in leading a number of organization wide activities that include improving customer experience and brand perception. Nirupa oversees the operations strategy for the company’s self-managed assets, which include convention centres, serviced apartments, lifestyle membership clubs, banquet catering and event management. She also asset manages the group’s hospitality ventures, such as the first newly built and managed Sheraton in India and the first Grand Mercure in India. In addition, she is responsible for the business development of new hotel projects; there are currently eight in the pipeline. Nirupa recently launched a unique lounge bar atop the World Trade Centre-Bangalore, called HIGH Ultra Lounge, the highest point for food and beverage in South India. With a Masters in Hospitality Management, Nirupa graduated on the Dean’s list from Cornell University. Prior to joining Brigade Hospitality she worked as a Senior Business Analyst with Ernst & Young LLP, New York. She is also a Six Sigma Black Belt.

LN Sharma Golden Jubilee Hotels Ltd Mr. L. N. Sharma is FCA and FCS and over 3 decades of industrial experience including last 20 years in hotel project developments at various locations in India and in technical collaboration with international hotel management companies. Mr.L.N.Sharma is presently heading a hotel development company as the main promoter (Lead Developer) for the hotel projects Trident, Hyderabad (commenced commercial operations in September, 2013), Double Tree by Hilton, Hyderabad (project under implementation) and Hampton by Hilton in India. The investment in these hotel developments exceeds Rs. 1500 Crores. Mr. Sharma has extensive working knowledge of PPP Hotel Projects with State Governments (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan) and long-term relationships with premier PE firms and Banking Institutions for his projects.

Rajiv Sharma IHG Rajiv Sharma is Vice President Development for South West Asia and is responsible for driving the strategic distribution of IHG brands through hotel management contract signings, in key locations across the sub-region. Rajiv started his career with IHG in 2004 as Director Development South West Asia and in 2007 was made Associate VP Development for the South West Asia region. In late 2009 he assumed charge of the New Delhi Office and has been given the additional responsibility of managing owner relationships. In 2011 he assumed the responsibilities of Vice President Development, South West Asia. He has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry with significant expertise in the hotel and tourism development arena, spanning South West Asia and Australia. He has also handled Development roles with Aman Resorts, Accor and Southern Pacific Hotels in the South West Asia region. Rajiv has worked in Australia with Horwath and in the US and Germany in hotel operations. Rajiv holds a Master of Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management, Sydney in addition to a Bachelor of Business Administration from Fort Lauderdale College, Florida. He also holds a Hotel Management Diploma from Dadar Catering College, Mumbai. He is currently based in New Delhi, India.

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Shruti Shibulal Tamara Shruti Shibulal is Director - Trivandrum Project for The Tamara, a hospitality company based in Bangalore, India. The company launched its first luxury resort, The Tamara Coorg, in 2012. Shruti is currently managing The Tamara's newest project, a 120 key luxury hotel with conference & wedding facilities in Trivandrum, Kerala. She is concentrating on building long term business growth while maintaining The Tamara's values on responsible tourism. Shruti is also a Director in her family office, Innovations Investment Management, and is managing its US based investments. She splits her time between Bangalore and New York. Previously, Shruti was a Co-Founder and Director in Avant Garde Hospitality which runs premiere restaurants - Caperberry & Fava in Bangalore. Prior to that, she worked in Merrill Lynch's Global Private Client division in New York. She has a MBA from Columbia Business School in New York City and a BS from Haverford College. Shruti is a Member of the Management Council of The Samhita Academy, a school based on the principles of experiential learning and integrates students of poor socio-economic backgrounds with those from middle class families. She is a trustee of the Advaith Foundation and Sarojini Damodaran Foundation which provide scholarships, pensions, and health care assistance to deserving but underprivileged individuals.

Shwetank Singh InterGlobe Hotels P Ltd Shwetank joined Interglobe Hotels in this leadership position in May 2014. In his current role he is responsible for both the Development function as well as the relatively unchartered territory of asset management, especially in India in the mid-market segment. Prior to this role he had worked with Premier Inn and handled a variety of roles which began with Director for Business Development & New Openings (for nearly two years). He was later promoted to Brand and Operations Director in Dec 2009 and once again elevated to Regional Vice President Operations in 2013. In this role, Shwetank managed the Premier Inn India business. He was sat on the Board of Premier Inn India and was a part of the Whitbread Leadership Forum. An alumnus of the Faculty of Management Studies (Delhi) and the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, Shwetank started his career with Tata Steel as the Senior Officer (Engineering) in 1998, where he worked for two years managing large teams of labor in a unionized environment, in extremely challenging working conditions. Post his MBA degree he worked at Citifinancial, a consumer loan company, and set up and managed a very successful business unit in Kanpur. Following this stint he served at IL&FS, one of India's leading infrastructure development and finance companies, where he was handling several Government and private relationships. In this role, he was exposed to the tourism and hospitality sector and he decided to explore this vocation further. Shwetank is an avid reader and a fitness freak. He also loves travelling to exotic locations.

Narendra Somani TGB Banquets & Hotels Ltd. The driving force behind the rapidly growing TGB Group is its Chairman and Managing Director, Narendra Somani. The story of his success in the hospitality industry is a tale of grit and determination and an inspiration to the country’s youth. Mr. Somani started with a small chaat restaurant in Ahmedabad in 1989. Today, TGB is a multi dimensional hospitality group with presence in various verticals such as five star deluxe hotels, star category hotels, budget hotels, club, banquets, conventions, restaurants, café and bakeries and gourmet catering. A dynamic BSE and NSE listed company headed by Mr. Somani, TGB also owns Gujarat’s largest five star deluxe hotel in Surat with 170 rooms and largest ‘in-hotel’ convention space in India. Mr. Narendra Somani is known as a trendsetter in the hospitality sector. From just one chaat outlet in the 90s, today he has built a brand and an empire, TGB which is well known for its strength in catering, wedding and convention management on a mega scale. TGB is the first one to introduce a banquet centric hotel model and has converted its strength in outdoor catering into a new model for the hospitality industry by reversing the ratio of F&B’s contribution to the hotel’s revenue. Today, even top international chains are following this model.

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Sujjain Talwar Economic Laws Practice Sujjain Talwar is a co-founding Partner at ELP, and heads the Hospitality; Infrastructure; and Banking & Finance practices of the firm. He is a qualified Solicitor in India as well as England and Wales, with over 20 years of experience as a lawyer. Sujjain has worked extensively on private sector participation initiatives in various infrastructure projects in India and abroad, including real estate and hospitality. He has acted in over 65 hotel transactions involving almost every international hotel operator in India. Sujjain has been ranked as a Band 1 lawyer for his expertise in Projects, Infrastructure & Energy in India by Chambers Asia-Pacific 2013 & 2014. He has been recommended as a Leading Lawyer by IFLR1000 Energy & Infrastructure 2014 and has been identified as a Leading Lawyer for Projects & Energy in India by The Asia-Pacific Legal500 consecutively for the past 6 years. He has also been recognised for his expertise in Construction by Who’s Who Legal 2013 & 2014 and has featured in Asialaw Leading Lawyers 2014.

Vijay Thacker Horwath HTL - India Mr. Vijay Thacker has extensive consulting experience over 28 years in Hotels, Tourism and Leisure. Mr. Thacker has undertaken, supervised and directed diverse professional assignments including feasibility studies, concept planning, valuations, management contracts, strategy plans, advice on bids and bid structures, systems reviews and litigation support. Mr. Thacker has carried out engagements in over 90 different markets in India and 30 international projects, including several projects in the Middle East and Bhutan. Assignments handled involved projects across various categories including large mixed-use development projects. Mr. Thacker advises domestic and international hotel chain developers, owners, investors and bankers on development matters, management contracts, financing, valuations etc. He is a practicing Chartered Accountant in India and a director on several companies. He has been a speaker at several professional seminars in India and overseas in relation to the hospitality sector and on accounting, corporate law and corporate finance topics. Horwath HTL is the leading global hospitality firm, across 39 countries. It is a member of Crowe Horwath International, a top 10 global accounting and consulting network network of independent accounting and consulting firms with about 680 offices in 117 countries worldwide.

Suma Venkatesh Taj Group of Hotels Suma Venkatesh, Vice President – Development, The Indian Hotels Company Ltd., heads the Taj Group’s initiatives for growth through green field developments, acquisitions, licenses and management contracts. Over the last 12 years with the Taj Group, she has been involved in doubling the Group’s inventory to 126 hotels with 15500+ keys. Ms. Venkatesh is an Electrical Engineer by training and holds a Masters Degree in Management Studies from the Mumbai University in India. She has over 22 years of cross functional experience across industries. Before joining the Taj Group, she has worked in different functions across multiple industry sectors in India.

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Vineet Verma Brigade Hospitality Vineet started his career in 1980 with the Royal Calcutta Turf Club, one of the oldest and renowned thoroughbred horse racing institutions in the world. He served the Club till June 2003 having officiated in various capacities culminating in his appointment as its Secretary & CEO in the year 1993. He was also two times the Secretary General of the Turf Authorities of India. He was later invited by Bengal Ambuja to join them as CEO, Bengal Ambuja Metro Dev. Ltd that developed the well-known ‘City Centre’ at Salt Lake, Kolkata. He was actively involved in several Chambers of Commerce in Kolkata including CII, ICC, Young Leaders forum, Bengal Chamber of Commerce etc. He was also the Member, Governing Body of Concern for Calcutta, a leading NGO in West Bengal. Vineet is presently the Executive Director, Brigade Hospitality Services Ltd. BHSL is a Brigade Group enterprise involved in the setting up and management of Hotels, Serviced Apartments, Clubs and Convention Centers. Besides two award winning hotels in Bangalore, Sheraton Bangalore @ Brigade Gateway and Grand Mercure, Brigade Group has several other hotels under development in Bangalore, Chennai, Mysore and Kerala. He is on the Management Committee of Bangalore Chamber of Industry & Commerce and Chairman of its Expert committee on Tourism, Media & Leisure. He has also a Member of Karnataka Tourism Vision Group constituted by the Government of Karnataka.

speakers as of 6 january 2015 - hotel investment forum...

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