MUMBAI, JULY 6, 2021: Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), South Asia’s largest hospitality company, announced three strategic leadership roles, which will sharpen focus on customer centricity, drive diversity and inclusion and institutionalize owner/partner engagement.
Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL, said, “We have identified three Strategic Areas to create sustainable competitive advantages and build our future. Customer Centricity has always been a key differentiator for IHCL, and Taj being rated the World’s Strongest Hotel Brand stands testimony to this. Fundamental to our success is the focus on Diversity to nurture an inclusive and diverse workplace. Finally, in pursuance of our asset light growth strategy with ~70 hotels signed in the last three years, strengthening Owner Relations has never been more important for IHCL’s future. As a result, we have identified three experienced and veteran leaders who will champion each of these strategic imperatives in an institutionalized manner.”
The Three New Strategic Functions Created Are:
Customer Centricity: With insights, relationships and personalization defining the future of customer engagement in the hospitality industry, Ms. Ritika Gupta will be responsible for creating business value through customer centricity and relationship management. With close to three decades of experience with the organization in various customer centric roles, Ritika brings in the right mix of customer focus and relationship orientation to lead this function.
Diversity: In order to further promote IHCL as a diverse and inclusive organization, Ms. Rakhee Lalvani will take on the new role of Diversity Head and will be responsible for developing and implementing best practices to promote diversity and inclusion in the organization. A senior leader with close to 30 years of experience at IHCL, Rakhee is well positioned to spearhead this strategic initiative.
Owner/Partner Management: As we continue to pursue asset light growth and add more owners to our family, cultivating and strengthening owner relationships is critical to secure our future. A seasoned business leader with approximately two decades of experience at IHCL, Mr. Ram Maheshwari has taken on the responsibility to streamline owner / partner engagement processes and develop robust relationships.
The three leaders will closely work with the Managing Director & CEO on these strategic initiatives. Rakhee, Ritika and Ram will drive these important imperatives while retaining their current roles and responsibilities in the organization.
