Minor Hotels Appoints Puneet Dhawan as Head of Asia

Global hotel owner and operator Minor Hotels has appointed Puneet Dhawan as Head of Asia as the group plots its growth in Asia and India. From July, Dhawan will be responsible for the performance of all Minor Hotels properties in Asia, working in close collaboration with the Minor Hotels senior leadership team and will report to Minor Hotels CEO Dillip Rajakarier.

Dhawan, a seasoned professional with a 30-year hospitality career spanning Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. His most recent role as Senior Vice President of Operations – India & South Asia at Accor saw him lead the group’s business development, owner management, hotel operations and commercial team, driving Accor’s growth in the region. Notably, he oversaw the opening of the first Raffles hotel in India. His 25-year tenure at Accor also included time as the group’s Vice President of Operations, Middle East, and several General Manager roles. Dhawan’s journey in the hospitality industry began with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, where he held positions at its properties in the Philippines and Hong Kong.

Dhawan holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He will be based in the group’s Bangkok Corporate Office when he joins Minor Hotels in July.

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels and Group CEO of Minor International, commented, “We are excited to welcome Puneet to the Minor Hotels family. His operational experience and empowering leadership will be invaluable as we work to achieve our growth ambitions in Asia and India in the coming years.”

In January, Minor Hotels unveiled its target to add more than 200 new openings to its global portfolio, with approximately half in Asia, by the end of 2026. More recently, the hotel group announced its plan to 50 new openings in India within the next ten years, including the debut of its luxury Anantara brand later this year in Jaipur.

Turkka Kuusisto appointed CEO of Finnair

New Delhi | January 2024: Finnair has appointed Turkka Kuusisto (44, MSc. Tech) as CEO of Finnair and he will start in this role on 11 July 2024 at the latest. Kuusisto joins Finnair from Posti Group Corporation, where he has served as the CEO since 2020. Prior to his role as the CEO at Posti Group Corporation, Kuusisto served in senior leadership positions at Posti Group Corporation and in Lindorff Group.

“I am happy to welcome Turkka Kuusisto to take the helm of Finnair and drive the next phases of Finnair’s strategy. Finnair has restored its profitability after the historic double crisis, and the company is well-positioned to continue to build a sustainable future, offering excellent connections via its Helsinki hub to both Finns and customers traveling between Europe and Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas”, says Sanna Suvanto-Harsaae, Chair of the Board of Directors, Finnair.

“Turkka brings to Finnair his strong understanding of complex industries and his proven people leadership and strategy skills, which will benefit Finnair as Finnair now moves to the next phase in its strategy”, Suvanto-Harsaae says.

“Finnair embodies to me Finnish spirit and global connections, and it has a long and unique heritage as a 100-year-old airline. I am excited and humbled to take on the role of CEO in this iconic company. Working side by side with all Finnair colleagues and carefully listening to our customers, I trust our joint journey will be a successful one”, says Turkka Kuusisto.

Finnair’s current CEO Topi Manner will leave the company on 15 January 2024 to later take on the role of CEO at Elisa Corporation. Jaakko Schildt, Chief Operating Officer of Finnair, will act as an interim CEO between 15 January and the start of the new CEO.

About Finnair

Finnair is a network airline, specialising in connecting passenger and cargo traffic between Asia, North America and Europe. Finnair is one of the oldest operating airlines in the world, celebrating its centenary in 2023. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do – Finnair intends to reach carbon neutrality latest by the end of 2045. Customers have chosen Finnair as the Best Airline in Northern Europe in the Skytrax Awards for 12 times in a row. Finnair is a member of the oneworld alliance. Finnair Plc’s shares are quoted on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange.

Epigamia elevates Rahul Jain as Chief Executive Officer

Rohan Mirchandani, who was earlier Co-founder & CEO, has now moved into the role of Executive Chairman

Epigamia has announced the elevation of Rahul Jain, Co-Founder & COO, to the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Rohan Mirchandani, who was earlier Co-founder & CEO, has now moved into the role of Executive Chairman. Ankur Goel, the founding member of Epigamia was elevated to the post of Chief Operating Officer (COO).

“We are happy to have Rahul as our CEO whose strategic business acumen and dedication to Epigamia’s values make him the perfect fit for this role”, said Rohan Mirchandani, Co-Founder and executive Chairman, Epigamia.

Rahul Jain, Co-Founder and CEO, Epigamia, said, “I am humbled by this new opportunity and look forward to a journey that is fueled by innovation and our team's collective passion. I envision a path in which every decision reflects our commitment to quality and our desire to lead change. Together, we will redefine the consumer product landscape and build a legacy that makes Epigamia the ultimate choice among its consumers."

M.R. Synrem joins as the Managing Director, ITDC

Sh. M.R. Synrem, IAS officer of 2002 Batch, Assam-Meghalaya Cadre has joined as the Managing Director of India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) in addition to his existing role as Joint Secretary and Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

During his career so far, Sh. Synrem served as Secretary in the Health & Family Welfare Department, Mission Director of the Meghalaya State National Health Mission and CEO of Megha Health Insurance Scheme in Meghalaya.

In a span of over two decades, he has demonstrated adept administrative expertise in spearheading the projects, schemes and initiatives in the Information Technology & Communications Department, the Transport Department, the Urban Affairs Department, the Commerce & Industries Department etc in his parent cadre.

Espire Hospitality Group names Akhil Arora as Chief Executive Officer

New Delhi, May 2023: Espire Hospitality Group named Akhil Arora, the hospitality company’s Chief Operating Officer, as its next Chief Executive Officer.

Akhil is an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in hospitality and is qualified as a ‘Certified Hotel Administrator’ (CHA) from the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute. In his fresh role at Espire Hospitality Group, he will spearhead the company’s overall business, continuing to focus on the expansion plans.

Akhil Arora joined Espire Hospitality Group in May 2021, with 13 years of experience of working with India’s leading hospitality brands including Oberoi, Leela, Hyatt, Renaissance and The Imperial, after which he moved to Hotelivate to set up and successfully run their Asset Management division. His diverse knowledge in hotel operations and business strategy encompasses experience of working in Rooms Division, Food & Beverage service, Sales & Marketing and Revenue Management which adds great value towards the growth objective of the company. 

Akhil has successfully expanded the portfolio of Espire Hospitality Group from two to currently 10 operating hotels. With six more hotels planned to open in 2023, the group will have 16 hotels in its portfolio by the end of this year.

Under his leadership, Espire Hospitality Group launched the Luxury Boutique resort brand ‘ZANA - Luxury Escapes’, with the opening of its first hotel in Udaipur, in September 2022. In a short time of its inception, the ZANA portfolio will grow from just one hotel to five by the end of 2023.

About Espire Hospitality Group

Espire Hospitality Group is the owning company of India’s most magnificent luxury resort ‘Six Senses Fort Barwara’, owns and operates a mid-market resort chain ‘Country Inn Hotels and Resorts’ and operates a luxury boutique resort brand ‘ZANA - Luxury Escapes’ that is a confluence of luxury and top-notch hospitality.

Saj Hotels appointed Zamir Khan as new CEO

In his new role, Zamir will develop strategies, drive growth and foster innovation for the Hotels and Restaurants verticals of the Group.

Zamir has been part of the founding team of prestigious brands like Massive Restaurants Pvt Ltd, and Wrapster Foods Pvt Ltd, and worked with leading indigenous business houses like Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Dabur (India) Ltd, Avantha Group, DLF Retail Ltd, to name a few. 

He has also spearheaded the communications mandate for conglomerates such as Telcordia, Emirates Airlines, EMC Corporation, TetraPak, Nokia, among others. As the CEO, Zamir brings with him a wealth of experience and astute business acumen that will strengthen the brands’ position, build advocacy, and complement the growth of the company. 

Speaking about his appointment, Zamir Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Saj Hotels Pvt Ltd, said, “After having spent over two decades in one of the most challenging industries, I feel humbled to have been given this opportunity to join Saj Hotels, among the fastest growing hospitality organizations in the country. As part of the senior management team, I look forward to steering Saj Hotels to greater heights, while working towards building world-class hotels, resorts and dining destinations in India and capturing its untapped beauty. I would like to express my gratitude to the promoters and board of directors, especially the Chairman –Rahul Timbadia for showing their faith in me.” 

“We are confident that Zamir’s leadership and strategic vision will take Saj Hotels Pvt Ltd to new heights. We are looking forward to scaling our brands to new heights under his guidance,” said Karna Timbadia, Director, Saj Hotels Pvt Ltd.  A dynamic professional and a dedicated family man, Zamir loves to spend time with his family. He has a keen interest in photography and is an avid traveller.