Introduction: Ian Mahajan is an alumnus of IHM Bangalore with 16 years of industry experience in Food and Beverage. During this career journey, he worked with many brands like Marriott, Hyatt, Accor to name a few. Currently, he is the Food and beverage manager in Raffles Seychelles

Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?

I started in 2005 with JW Marriott Juhu after completing my BSc in hospitality from Bangalore, India. Then moved to Dubai and spent a little over a decade there, working with Hyatt and Minor International. To test the waters (not quite literally) I moved to Seychelles, worked with the Four Seasons followed Accor - Raffles which is my current home ground.

Editor: What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?

Perception management, endurance, dedication, a lot of passion, and even more patience. You need to be humble yet bold, be composed, yet positively aggressive. 

Editor: What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring?  If someone wants to work with you, what should they do?

Needs to Have an engaging personality, ambitious and passionate 

Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting the hospitality industry?

Sustainability, conscious eating, seamless technology, a dynamic approach towards everything, timeless travel gave the current situation   

Editor: Tech is now an enabler for great hospitality. Can you share with us some of the techs that go into creating your guest experience? 

• Strong wifi

• Mobile apps

• Whatsapp communication

• mobile check-ins

Editor: Two things you would like to change in the industry.

• The hiring process

• The concept of the minibar