The Westin Chennai Velachery has appointed Avanthika Ramamurthy as Marketing Communications Manager, strengthening its marketing and communications leadership as the hotel continues to build its brand presence in Chennai.

In her new role, Ramamurthy will lead the hotel's marketing communications strategy, overseeing brand positioning, media engagement, digital communications and integrated campaigns. Her responsibilities will include strengthening the hotel's visibility and communicating its guest experiences across relevant platforms.

Ramamurthy brings more than 10 years of experience across marketing, public relations, advertising, digital media and creative communications. Her professional background spans the hospitality, food and beverage, and retail sectors, with experience working in India and Australia.

During her career, she has worked with Accor and held other marketing and communications leadership positions. Her experience includes strategic planning, brand development, creative storytelling and integrated marketing initiatives, giving her exposure to varied communication environments and consumer-facing industries.

Commenting on the appointment, Deepraj Mukherjee, General Manager, The Westin Chennai Velachery, said, "We are delighted to welcome Avanthika to our leadership team. Her extensive experience in marketing communications, coupled with her creative vision and strategic approach, will be instrumental in strengthening our brand presence and deepening our engagement with guests and the wider community. We look forward to her contributions as we continue to create meaningful and memorable experiences for our guests."

In her new position, Ramamurthy will focus on enhancing the hotel's brand visibility, building audience engagement and communicating its distinctive guest experiences. Her appointment adds to the hotel's leadership team as it continues to engage with guests, media and the wider Chennai market.

Infinity Experiences has announced two key leadership appointments, naming Prashanth Kumar as Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Apoorav Pawar as Head of Brand, Portfolio & Growth.

The appointments bring together experience across hospitality operations, loyalty and membership programmes, premium financial products, portfolio strategy and brand development as the company works to expand its curated collection and membership proposition for discerning travellers.

Prashanth Kumar Appointed Co-Founder and COO

With more than 25 years of global hospitality experience, Prashanth Kumar joins Infinity Experiences with a background spanning hotel operations, brand development and loyalty programmes.

He began his career at The Brown Palace in Denver before taking up leadership roles at Novotel Hyderabad, Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Courtyard by Marriott Ahmedabad and ibis Gurgaon. During his time with ibis Gurgaon, he contributed to developing the brand standard for India.

Kumar subsequently built Sobha's hospitality vertical in Dubai and spent approximately 11 years in senior leadership roles at Accor Plus. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer at TLC DigiTech Pvt Ltd, overseeing an operation of around 750 employees across India, Kenya and Sri Lanka.

His professional experience spans several international markets, including India, the United States, New Zealand, Switzerland and Dubai. He has also undertaken hospitality management and leadership programmes at the Glion Institute of Higher Education and Cornell University.

At Infinity Experiences, Kumar will lead operations, with responsibilities covering expansion into new geographies and categories, international partnerships and delivery of the company's Infinity Membership Promise. His experience in hospitality operations and membership programmes is expected to support the company's efforts to maintain consistent standards across its certified experiences.

Apoorav Pawar to Lead Brand, Portfolio & Growth

Apoorav Pawar joins Infinity Experiences from American Express India, where he worked across premium credit card products and lending. During his tenure, he led the Platinum Reserve and Platinum Travel products, along with EMI and other card offerings, gaining experience in product strategy, portfolio development and customer engagement.

Before American Express, Pawar held positions at RBL Bank, Indus Towers Limited and DishTV, building experience across portfolio management, business strategy and new product development.

He holds an MBA from IIM Indore and a bachelor's degree in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce.

In his new role, Pawar will lead the company's brand, portfolio and growth strategy, focusing on the selection, positioning and presentation of its curated collection. His responsibilities will also include membership growth and strategies to attract, engage, activate and retain members and partners.

His background in premium product development and portfolio management is expected to contribute to the development of Infinity Experiences' proposition for a global audience.

Building a Curated Membership Proposition

The two appointments bring together complementary capabilities as Infinity Experiences develops its collection of certified hotels and experiences. While Kumar will focus on operational delivery, expansion and partnerships, Pawar will lead the brand and portfolio strategy alongside membership growth.

The leadership additions mark a step in the company's efforts to build its international presence and establish a distinctive proposition for travellers seeking curated hospitality experiences

Hyatt Regency Chennai has appointed Akanksha Tomar as its new Learning & Development Manager, strengthening its focus on employee training and people development.

Akanksha brings experience in learning and development across multiple organisations. She began her professional journey as Training In-Charge at Freedom Employability Academy, followed by roles as Corporate Trainer at Sunstone and Assistant Manager – Learning & Development at DSE Technologies. Before joining Hyatt Regency Chennai, she served as Assistant Manager – Learning & Development at Hyatt Regency Lucknow, where she worked on training initiatives for employees and trainees.

Her academic background includes a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, a Master's in Organisational Psychology and a PGD in Training & Development from the Indian Society for Training and Development (ISTD).

In her new role, Akanksha will lead learning and development initiatives for associates and trainees at Hyatt Regency Chennai. Her responsibilities will include designing practical training programmes to strengthen skills, build confidence and improve employee performance. Her background in organisational psychology will also support her approach to understanding individual learning needs and making training more relevant.

Sharing her thoughts on the appointment, Akanksha said, "I am passionate about Learning & Development and seeing people grow. What I value most is making learning practical and meaningful, and seeing training translates into real improvement in people's confidence and performance."

Originally from Gwalior, Akanksha has lived in several cities across India. Her experiences across different places have shaped her appreciation for diverse cultures and people, which she brings to her new role.