The Leela Palace Jaipur Welcomes New Leaders Across Key Roles

The Leela Palace Jaipur Welcomes New Leaders Across Key Roles

By Nishang Narayan

Published on December 12, 2024

The Leela Palace Jaipur has fortified its leadership team with four new appointments, each bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to elevate the luxury hotel's offerings and operations.

Sohil Bhargava, Director of Food and Beverage

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With over nine years of experience in the hospitality industry, Sohil Bhargava has an impressive track record working with esteemed establishments like Raffles, Grand Hyatt Gurgaon, and Andaz. Most recently, he excelled as the Senior Food and Beverage Manager at The DLF Camellias, where he implemented innovative strategies and created exceptional dining experiences. A graduate of the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Bhargava specializes in F&B operations, business strategy, and leadership.

In his new role, Bhargava will drive the culinary vision at The Leela Palace Jaipur, focusing on elevating the food and beverage experience to create unforgettable moments for guests while contributing to the hotel's overall growth and reputation.

Varun Parashar, Executive Chef

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A seasoned culinary expert, Varun Parashar brings a rich background that includes roles at Raa Atoll, Maldives; South Male Atoll, Maldives; Trident Bandra Kurla; and The Oberoi Rajvilas. With a proven ability to enhance team performance and deliver exceptional culinary standards, Parashar is a graduate of the Oberoi Center for Learning & Development and holds a bachelor's degree from IHM Lucknow.

As the Executive Chef, Parashar will lead the culinary operations at The Leela Palace Jaipur, curating exceptional menus that celebrate regional flavors while maintaining the highest culinary standards.

Sandeep Kumar Sharma, Director of Finance

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Sandeep Kumar Sharma joins with extensive experience in financial management, having held key positions at Hilton Jaipur, The Leela Palace New Delhi, and Trident properties in Chennai and Hyderabad. Sharma’s ability to navigate complex financial landscapes and his expertise in strategic planning have been hallmarks of his career.

A commerce graduate from Rajasthan University, Sharma will oversee financial strategies at The Leela Palace Jaipur, ensuring the hotel's fiscal health and operational efficiency.

Tanuj Shokeen, Director of Sales and Marketing

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With over 15 years in the hospitality industry, Tanuj Shokeen has a proven track record in driving sales performance and engaging stakeholders across various markets. Before joining The Leela Palace Jaipur, he served as the Director of Sales at Taj - Jai Mahal Palace Jaipur. Shokeen holds a PGDM in Marketing and International Business from AIMA and a bachelor's degree in commerce from Delhi University.

In his new role, Shokeen will focus on enhancing sales strategies, revenue management, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring The Leela Palace Jaipur strengthens its position as a leader in the luxury hospitality market.

These appointments mark a significant step forward for The Leela Palace Jaipur, as the new leaders bring their expertise and passion to take the property’s guest experiences and operational excellence to new heights.


Summit Hotels & Resorts Appoints Sudhir Gupta as Corporate General Manager – Finance

Summit Hotels & Resorts Appoints Sudhir Gupta as Corporate General Manager – Finance

By Hariharan U

Published on August 21, 2026

Summit Hotels & Resorts has appointed Sudhir Gupta as Corporate General Manager – Finance, strengthening its leadership team as the hospitality company continues to expand its portfolio across India.

Gupta brings more than 15 years of experience in hospitality finance and financial operations. His expertise includes financial planning and analysis, budgeting, management reporting, taxation, cost controls, hotel pre-openings, and finance systems.

In his new role, Gupta will oversee the finance function across Summit Hotels & Resorts. His focus will be on strengthening financial controls, improving reporting systems, and supporting the company's growth and expansion plans.

Before joining Summit Hotels & Resorts, Gupta served as Cluster Financial Controller for Marriott Surat and Courtyard by Marriott Surat, where he handled finance operations for both hotels. His responsibilities included budgeting, business reviews, financial reporting, revenue recognition, taxation, cost and inventory accounting, vendor negotiations, and financial controls.

Over the course of his career, Gupta has also held finance leadership and operational roles at Southern Hotels Pvt. Ltd., 1589 Hotels Pvt. Ltd. (Clarks Collection), JHM Interstate Hotels, Crowne Plaza and The Oberoi Group. This has given him experience across both corporate and property-level hotel finance.

His experience also covers hotel pre-openings, accounting and operating system implementation, performance analysis, and the development of financial processes across multi-property portfolios.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Sumit Periwal, Director, Summit Hotels & Resorts, said, "As Summit enters its next phase of growth, building stronger corporate systems behind our expanding portfolio is an important priority. Sudhir brings a valuable combination of hotel-level financial understanding and multi-property corporate experience. His exposure to budgeting, controls, systems and pre-openings will be particularly relevant as we strengthen our financial framework and scale the business across new markets."

The appointment is part of Summit Hotels & Resorts' ongoing efforts to strengthen its corporate leadership and build scalable systems to support its growing hospitality portfolio.

Website: Summit Hotels & Resorts


Aureya FM Appoints Vivek Kalia as Chief Operating Officer

Aureya FM Appoints Vivek Kalia as Chief Operating Officer

By Hariharan U

Published on August 21, 2026

Aureya FM, formerly WTC Trades & Projects and Brigade Group's facilities management arm, has appointed Vivek Kalia as Chief Operating Officer.

Aureya FM provides integrated, technology-enabled facility management services across sectors including commercial, retail, co-working spaces, and community projects. In his new role, Vivek will oversee the company's operations, business growth, customer experience, and organisational effectiveness.

Welcoming the appointment, Vineet Verma, Managing Director, Aureya FM, said, "Vivek's unique blend of military and corporate leadership, along with his vast experience will be crucial in the role of COO to further strengthen our organisation. His disciplined approach, strategic thinking and strong focus on execution will bring valuable perspective as we continue to build on our foundations and pursue new opportunities for growth. We are confident that Vivek's leadership will help us navigate the evolving business landscape, strengthen our operational capabilities, and foster a culture of excellence and innovation."

Vivek brings over 21 years of experience from his career as a retired Indian Naval Officer, where he held various command and staff appointments. His time in the Navy helped him build expertise in leadership, strategic decision-making, and managing teams in complex environments.

After his naval career, Vivek spent seven years with Airbus, where he established and expanded the company's training business across India and South Asia. He later moved to Airbus Defense and Space, where he led strategic defence sales campaigns and worked with customers to address key business and operational requirements.

Speaking about his appointment, Vivek Kalia, COO, Aureya FM, said, "I am honoured and humbled by the opportunity and look forward to working closely with the team. My experience has taught me the importance of discipline, teamwork, resilience and a clear focus on execution. This is an exciting prospect, and I am committed to unlocking new possibilities, strengthening our capabilities and creating sustainable growth."

With Vivek joining as COO, Aureya FM aims to further strengthen its operations and build on its existing capabilities while exploring new opportunities in the evolving facilities management sector


Hyatt Regency Dehradun Resort And Spa Appoints Vineet Waldia as Area Director of Digital Marketing

Hyatt Regency Dehradun Resort And Spa Appoints Vineet Waldia as Area Director of Digital Marketing

By Hariharan U

Published on August 21, 2026

Hyatt Regency Dehradun Resort And Spa has appointed Vineet Waldia as Area Director of Digital Marketing, bringing more than 16 years of marketing experience across hospitality, technology, healthcare, e-commerce, and SaaS.

In his new role, Waldia will lead digital marketing efforts across Hyatt's North India cluster portfolio. His responsibilities will cover rooms, MICE and events, food and beverage, spa, and other revenue-generating channels. A key focus will be on growing direct bookings through Hyatt.com, improving digital channel performance, and supporting business growth across customer touchpoints.

Waldia joins Hyatt after serving as General Manager – Marketing at Acefone Software Pvt. Ltd., where he handled marketing and demand generation across domestic and international markets. Before this, he worked as Associate Director – Marketing at Knowlarity Communications, a Gupshup company, where he helped shape the company's marketing function and led go-to-market plans across Africa, APAC, LATAM, and AUKUS markets.

His career also includes leadership roles at Agilus Diagnostics, Headhonchos, and IDS Logic. He has also worked with Hyatt Hotels Corporation earlier in his career as Manager – Digital Marketing & E-commerce. During that stint, he supported room revenue growth across ten hotels through digital marketing campaigns and also worked on the digital planning and launch of new hotels and restaurants.

Waldia's experience covers performance marketing, SEO and SEM, customer acquisition, MarTech, CRM, AI-enabled marketing, and multi-channel campaigns. His work has focused on using technology, data, and customer insights to improve audience engagement and business performance.

His work in digital commerce was also recognised when he was named among the Top 50 Most Influential E-commerce Professionals of India by CMOAsia.org in 2016 and 2017.

Speaking on his appointment, Vineet Waldia, remarked, "Returning to Hyatt is both professionally meaningful and personally rewarding. The hospitality industry is evolving rapidly, creating new opportunities to combine technology, data, and creativity to deliver more impactful guest experiences. I look forward to working closely with teams across North India to advance Hyatt's digital growth journey."

With Waldia taking on the new role, Hyatt Regency Dehradun Resort And Spa aims to strengthen its digital marketing focus while combining technology and customer-focused strategies to support Hyatt's continued growth across North India

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