Finaliste - Professional Success
Kshitij Gandhi
Campaign - The Indian Hotels Company Limited - Les Roches
Cette candidature n'est disponible qu'en anglais / This application is only available in English.
Winner of the nationwide “Next GM of India” competition, Kshitij is rising rapidly through the ranks at The Indian Hotels Company Limited, armed with his MBA from Les Roches. He is today Corporate Director Business Operations North and West India, with a portfolio of more than 60 hotels.
Passion, Persistence and Perseverance.
Hotels, and hospitality industry beckoned me from early years. Both my parents are teachers with my mother being a history teacher. Naturally, I had a great interest in knowing about different cultures, ethnicities and I received joy from interacting with people from various backgrounds. Thus, this ignited my passion towards this industry.
After completing my undergraduate degree in Hospitality management, I secured a place in the prestigious Taj Management Training Program - IHCL, a company which in 2021 was rates as ‘World’s Strongest Brand’ by Brand Finance report.
Working for a company which has tremendous accolades, trust and respect of all stakeholders, the importance persevering to achieve business excellence in all that we do is paramount.
A Life Changing Experience.
IHCL partnered with Les Roches Global Hospitality, Switzerland in 2019 and launched a competition ‘The Next General Manager of India’ which had the aim to address the skills gap in Indian luxury hospitality and prepare the next generation of leaders to support the growth in the industry. Being the winner of this competition allowed me to secure my spot in the MBA 2020 batch with a 100% scholarship.
It’s a ‘Way of Life’!
Les Roches is a melting pot of so many nationalities and traditions, I felt right in my element. The many different opportunities such as competitions, societies & clubs, festival celebrations and the close-knit student and alumni teams were a great add on to a ‘way of life’ - our school motto.
Currently I work as Director Operations for IHCL, with a Portfolio consisting of over 60 hotels. Along with strategy development and planning I also look after our customer engagement (NPS), relationship management within IHCL and with other Tata Companies. I have also started to involve myself with various teams for new hotels pre-opening/ projects along with employee capability building and development.
My inspiration.
As a young individual who has spent his childhood and part of adulthood in one country, I lived vicariously in and around Europe – ensuring my education is not only limited to our classroom debates and brainstorming sessions. Following the words of my idol, Former Late President of India : Dr. A.P.J Abdul
Kalam “You have to dream before your “You have to dream before your dreams come true”, then and now I allow myself to venture alone in my thoughts with an affirmation to believe that what I seek, with due hardwork, will be achievable.
Where do I see myself in future?
The 21st century is the epitome of hospitality innovation. The yester year was a challenging year for everyone. We have learnt to ‘Survive and Revive’. Now we Thrive.
I see myself maturing into an environmentally conscious, clean luxury and bespoke hotelier who builds on together with his team. I aim to bring forth the culture of inclusivity, fairness and mutual respect. With a penchant of working in different parts of the world my aim is to learn through experiences and travel, always maintaining an upward trend in self development.