INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS Group (IHG), has appointed Sudeep Jain as Vice President, Development, South West Asia. His immediate remit will be to further strengthen IHG’s presence in the region encompassing India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. IHG currently has 29 hotels open in South West Asia with a further 43 in the development pipeline.
Jain brings more than 15 years’ experience in the hospitality sector from roles based in the US and India, working across brand management, asset management, strategy, planning and real estate development. His most recent role was with Starwood Hotels & Resorts as Vice President, Acquisitions & Development for South Asia. He has also worked with Starwood in New York, where he developed global strategic growth plans in-line with consumer and developer trends and worked with real estate developers in North America, among other initiatives.
Jan Smits, Chief Executive Officer AMEA, IHG commented: “As we continue to expand in South West Asia, especially India, Sudeep’s experience of delivering international brands in a local market context will be an asset, enabling us to realise our growth ambition. He also brings a fresh perspective to the development team, allowing us to create and build partnerships in new market segments and expand our footprint in the region.”
Sudeep Jain, Vice President, Development, South West Asia commented: “I am delighted to be joining IHG at a time where the business is poised to drive growth in India and the rest of South West Asia. With my diverse background, I can bring a different perspective, having worked on the operator and owner side of the business, to the strong IHG regional leadership team.”
Jain started his career with Bain & Company, working in its offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney and Boston, advising clients across consumer goods, food products, financial services, IT and private equity, on growth strategy and business plans which led to double-digit growth for the clients. Sudeep has also worked with Jones Lang LaSalle in India, in the Hotels & Hospitality Group, where he led development and management of the Advisory and Transactions services of the company in South Asia.
Jain received a Bachelor’s Degree from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He also completed the PDP course at Cornell Hotel School.