InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), has appointed Shantha de Silva to the role of Head of South West Asia, overseeing India, Bangladesh, Nepal & Sri Lanka.
Leading IHG’s business in the region, with a focus on India as a key market, Shantha is responsible for driving strategic growth for the company and the operational performance of 21 hotels across four brands: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. He will also play an integral role in driving IHG’s plans to have 150 hotels open or in the pipeline in India within the next 10 to 15 years.
Shantha is based in Gurgaon, India and reports to Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG.
Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, IHG, India, Middle East and Africa said, “Since we entered India nearly 50 years ago there have been significant developments in the country’s hospitality landscape. The market holds immense potential and opportunity and having a strong leader at the forefront of our operations is absolutely critical for our growth.”
“Shantha takes the helm of our India leadership team with a proven track record in driving growth in emerging markets. In his previous roles with IHG he has demonstrated his ability to galvanise teams to deliver at the highest of levels. We are very pleased to have him spearhead our operations in South West Asia and have every confidence he will strengthen the team and take it to the next level,” Pascal added.
Shantha is a veteran at IHG, having started his career with the company more than 30 years ago at the former InterContinental Colombo. Shantha was most recently Director of Operations for Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, responsible for the performance of 13 hotels across three brands in the region, including InterContinental Singapore where he was also General Manager. In his time with IHG he has also held leadership roles in many emerging markets in the region, including Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Commenting on his appointment, Shantha de Silva, Head of South West Asia, IHG said, “India is one of the most dynamic countries in our Asia, Middle East and Africa region and its hospitality sector is going through exciting times with a number of new government initiatives to boost travel and tourism. The South West Asian region is also expected to see some strong growth and it is a personal milestone, and honour, for me to have the opportunity to head up our operations in this part of the world. I look forward to working with the team to grow our presence and market share in the region.”
IHG currently operates 18 hotels across four brands in India: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. The company has 46 hotels in its development pipeline, due to open in the next three to five years.
