Puneet Chhatwal to replace Rakesh Sarna as Indian Hotels MD and CEO

Rakesh Sarna is stepping down on September 30

Tata group hospitality firm Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) on Tuesday said it has appointed Duetsche Hospitality Chief Executive Puneet Chhatwal as its Managing Director and CEO.

He will take over from incumbent Rakesh Sarna, who is stepping down on September 30.

The board of directors of the company at its meeting held on Tuesday approved the appointment of Chhatwal, the company said in a BSE filing.

Chhatwal is currently Chief Executive and Member of Executive Board of Duetsche Hospitality/Steinberger Hotels AG, a large European hotel chain, it added.

He has over two decades of leadership experience in the global hospitality industry, having worked with some of the leading hotel groups in Europe and North America. He had started his career in India, it added.

In May this year, IHCL had announced that Sarna has resigned citing personal reasons.

Sarna was one of the high-profile recruitments from outside the Tata group made by ousted Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry.

With Mistry's departure from the group, there were speculations that Sarna was also likely to follow suit. He was considered to be a confidant of Mistry.

He had joined IHCL in September 2014 replacing the company's long-serving head Raymond Bickson. Before he joined IHCL, Sarna was the Group President - Americas of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.