Zubin Karkaria appointed global CEO of Kuoni

First Indian to head the Swiss travel firm

Zubin Karkaria has been appointed global chief executive officer of travel and visa services company Kuoni. Karkaria is first Indian to head the 109-year old Swiss company.

Karkaria has been associated with the group since 1996. He was heading tour operator SOTC when it was acquired by Kuoni that year and was appointed CEO of Kuoni, India.

He founded the VFS Global (visa facilitation service) in 2001 and continues to head the division. In 2013 he was appointed as the head of Kuoni's group executive board.

In August Kuoni sold its leisure tours and inbound tours division in India and Hong Kong to Thomas Cook for Rs 535 crore as a part of business restructuring exercise.

In January, Kuoni Group had announced its intention to sell tour businesses in India and other parts of world to focus on online travel, destination management and visa processing services. Initially, the Swiss company planned to retain its destination management business (inbound travel) in India, but even that is being sold to Thomas Cook.

Karkaria replaces outgoing CEO Peter Meier and concurrently continues to run the VFS Global Division.

"Zubin Karkaria founded VFS Global in 2001 and built the company up very successfully to become the global leader in visa services for governments. VFS Global Division is the fastest growing, most innovative and most profitable division in the Kuoni Group," the company announced in a statement today.