CEO Insights India

The three most important ways to lead people are by example, by example, by example," ~ Albert Schweitzer. Rakshit Sharma, CEO, Rester Hotels & Resorts, is a great example for many young professionals across industries. He boasts an illustrious professional journey and has led the hospitality industry for more than 17 years. Rakshit has been leading by example as the head of teams and organizations with a clear focus on ethics, diversity, open communication, teamwork, and values that showcase and promote the employer brand and employee value propositions. He has been bestowed the special honor that recognizes one's commitment to creating a great place to work by Great Place to Work Institute India for such outstanding skills.

Rakshit is a man of ambitions and steers the company to be the best travel facilitator in the country. His
excellent listening skills and genuine interest in the concern of people and organization at large make him
a people person who constantly inspires people around him. Apart from being a seasoned professional and a great leader, Rakshit takes a keen interest in sports and is a National Champion in Taekwondo, and enjoys playing Chess. Below is an excerpt of the CEOInsights' exclusive interview with him.

Take us through your professional journey in the hospitality industry.
I started my career with Lemon Tree Hotels, where I was leading the HR team of the company. I have spent more than six years of my professional journey there and have been associated with the pre-opening of 15 Lemon Tree Hotels across the country. In early 2013, I joined Hyatt Regency based in Amritsar, handling the same designation as my previous company. I had played leading roles

as the Director of Human Resources for Hilton Hotels & Resorts and GHM in Chennai and Mumbai, respectively. I also worked with Keys Hotel for a few months and then grabbed greater opportunities in Sayaji Hotels. I began my journey with Sayaji as the General Manager of Human Resources and later became the Vice President of Operations & People. In 2021, I began my association as the CEO with Rester Hotels & Resorts which is now partnered with Sayaji Hotels.

Tell us about Rester Hotels & Resorts ' uniqueness and how it is positioned in the current market scenario?
Rester Hotels & Resorts has been able to benchmark in the travel & hospitality industry with its innovative operations, services, designs, and distributions. It has transformed itself from one brand and hotel to 20 operating hotels under three brands. What differentiates us is our ability to offer an array of brands operating from bottom scale to upscale. We can offer our services right from a remote area in Jamboree in Rajasthan to a metro politan city Mumbai. We excel in design and development, feasibility, debt and equity structuring,centralized operations, training, software, hotel optimization, reputation management, service curation, and management yield of hotel assets that sign up with our portfolio of reputed brands.

How has your response been to the challenges posed by the pandemic?
There were a lot of uncertainties in the first outbreak of Covid-19, and we did not know how to tackle the situation. The businesses were shut

down completely.But amidst the challenges, we could look at the bigger picture and avail ourselves of getting back to society.

We offered our hotels to the state government to help accommodate the covid fighters. On the other hand, we took great care of our employees;we at the leadership level did forego 100 percent of our salaries to pay our team members.

In your professional journey so far, which experiences would you consider as milestones of your journey, and what did you learn from those experiences?
Coming into an organization and getting the efforts validated by worldwide acclaimed platforms is Something that bestows me with great satisfaction. And I feel gratified that right from the beginning of my career, I have been able to contribute to making every organization a great place to work, and that has been the greatest achievement. The learnings of my past 17 years in the industry revolve around growth, and it is the epicenter of any strategy that I devise for any organization.

What are the opportunities that you foresee in the hospitality industry? As the CEO, what are your future goals for the company?
The hospitality industry is resilient and is coming back stronger after the crisis. Ample opportunities are coming on the way for big hotel brands like ours. It is a perfect time for hotel companies to grow in all aspects.As the team of Rester Hotels & Resorts, we plan to build independent hotels in every market and become the consumer favorite brand and the most profitable hotel management company across India.

Rakshit Sharma, CEO, Rester Hotels & Resorts
With a BBA in Human Resource Management from Meerut University, Rakshit has exceptional professional experience and has successfully led the Hospitality Industry for the past 17 years.

Hobbies:Taekwondo and Chess
Favorite Cuisine: Indian
Favourite Book:Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Travel Destination: Maldives

Awards & Recognition: Great People Managers Award by Forbes India