Rajiv kaul biography

Mentor to a generation of hoteliers, Rajiv Kaul, President, The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts, has enhanced the global reputation of luxury Indian hospitality brands

There are certain parameters which distinguish a leader from others. One is the ability to make the most out of every situation. The other is not to stay away from challenging the status quo and pushing boundaries to make things better. It is because of these sterling qualities, amongst others, that the best leaders know how to showcase the full potential in others and get the best out of them. Rajiv Kaul, President, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, most subscribes to these attributes of an accomplished frontrunner. Speaking with Today’s Traveller Coffee Table Book 2019, Kaul shares valuable insights about his journey in the Hospitality Industry, career highlights and his work philosophy.

The beginnings were a little arduous, explains Kaul, as he chose a path that was not his parent’s first choice. Turning his back on the favoured MBA route, in a leap of faith, Kaul enrolled with the Oberoi Trainee Programme. Perseverance and diligence soon paid dividends and saw the young Kaul firmly entrenched in the Hospitality Industry. From Front Office Manager at Oberoi, New Delhi, to Cornell University, Paris, for further studies, Kaul achieved a milestone in his career when he was designated as General Manager of The Oberoi New Delhi, which was the Capital’s finest hotel and amongst the best in the country, at a young age of just 31 years. Thereafter, there was no looking back. The year 1996 saw Kaul as Vice President, Oberoi Hotels, Egypt, helming an award-winning portfolio, including the legendary Mena House. Another landmark achievement under his aegis was launching Egypt’s finest luxury Nile and Red Sea resort. This was followed by a brief assignment at Taj Hotels, where key achievements in

Alumni in News ! Rajiv Kaul ! Accomplished Global Leader !Tech | Private Equity | Payments Exec Vice Chairman & CEO, CMS Info Systems | ex Partner – Actis Capital | ex CEO Microsoft India Rajiv Kaul (Batch of 1985) is a accomplished Global IT leader. Rajiv’s link with AFBBS is still very strong for the simple reason that his two closest friends, Archana Kumar & Sapna Chuggani are from the ’85 batch. The three make it a point to meet at-least once every year. While hazy on other specific memories, he does remember nursing unrequited crushes, bunking with the gang and heading to Lodi, or hanging out at his friend Sandeep Munjal’s Kashmir Diary store in Khan market, along with escapades at Taj Machan ordering soup and the free bread. In the time leftover, and mostly thanks to some studious and steadfast friends, he managed to do a little of studying.Rajiv completed his MBA from XLRI with a gold medal in Marketing and joined ITC where he worked for 4 years before joining Microsoft in 1996. Within a span of 5 years, he was appointed as the CEO of Microsoft India at the age of 33. During his tenure, the India business was the one of the fastest growing operations globally. He fondly remembers the crazy Dot Com days and also the various interactions with Bill Gates. He is also proud of launching Project Shiksha, focused on technology enablement and training to millions of public school teachers and students, with an unprecedented Rs. 100 Cr grant. Post his India stint, he also worked at Seattle HQ, as Senior Director of Emerging Markets.After spending a decade in MSFT, Rajiv joined a leading Private Equity firm in London, Actis Capital, which helped him shape his journey to becoming an entrepreneur. In the midst of the global financial crisis in 2009, he partnered with The Blackstone Group to buy a majority stake in CMS Info Systems. He was able to turnaround the business and transform it into the worlds 5th largest ATM Cash Manag

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