Despite operating a group of safari properties in Africa, Rajakarier admits he is scared of animals, something he?s not previously admitted to his team.
For someone that “fell into the hotel industry”, Sri Lankan Dillip Rajakarier has certainly carved out an impressive career path for himself.
As the CEO of Thailand’s Minor Hotel Group, which operates the Anantara, Avani, Elewana and Oaks hotel brands, he oversees a portfolio of 93 properties in 12 countries that generated US $680mn system sales in 2012.
Promoted earlier this year to COO of MHG’s parent company Minor International (MINT), which includes Minor Retail Group and Minor Food Group and a host of hotel assets as well as the hotel management business, Rajakarier is responsible for leading a team of 22,500, including 7000 colleagues at MHG.
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Over the years, he has made his name playing a pivotal role in some major industry acquisitions and even now, says he is a “deal maker” by nature and trade.
“My early career was spent as a systems analyst and then I moved into finance — I was a deal maker and loved to create something which adds value,” recalls Rajakarier.
Notable achievements include several purchases with Orient Express Hotels, namely the $40mn acquisition of Le Manoir (UK) and La Residencia (Spain) from Virgin Hotels; the $100mn scoop of the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg and the purchase of The Ritz in Madrid, “another great deal in terms of earnings and asset value”.
More recently with MHG, Rajakarier has led the JV partnership with Elewana Collection in Africa, the recent $4mn Per Aquum deal, which equates to MHG owning a 50% stake in the boutique hotel brand, and in 2011, the acquisition of Oaks Hotels & Resorts.
This passion for a great deal infiltrates all aspects of his life, including his main hobby of “buying and selling real estate”. So what motivates Rajakarier to keep seeking out expansion in an ever-competitive marketplace?
“My personal motto is ‘winning is not an option, it’s a habit!’” he claims. “I am very transparent, driven, lead by example and strive for success. For me it’s also very important that I surround myself with specialists — people who can help me achieve all the company’s ambitious targets.”
These objectives are set high, as MHG continues to transform itself into an international brand with operations in Asia, Middle East, Africa and Australia.
“I have been tasked with several company goals — growing the hotel group to 150 properties and growing Anantara to 50 properties, both by the end of 2017,” reveals Rajakarier. “Right now, my target is reaching the magic 100 properties in operation. We are currently on 93 and for sure will reach 100 by the end of this year, which will be a really significant achievement for MHG.”
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