IHG appoints chief development officer in AMEA

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has appointed Rajit Sukumaran to the role of chief development officer in the Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region.

In his new role, Sukumaran will head the operator's development team and lead the group’s growth strategy.

He brings more than 12 years’ experience in development, acquisitions, feasibility from his previous role as senior vice president, acquisitions & development, Asia Pacific at Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Prior to joining Starwood, he worked in the corporate finance division of PricewaterhouseCoopers Singapore where he was involved with several cross-border corporate transactions including mergers, acquisitions and initial public offerings.

Sukumaran graduated from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University with a degree of Bachelor of Accountancy.

Jan Smits, CEO AMEA, said in a statement: “Rajit brings with him vast knowledge, a stellar reputation and the ability to drive development success across brands which will prove invaluable as he drives the acceleration of IHG’s growth strategy across AMEA.”

Sukumaran added: “I am thrilled to join the IHG family as it continues on the growth journey in the region. The AMEA region has seen unprecedented growth in the past decade and still has a long runway. I look forward to working with some of the best talent in the industry as we forge ahead with both our existing and new partners across the region.”

IHG currently operates 271 hotels across six brands in AMEA, including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo and Staybridge Suites with a further 149 hotels in the development pipeline due to open within the next three to five years.