Mumbai: Leisure hospitality brand Sterling Holiday Resorts on Monday announced the appointment of Vikram Lalvani as the new managing director and CEO of the company, effective 1 April.

After seven years of overseeing various strategic responsibilities at Sterling, which included - customer engagement, revenue maximisation, hotel sales and resort operations, Lalvani succeeds Ramesh Ramanathan, who will now continue to guide the company as its chairman.

As CMD for Sterling since 2011, Ramesh Ramanathan has been instrumental in steering the company’s turn-around and making it profitable and establishing the Sterling brand in the Leisure Holiday space, said the company in a statement. "Over the past decade, Sterling has expanded its footprint from 10 resorts to over 38 resorts with over 2,500 rooms, spread across hills, beaches, jungles, rivers, heritage, pilgrimage and drive-to locations pan-India," it added.

“I am extremely pleased with the appointment of Vikram to lead Sterling towards newer avenues. I look forward to working with him toward our common vision of making Sterling the top leisure hospitality brand in India," said Ramesh Ramanathan. "On behalf of the board and the team, we are confident that Vikram’s vast experience in the hospitality industry will be a huge advantage for us. His energy, passion and eye for detail will also boost the team in delivering exceptional services and make Sterling the preferred brand for our guests. I congratulate him and wish him all the best for his next chapter.”

In his previous role as COO, of Sterling Holidays, Lalvani has been responsible for strengthening the preferred partners’ network, launching new revenue-focused projects, and spearheading the expansion plans across the country which now includes 38 plus resorts in operation and many more in the pipeline, according to the company.

Commenting on his new role, Lalvani said, “I am honored to be given this responsibility. We will continue on the growth path set for us and drive to double our inventory and footprint to over 5,000+ rooms by 2025. With focus on digitisation, we will bring innovation in services for our guests and create a unique place for Sterling in the leisure space. I look forward to further strengthening the brand and building market leadership in the coming years.”

Lalvani has over 25 years of leadership experience in hospitality, leisure and ITeS industries with proven expertise in revenue maximisation and technology solutions. In the past, he has held crucial positions in companies such as The Indian Hotels and Sutherland Global Services.