Zubin Saxena succeeds Navjit Ahluwalia as Hilton's senior VP, country head

Zubin Saxena will take charge in January 2024; he was previously working at the Radisson Hotel Group for over eight years

Hilton announced the appointment of Zubin Saxena as senior vice-president and country head in India, who will take charge in January 2024. He took over the position from Navjit Ahluwalia, who left Hilton after six years.

Saxena has been working at the Radisson Hotel Group for over eight years, most recently as the managing director and area senior vice-president of South Asia. In his 24-year career in hospitality, Saxena has worked at IHG as director of development for South Asia, and senior advisory roles with Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels in India and HVS in New York. Saxena has an MBA from the Adam Smith School of Business, Glasgow.

A press release stated, "In 2019, he was enlisted in the prestigious "Economic Times 40 Under Forty list of Business Leaders" in India and has also been the recipient of various awards over the years, including the "Inspirational Hospitality Leader of the Year" by the Indian Hospitality Council."

Alan Watts, president, Asia Pacific at Hilton, said, "Given the enormous opportunity that India represents and the strong momentum we are seeing, we are excited to welcome Zubin to the Hilton family, whose energy, expertise and leadership will be pivotal, as we supercharge our growth on the Indian subcontinent. We also thank Navjit for his many years of dedication to building our presence and culture in India."

Saxena will oversee 25 trading hotels of Hilton in India, and will lead the company's expansion in South Asia with 20 properties in the development pipeline.

Ahluwalia, during his tenure, oversaw the opening of the Hilton Goa Resort, the Hilton Bengaluru Embassy Manyata Business Park, a dual-brand Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn, a convention centre, and the DoubleTree by Hilton in Varanasi. Ahluwalia launched the company's corporate office in Gurgaon.

Zubin Saxena said, "I look forward to hitting the ground running at Hilton in January, getting to know the team and working for this iconic brand in this fast-developing region, which holds so much promise for the company. Hilton is at a very pivotal moment in India, with its portfolio of market-leading brands and ambitious growth plans. I am excited by the size and scope of the role and look forward to leading and delivering on our ambitious goals in this incredibly dynamic market."