Lemon Tree Hotels Limited has announced a series of leadership changes effective Oct. 1, 2025, pending shareholder approval. The move is part of a planned succession strategy aimed at ensuring continuity and strengthening governance.
Patanjali Govind Keswani: Executive Chairman
Patanjali Govind Keswani will remain Executive Chairman, chairing the Board of Directors and guiding the transfer of his executive and operational responsibilities to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. He will continue to focus on expansion and asset-light growth while providing strategic oversight and long-term governance.
Neelendra Singh: Managing Director
Neelendra Singh has been named Managing Director. With 26 years of experience, he will oversee daily operations and lead all business functions. Singh began his career at Shoppers’ Stop in 1999 before moving to Arcus (Home Improvement Retail) and Hutchison Max Telecom (Orange). He spent his longest tenure with Adidas, holding multiple leadership roles, including Regional Manager for West India, Retail Director for India, Group Retail Director for South Korea, Senior Vice President for Global DTC & Franchise in Germany, and General Manager/Managing Director for India. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Kirori Mal College, Delhi University, and an MBA from IMT Ghaziabad.
Kapil Sharma: Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer
Kapil Sharma has been elevated to the Board as Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer. A Chartered Accountant with over 30 years of financial management experience, Sharma joined Lemon Tree Hotels in 2004. As CFO, he has led initiatives such as mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, project financing, and the company’s public listing. In his expanded role, he will oversee finance, strategy, technology, legal, secretarial, and procurement functions.
Vishvapreet Singh Cheema: President
Vishvapreet Singh Cheema, who became President on June 9, 2025, will continue to oversee operations, human resources, and revenue. With 28 years in hospitality, his previous position was Director of Operations for Southwest Asia at IHG Hotels & Resorts, where he managed around 50 hotels with about 8,000 rooms and annual revenue of Rs 2,000 crore across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. He has also worked with Oberoi Hotels, IHHR Hospitality, Radisson Hotel Group, Marriott International, and Carnival UK. He is an alumnus of the Institute of Hotel Management, Lucknow, and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Hotel Management from the Oberoi Centre for Learning & Development.
At Fleur Hotels Limited, a material subsidiary, Keswani will remain Executive Chairman. He will focus on transitioning operational leadership to the Managing Director and CEO while supporting expansion plans through capital allocation for development, acquisitions, and leases.
Saurabh Shatdal has been appointed Managing Director and CEO of Fleur Hotels. With 27 years of experience in capital raising, land acquisitions, deal structuring, and hospitality operations, he previously served as Managing Director, India – Capital Markets & Land and India Head – Retail for Cushman & Wakefield. His earlier career includes roles with CBRE, Regus Group Plc, ITC Hotels, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Le Méridien Hotels, and The Leela Group. He is a graduate of the Institute of Hotel Management, Bhubaneswar.
Mayank Sharma will remain Chief Financial Officer of Fleur Hotels, managing finance, strategy, technology, asset management, and procurement. A Chartered Accountant with more than 15 years of experience, he specializes in financial management, corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic growth initiatives.
Sanjeev Jain will continue as Vice President – Projects & Engineering at Fleur Hotels, handling design, project management, and development of greenfield and brownfield projects, conversions, and renovations. With 33 years of experience, he began his career with NBCC Limited and was most recently Chief Standards Officer at Bloom Hotels. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from IIT Bombay and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from NUS, Singapore.
Lemon Tree Hotels operates more than 230 properties, including over 110 operational hotels and a pipeline of more than 110 across India and in Dubai, Bhutan, and Nepal. The company’s seven brands include Aurika Hotels & Resorts, Lemon Tree Premier, Lemon Tree Hotels, Red Fox Hotels by Lemon Tree Hotels, Keys Prima by Lemon Tree Hotels, Keys Select by Lemon Tree Hotels, and Keys Lite by Lemon Tree Hotels.
