The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group has appointed Kamal Raza as General Manager, Corporate HR & Development, expanding his corporate mandate to include Human Resources alongside his existing responsibility for hotel development.
Raza brings extensive experience across hotel operations, general management, development and corporate leadership within The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group and IHG Hotels & Resorts. In his expanded role, he will oversee the Group’s Human Resources function while continuing to lead hotel development initiatives across India.
This leadership change reflects The Lalit’s continued investment in talent, aligning with hospitality leadership updates.Expanded Corporate Mandate
As General Manager, Corporate HR & Development, Raza will be responsible for the Group’s Human Resources function while retaining his leadership of hotel development.
His HR mandate will cover talent acquisition, leadership development, learning and development, employee engagement, performance management and organisational capability. He will also oversee HR systems and processes as the Group works to align its people strategy with its wider business requirements.
On the development side, Raza will continue to support hotel openings, brand expansion and project execution, bringing the two areas together within his expanded corporate responsibility.
Leading Hotel Development Across India
Prior to his new appointment, Raza served as General Manager – Development (Pan India) at The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group.
In that role, he led hotel development initiatives, new openings, brand expansion and project execution. His responsibilities covered projects from planning through commissioning, requiring coordination across functions as well as engagement with stakeholders involved in development and operations.
His experience in change management and cross-functional collaboration also formed part of his development mandate, providing exposure to the various stages involved in bringing hospitality projects into operation.
General Manager at The LaLiT Great Eastern, Kolkata
Earlier, Raza served as General Manager of The LaLiT Great Eastern, Kolkata, where he oversaw operations at the 240-key luxury heritage hotel.
His responsibilities covered financial performance, revenue management, cost optimisation and guest experience, alongside people development and major renovation projects. The role provided him with broad operational exposure while managing the requirements of a heritage property.
His experience at the hotel also included balancing commercial performance with guest service and the development of teams responsible for day-to-day operations.
Experience Across The LaLiT and IHG
Raza’s career includes senior leadership and operational roles with The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group and IHG Hotels & Resorts.
His previous positions include Director of Rooms at Crowne Plaza Greater Noida, along with front office leadership roles at The LaLiT New Delhi and Crowne Plaza properties in India and overseas.
This progression has given Raza experience across rooms operations, front office management, hotel leadership and development, building a career that combines operational understanding with broader business responsibilities.
Connecting Development and People Strategy
Raza’s expanded role brings hotel development and Human Resources together under one corporate mandate.
As the Group develops its hotel portfolio, his responsibilities will include strengthening talent pipelines, leadership capabilities and organisational processes required to support growth. Learning and development, employee engagement and performance management will form part of the people strategy alongside recruitment and workforce planning.
The combined mandate also places emphasis on ensuring that the organisation’s people capabilities develop in step with its hotel development pipeline.
Vivek Shukla on Kamal Raza’s Expanded Role
Commenting on Kamal’s expanded corporate responsibility, Vivek Shukla, CEO, The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group, said,
“Kamal has been an integral part of The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group for many years, and his journey with the Group reflects a strong understanding of our business, our culture and our people. Over the years, he has taken on diverse leadership responsibilities across hotel operations, general management and development, consistently bringing a strong business acumen and a deep understanding of the hospitality industry.
His move into this expanded role is a natural progression of that journey and reflects the trust we place in his leadership. With Hotel Development and Human Resources coming together under his mandate, Kamal will play an important role in strengthening both our growth pipeline and the people capabilities that will enable us to deliver on our future ambitions.”
Kamal Raza on the New Role
Speaking about his new role, Kamal Raza said,
“Hotel development and human development are closely connected. As we build and grow our hotel portfolio, it is equally important to build the people, leadership capabilities and organisational culture that will support that growth.
In my expanded role, I will continue to focus on hotel development while working closely with our teams to strengthen our talent, leadership and organisational capabilities. Our objective is to create an organisation that is future-ready, performance-driven and deeply committed to delivering exceptional experiences to our guests.”
Supporting Future Growth Through People and Development
Raza’s appointment expands his contribution to The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group beyond hotel development to include the organisation’s wider people strategy.
His experience across hotel operations, general management, rooms, development and project execution provides a foundation for the combined mandate. As he continues to lead development initiatives while overseeing Human Resources, his role will focus on supporting the Group’s growth pipeline alongside the talent and organisational capabilities required to operate and expand its portfolio.
