The ardent hotelier

Puneet Dhawan, Senior Vice President of Operations - India & South Asia, Accor, avers that hospitality is a people's business; whether it is about guests or colleagues, making them count will be what success means

- BINDU GOPAL RAO

Puneet Dhawan, Sr. Vice President of Operations - India & South Asia, Accor, is a hotelier who believes that it is essential to stay patient and explore various aspects of running a hotel and the only limiting factor is your imagination. He hopes that people who aspire to be hoteliers never lose sight of the fact that a lot of hard work goes into making things successful in this business.

LOOKING BACK

For someone who started his hospitality career in 1994 with Mandarin Oriental after graduating from the University of Massachusetts, he joined Accor in 1998 as Director of Food and Beverage of Century Wanchai, now Novotel Century Hong Kong. Post that, he had successful stints in Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, and UAE and proverbially has not looked back and admits his thirst for new adventures continues. "I can still remember my first day at Accor. It doesn't feel like two decades ago, and when I look back, the years are filled with memories and milestones that have shaped me into the professional I am today. Twenty years in retrospect feels like a combination of opportunity and good luck, fresh starts, and reversals. My career represents years of learning, paying attention to the best in class across industries, learning from peers, and constantly remaining humble while trying to do things differently and exploring new approaches. My focus has been on recruiting the best team and ensuring that they work in a motivating environment, with guests' being paramount."

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