Rajat Gugnani
Sales & Growth Leader
Gurgaon
Summary
A resolute and committed professional with over 15 years of Sales & Marketing experience in the hospitality industry. Offering a focused approach on revenue generation and profitability, building cohesive teams, driving business strategies, and ensuring seamless execution to drive organizational growth. My expertise in execution and purpose driven sales has helped hospitality and travel organizations develop new business models across the north Indian market.
Results-driven professional specializing in program management, known for delivering successful outcomes and fostering collaborative environments. Recognized for strategic planning and problem-solving abilities, consistently meeting and exceeding goals. Relied upon to adapt to changing needs and ensure team alignment.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Program Manager
Eternal - District Dining
11.2023 - Current
- Leading 20-member sales team PAN India to create hotel dining category, drive data driven business strategies for competitive differentiation in the market, to drive growth and scale for the restaurants at hotels across the country.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with product, marketing, and operations teams to roll out impactful campaigns and features.
- Collaborate cross functionally with product, marketing, & operations teams to formulate strategies and roll out impactful campaigns.
- Monitor performance metrics and market trends to optimize pricing, promotions and merchant success.
- Build strategic partnerships with all the leading hotel companies to drive reach and create value.
- Drove annual GMV growth by 2x to 600 cr through strategic alliances with top partners such as ITC Hotels, Marriott, Oberoi Group, Hilton, Hyatt, Accor with positive contribution margin.
- Grown advertisement revenue by 3x to 10 cr annually
- Implemented marketing strategies, A/ B testing to enhance conversion rates.
Chief Growth Officer
BigWin Infotech Pvt. Ltd.
02.2023 - 08.2023
- Lead the Lender and Borrower business teams – Digital Marketing, Business Development
- Team Building.
- Responsible for scaling the business into new territories.
- Formation of the Go-to-Market Strategy
- BigWin infotech was a P2P lending platform for investors looking for structured investments and creditworthy borrowers looking to fulfill their monetary needs.
Senior Manager – Enterprise Sales
JTB India Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon, Haryana
01.2020 - 02.2022
- Identifying business opportunities by qualifying prospects to acquire and manage both MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) and SMM (Strategic Meetings Management) customers from large corporate clients across north India.
- Pipeline development through a combination of cold calling, email campaigns and market sector knowledge/ intelligence.
- Formulating and implementing sales strategies to drive revenue and profitability thereby establishing JTB India within the top 5 players in north India in the M & E industry by market share.
- Helping the company achieve the revenue budgets of MICE & SMM business by increasing the customer base. Managing the customer portfolio of 100 corporate clients with over $10M in meeting and events spend.
- Steered the team to take up alternate revenue projects, which helped our clients & local communities during the pandemic such as health & safety product sales, office sanitization services, vaccination support, & covid care services, corporate gifting, virtual events, health & wellness app and many more.
- SaaS Experience – Promoting JTB connect as a unique platform in the market to automate end to end M & E management, from request creation to venue discovery, RFP, invoicing support & real time date & analytics. The tool also offers document reader, ERP integration & customized reports & dashboards.
Senior Manager - Sales
Hyatt Place Gurgaon
07.2017 - 01.2020
- Proactively worked towards sales and revenue generation for the hotel with focus on group and event sales.
- Assisted the event sales team as needed with new business development and client relationships.
- Supported daily business review and weekly tentative review process. Attended weekly meetings including revenue strategy, pick up and operation.
- Aggressively pursued the appropriate mix and type of business that would best achieve the Hotel’s sales plan and direction.
- Increased market share through the implementation of sales action plan, including schedule of sales trips and GSO partnerships to drive business from key RFP accounts.
- Developed and nurtured relationships with key clients in order to maintain and grow production.
- Increase the new account portfolio by 30 new accounts which increased the total revenue by $1500000
- Mentoring sales associates, guiding them improve their sales skills.
- Effectively searching prospective clients and generating sales leads for self, team and for other Hyatt Hotels Pan India.
Co – Founder, Director, Business Head Market Operations
Bueno Foods Pvt Ltd
04.2013 - 06.2017
- Recruited, trained and oriented employees
- Directed all operational aspects including customer service, administration, and sales opportunities.
- Managed implementation of marketing tactics with the support of agencies and plans to support growth and monitored results.
- Assessed market conditions and identify current and prospective sales opportunities.
- Created annual operating and marketing plans including recommendations for products, pricing, packaging, promotions and distribution.
- Piloted the launch of the customer loyalty program and addressed customer satisfaction issues promptly
- Managed the marketing calendar.
- Identified, selected and managed vendor relations.
- Consumer initiatives and activations at a local level and drive central marketing initiatives.
- Recognized and reached out to clients for service recovery.
- Built and oversaw the marketing campaigns.
- Managed and expanded B2B sales by managing and developing key accounts. Grew B2B sales by 30% month on month and B2C sales by 50% month on month.
- Managed the entire distribution strategy.
- Conducted feasibility studies for the launch of the 8 cafes in Delhi & NCR.
DoubleTree by Hilton – Sales Manager
Hilton Worldwide Sales
10.2011 - 03.2013
- Part of the pre-opening sales team of DoubleTree by Hilton, Gurgaon and Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon.
- Managed the territorial area of Gurgaon to increase awareness amongst critical accounts for Hilton managed hotels in India.
- Created a loyalty base of 250 Accounts for Hilton Hotels to create critical mass.
- Business development, sustaining and developing corporate accounts and enhancing brand awareness.
- Highest revenue generator for the hotel in 2012 contributing more than 35% of total sales.
- Initiate and manage global FIT contracting for large corporate entities.
Sales Manager
JHM Interstate Hotels India Pvt. Ltd.
11.2010 - 10.2011
- Responsible for overall profitability and accountable for strategic maximization of revenue to achieve organizational objectives of all the company managed hotels.
- Developed new accounts and driving sales growth development activities.
- To generate the leads and close the sale for all company managed 5 hotels in Pune, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam
- Participating in various trade events to promote and boost sales for all JHM Interstate managed hotels.
- JHM Interstate Hotels India Pvt. Ltd. is a joint venture between two highly respected, international hospitality companies - Interstate Hotels & Resorts Inc. and JHM Hotels, Inc.
Assistant Sales Manager
Marriott Hotels India Pvt. Ltd.
09.2008 - 09.2010
- Part of the pre-opening team of the Courtyard Marriott Gurgaon.
- Managed new, existing and prospective customers through negotiating optimum rate for the benefit of business. Portfolios include about 100 active accounts.
- Increased the market share from my portfolio of accounts from 5 percent to 80 percent in first 10 months of my job execution.
- Sold and promoted all the 09 existed hotels across the country at various locations like Mumbai, Gurgaon, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Goa and Ahmadabad.
- To handle Relationship Management by continuously increasing and maintaining a high level of sales performance by servicing all-important accounts on a regular basis.
- Responsible for the monthly Materialization/ Productivity Reports for entire team of 12 people.
- To attend sales strategy meetings on weekly basis to enhance revenue strategies in order to maximize revenue for the hotel.
Assistant Sales Manager
The Lalit New Delhi (erstwhile Intercontinental, The Grand)
01.2008 - 08.2008
- To identify and maintain key accounts.
- Selling and promoting all the brands of the hotel across the country.
- Plan and conduct familiarization tours and site inspections for existing and prospective customers.
- Grow net revenue in the market by producing business plans to achieve revenue goals.
Assistant Manager Sales
Fortune Select Global, Gurgaon - a subsidiary of ITC Hotels India
04.2007 - 01.2008
- Servicing existing business through management of account bases.
- To develop and maintain a regular pattern of sales calls and meetings with principals of target markets.
- To grow existing business and establish and pursue leads which lead to develop business.
Reservations & Sales Office
Radisson Edwardian Hotels, London
04.2006 - 04.2007
- Worked with the Central Reservations looking after all the reservations of 12 hotels.
- Taking care of all the reservations from the travel agents.
- Handling the queries about reservation from the corporate clients.
- To Act as liaison between customer and sales representative.
- Working closely with the Revenue Manager in opening and closing the rates on the 3rd party websites and also for the travel agents.
- Established viable sales lead through proactivity.
- Effective up-selling of the suites of one of the five-star deluxe hotels (Radisson Edwardian Mayfair Hotel) of the group and also improved RevPar index by 8%.
- Managing and building relationships with key accounts.
Education
MBA, General Management Dual Degree - General Management
Olin Business School At Washington University, St Louis, MO, USA & Shailesh J Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay
St Louis, MO, USA07.2023
Post-Graduation - Hospitality Management
University of West London
Ealing, London, UK01.2007
BSc - Hotel & Restaurant Management
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford, UK01.2005
Skills
Strategic goal development
Change management
Implementation planning
Project leadership
Strong analytical skills
Strategic planning
Project coordination
Staff leadership
Client interfacing
Progress monitoring
Problem-solving skills
Business analysis
Employee motivation
ACHIEVEMENTS
Part of the pre-opening team of Hilton Garden Inn, Gurgaon (2013), Part of the pre-opening sales team of DoubleTree by Hilton, Gurgaon (2012) and also awarded employee of the month for September 2012., Part of the pre-opening sales team of Four Points by Sheraton, Pune (2011), Part of the pre-opening sales team of Four Points by Sheraton, Visakhapatnam (2010), Part of the pre-opening team of the Courtyard Marriott Gurgaon (2009), Successfully completed Internship with the Radisson White Sands Resort in Goa and was also the part of the pre-opening team., Successfully completed internship with the Radisson Hotel South & Plaza Towers, Bloomington Minneapolis, USA
Timeline
Senior Program Manager
Eternal - District Dining
11.2023 - Current
Chief Growth Officer
BigWin Infotech Pvt. Ltd.
02.2023 - 08.2023
Senior Manager – Enterprise Sales
JTB India Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon, Haryana
01.2020 - 02.2022
Senior Manager - Sales
Hyatt Place Gurgaon
07.2017 - 01.2020
Co – Founder, Director, Business Head Market Operations
Bueno Foods Pvt Ltd
04.2013 - 06.2017
DoubleTree by Hilton – Sales Manager
Hilton Worldwide Sales
10.2011 - 03.2013
Sales Manager
JHM Interstate Hotels India Pvt. Ltd.
11.2010 - 10.2011
Assistant Sales Manager
Marriott Hotels India Pvt. Ltd.
09.2008 - 09.2010
Assistant Sales Manager
The Lalit New Delhi (erstwhile Intercontinental, The Grand)
01.2008 - 08.2008
Assistant Manager Sales
Fortune Select Global, Gurgaon - a subsidiary of ITC Hotels India
04.2007 - 01.2008
Reservations & Sales Office
Radisson Edwardian Hotels, London
04.2006 - 04.2007
Post-Graduation - Hospitality Management
University of West London
BSc - Hotel & Restaurant Management
Oxford Brookes University
MBA, General Management Dual Degree - General Management
Olin Business School At Washington University, St Louis, MO, USA & Shailesh J Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay