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Monday, 3 June 2019 00:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Visionary hotelier and hospitality sector veteran Rohan Karr assumed duties as Managing Director of the Hayleys Leisure sector effective 1 June.
With over three decades of unmatched experience under his belt, both in the local and international hospitality industry, Karr has been a driving force behind the success of several major hospitality franchises. Backed by the fullest support of the Hayleys Group, Rohan will revitalise strategy for the sector supporting increased synergies across the Group’s entire leisure portfolio.
“It is with great excitement that I step into my new role at Hayleys and I look forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead. I believe that putting passion into your work is what breeds success. But more than this, it is attention to detail, and execution that leads to real performance. In that regard, I look forward to working with my new team in order to innovate a new approach to hospitality that will take all of our brands to the pinnacle of this industry in the months and years ahead,” Karr stated.
Karr holds a Masters in Hospitality and Business Studies from the UK, and is a seasoned veteran in the hospitality industry. Having worked at every level of the industry, Karr’s unwavering worth ethic helped him to quickly rise through the ranks to become the General Manager at the Marriott Marble Arch, London. Following his return to Sri Lanka, Karr was instrumental in revitalising standards for the entire domestic hospitality sector through his ground-breaking work as CEO of the Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts chain.
Commenting on the appointment, Chairman and Chief Executive of Hayleys Mohan Pandithage said: “The Sri Lankan hospitality sector is changing at a rapid pace and in order to build on our success, it is vital that we too adapt to new market dynamics. That is why we are extremely pleased to have an industry veteran of Rohan’s outstanding calibre on board with us, and we look forward to extending the total support of the Hayleys Group behind his ambitious vision for our leisure arm.”
Over 140 years, the Hayleys Group has grown with a global presence of manufacturing and marketing offices across five regions with business interests spanning a total of 16 sectors. Today, it stands out as one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent success stories, becoming the first listed Sri Lankan corporate to surpass $ 1 billion in revenue catering to over 7.6 million customers world-wide, providing direct employment to 32,000 Sri Lankans, in addition to providing indirect employment to over 20,000 people and accounting for 3.3% of Sri Lanka’s total export earnings.
