Originally from Jammu and Kashmir, known the world over as ‘heaven on earth’, Mr. Bakshi moved to Macao most recently from Bangalore to take on the mammoth task of overseeing the operations of the world’s largest Sheraton.
MACAO – Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central and The St. Regis Macao, Cotai Central announced the appointment of Mr. Saurabh Bakshi as General Manager of Operations. Mr. Bakshi reports directly to Ms. Janet McNab, Managing Director of Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel and The St. Regis Macao.
Originally from Jammu and Kashmir, known the world over as ‘heaven on earth’, Mr. Bakshi moved to Macao most recently from Bangalore to take on the mammoth task of overseeing the operations of the world’s largest Sheraton with 4,001 rooms and the 400-room St. Regis Macao. Most recently, he served as General Manager for Sheraton Grand Bangalore at Brigade Gateway, which received a number of prestigious accolades and was touted as one of the best hotels in the city.
“Saurabh is an award-winning hotelier who is passionate about driving results, whilst also delivering the highest levels of service,” said Janet McNab. “Throughout his career in hospitality, he has proven to be a very effective leader and was recently awarded “Outstanding Talent Developer of the Year”, not once, but twice, for the dedication he has given to his associates. Saurabh has a balanced approach between looking after his team and looking after his guests whilst always keeping his eye on the commercial reality of the business he controls. He also garnered a number of awards for each of the hotels he has worked for, and together with our teams at Sheraton Grand Macao and The St. Regis Macao, I am sure he will be able to sprinkle some of his magic throughout our organization.”
Mr. Bakshi believes that work done well leads to new opportunities, and that is what led him to his first foray overseas to work in Macao. “It is only when you achieve results and prove your worth that people entrust you with more opportunities and growth,” Mr. Bakshi said. “With this new opportunity to spearhead the operations at Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel and The St. Regis Macao, my goal is to ensure both hotels run efficiently and deliver strong business results while offering the highest standards of service for each and every one of our guests.”
Mr. Bakshi has extensive experience in the hospitality industry, having worked with Grand Hyatt, Leela Kempinski and Sheraton in India. He began his career at the 390-room Grand Hyatt, New Delhi where he joined as Operational Trainee in 2001 and worked his way up to become Assistant Front Office Manager by 2004. The following year, he joined the 396-room Hotel Leela Kempinski Mumbai as Front Office Manager, and within just five years, he climbed the ranks to become Executive Assistant Manager – Rooms.
In 2010, he joined the pre-opening team at Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway as Executive Assistant Manager – Hotel, where he successfully opened the first newly built and managed Sheraton hotel in India. Throughout his time at Sheraton Grand Bangalore, which was among the first to be crowned as a “Sheraton Grand” in 2015, Mr. Bakshi ensured the hotel consistently achieved high guest satisfaction scores and the property received a number of notable accolades.
Mr. Bakshi has penned numerous articles about leadership and successfully mentored many associates throughout his career. He believes an effective leader must lead from behind, giving associates the opportunity to move forward. “When leaders move out of the way and let their team take over, real growth happens,” he said. “It is my strong belief that for now and into the next decade or so, the most effective leaders will lead from behind and not from the front. In my role here in Macao, I intend to empower our associates so that they will be able to contribute to something larger than themselves – something that we all value in our work lives. A shared purpose brings us all together.”
A continued thirst for knowledge is also important to Mr. Bakshi. He has carried on studying since first graduating from the Institute of Hotel Management in New Delhi in 2000. In 2006, while he was with Leela Kempinski, he took a Management Development Program on Revenue Management and Dynamic Pricing at the Indian Institute of Management. Then the following year, he took the General Managers Program at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. That same year, he also took the Fundamentals of Finance from Dun & Bradstreet Information Ltd. Most recently, in 2016, he enrolled himself in a Digital Marketing for CMOs course at the Indian Institute Management.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
