Apurva Pratap has been appointed as Managing Director at Vertiq Hospitality Partners
Cycas continues to strengthen its leadership and hotel management expertise, following the appointment of Apurva Pratap as the company's first Managing Director.
Apurva will join the hotel operator from 1 May, bringing nearly 25 years of hospitality and investment experience to the new role. He joins Cycas from The Student Hotel in Amsterdam where, as Chief Customer Officer, he was responsible for the portfolio's commercial performance. Under Apurva's leadership, the company augmented its sales, yield management and marketing functions, increased direct business share by 50% and boosted guest satisfaction levels across its properties.
During nine years in senior strategic and operational roles with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Apurva was instrumental in exceeding European revenue targets by $200 million while reducing commercial spend for hotels. Key to this success was his ability to drive performance improvements and engagement levels across the commercial and distribution teams.
Prior to that, Apurva led a series of travel-related projects in the US, Europe and Australia for McKinsey & Company, where he was instrumental in assisting Delta Airlines execute a turnaround strategy via a $3 billion cost-efficiency programme. He also held senior positions at Starbucks, where he grew the business by 20% in one year by transforming its multi-country tea business into the company's fastest-growing beverage line.