I belong to the Pink City of Jaipur, India—a UNESCO World Heritage city whose deep-rooted history, culture, and architecture shaped my worldview from a very young age. Growing up surrounded by living heritage gave me an innate appreciation for hospitality, which eventually led me to spend nine transformative years at the legendary Rambagh Palace by IHCL, a property recognized globally as one of the world's finest palace hotels. During my time there, I also had the unique opportunity to be part of the pre-opening team for its sister concern, Sawai Man Mahal.

Working within the Sales and Marketing team at a world-class luxury property allowed me to build a highly specialized expertise in cross-market dynamics. I developed a deep understanding of both the domestic Indian market and complex international travel corridors, managing relationships with elite global travel networks such as Virtuoso and Serandipians. Strategically, my expertise lies in identifying untapped business opportunities; a key milestone in my career was pioneering and building the ultra-luxury destination wedding segment for the Palace, successfully shifting our business model from a heavy reliance on traditional inbound business to high-yield, experiential events.

Ultimately, my journey from Jaipur to Rambagh Palace, and now to ESSEC Business School, has taught me that true hospitality is built on the art of storytelling. Spending nearly a decade in a property that is essentially a living museum taught me that if you can genuinely share the story of a place, a culture, or an experience, you never have to worry about the transaction of selling. I have learned that the modern hospitality industry must remain deeply human, and I bring this blend of strategic market expertise and people-centric storytelling to my perspective as a new generation leader.

Shailendra is panel expert of the Student Voices panel.