GOKUL KUMAR – Chairman
Our guiding spirit is Mr. Gokul Kumar, a doyen of real estate development and hospitality. He is known for completing quality projects in time without cost overruns and to his credit, the foremost 106-room Whispering Palm Beach Resort at Candolim Goa, Hard Rock Hotel, Mussoorie, Haveli on Karnal Road. Also spearheading the first Mall of Punjab in Jalandhar, Arni University in Himachal, and many more.
A philanthropist at heart, he is known for his association with his employees, partners, and anyone who has ever associated with him for a long-term gain, business ethics with values and principles.
SHIKHAR KUMAR - MD/CEO
Young, enthusiastic, and energetic, Shikhar had nursed his dream of becoming a hotelier from a very early age. He worked towards it with tenacity by first studying at the Welcome group Graduate School of Hotel Management at Manipal. This was followed by a master's degree from Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, Switzerland.
He was only 21 years of age when equipped with all the learning he set about making his dream come true. His first project was a Beach Club "Antares" followed by several restaurants, Hotels and Resorts in the state, of Goa and Karnataka. He currently manages an ever-expanding chain of Resorts under the brand name "Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts." There are nine Resorts in this portfolio with another two coming up and five planned.
He was only 21 years of age when equipped with all the learning he set about making his dream come true. His first project was a Beach Club "Antares" followed by several restaurants, Hotels and Resorts in the state, of Goa and Karnataka. He currently manages an ever-expanding chain of Resorts under the brand name "Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts." There are nine Resorts in this portfolio with another two coming up and five planned.
SAJID MAHMOOD - Senior Advisor
With over four decades of experience in the hotel industry, hoteliering runs in his bloodstream. He has extensive experience in hotel operations, sales & marketing, and development having worked with brands like ITC Hotels, Club Mahindra, Park Hotels, Carlson Hotels & Sarovar Hotels in senior positions. He has also worked across the length and breadth of the country, hardly leaving any state out, which gives him a good insight into various markets. Sajid is involved in guiding the Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts team in total hotel management including sales & marketing.
RHEA KUMAR - Brand Architect & Designer
Rhea is our in-house architect and designer responsible for designing our new resorts and oversees the detailing of any renovation of gradation. This helps us undertake projects and complete them in a timely manner. She is a qualified architect with master's from Domus Academy, Milano, Italy. Through her exposure to international standards, she has created an identity reflected in her design.
KEITH JUDE PINTO - Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing
Keith's job is to weave revenue management, field selling, and digital marketing into a strong sales & marketing mechanism. He has over 25 years of experience in this field to help him do that. He is a Post Graduate Diploma holder in Marketing and CRM. He has a key role to play in our success of running our Resorts profitably.
SANTOSH KUMAR YADAV - Associate Director – Sales
Santosh has been in the business of selling hotels for over a decade. He understands the Goa market like few does. As his span of control covers cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Ahmedabad he is also well versed with the source markets, giving him the ability to promote hotels or Resorts in any part of the country. He heads our sales teams in Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai and is in constant, touch with our franchise offices in Bangalore and Ahmedabad. Santosh represents us in Travel & Tourism Trade Fairs that are held in various parts of the country.
KAMAL SEWALIA - Associate Director – Revenue
Few understand Revenue Management as Kamal does. Constantly, tracking the curves of occupancies and rates as they go up and down, he ensures that we get the best deal in the market. Before switching to the side of the hotel world he worked for Online Travel Agencies like Yatra, Cleartrip, and Naaptol. This helps him deal with them better. Kamal has been with Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts for over four years so understands the product well. He supervises yield management processes, across all our Resorts.
MANJIT PARSEKAR - Digital Marketing Manager
Manjit expertly manoeuvres us through the digital world that confuses many. He specializes in Digital Marketing using his master's degree in Marketing from the University of Goa, He has over a decade of experience in marketing having worked with brands like Wockhardt, Novotel and Mercure. His digital marketing experience has mainly been with the hotel industry.
ANSHU VERMA – Resort Manager
A patient but firm team leader Anshu manages three of our resorts. He has over 14 years of experience in hotel operations, having worked with Crowne Plaza and Godwin Resorts before joining Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts. He is a hotel management graduate from the Hotel Management Institute of Goa.
ROHAN RODRIGUES - General Manager
Rohan is another highly experienced General Manager working with us. A team motivator, his core competence covers multiple areas like Operations Management, Sales & Marketing, and Public Relations. He has experience of having opened several hotels and resorts. He has done his Masters of Business Administration with a specialization in Tourism and Hospitality Management.
MARK FERNANDEZ - Resort Manager
Mark did his grounding in hotels with the Taj Group of Hotels, where he worked across the length and breadth of the country; crossing the shores, he worked with the Imperial in Singapore and Novotel in Melbourne. In the area of Food & Beverage experience cuts across discotheques, fast food chains as well as specialty restaurants.
AMIT NANDI - Resort Manager
Specializing in running hotels and resorts in off-beat locations, Amit has worked with organizations like ITC Hotels, Orchid, Group, Daspalla Group, Nature Trails, and Sterling Holidays. He has a good pre-opening experience, especially in remote locations. Amit is a nature and adventure enthusiast with over 20 years of experience in the hotel industry.
SANAT KUMAR - Resort Manager
Sanat is responsible for managing one of our Resort in Morjim – Stone Wood Village Resort. A degree holder in hotel management, he has worked for brands like Cidade-de-Goa, Park Hyatt Goa (now an ITC hotel), Climax Hotels, Landmark Group, and Bloom hotels. He has been involved in the pre-opening of several hotels. His 15-year career covers hotels in India and the UAE.
UDAY MANDREKAR - Manager Finance
Uday is responsible for guiding and monitoring the finance executives at our various resorts. All Profit & Loss statements are vetted by him to ensure flawless accounting. He has over a decade of experience of working in the finance department of hotels like Paradise Village Beach Resort, La gulls Court and Nagoa Grande in Goa
SUDHIR BAVKAR – Corporate Training Manager
Recognized in the hospitality industry as one of the finest service trainers, Sudhir covers the entire spectrum from skill training to behavioral training to personality development. Besides having a Degree in Hotel Management, he is a post-graduate In Business Management and a trainer certified by the Indian Society of Training in Development with nearly 20 years of experience in the industry; he has worked with leading brands like Marriott, Fairmont & Burj Al Arab.
AKSHAI KURHEKAR - Corporate Engineer
In a world that is becoming more and more conscious of preserving the environment, Akshai has been working towards sustainable, environmentally friendly operations at hotels. He has over 14 years of experience, having worked with brands like Marriott and Carlson (Radisson, Country Inn, Park Plaza & Park inn). Akshay assists our resorts in making their equipment run smoothly to provide an excellent guest experience in a safe environment.
PAMELA LOBO - Corporate Manager Human Resources
A hotel or resort is judged by the service it provides. Services are provided by people. Pamela carries the burden of recruiting, developing, and retaining these people. A postgraduate in Human Resources & Psychology, she has over 10 years of experience in the service industry. She monitors statutory compliances, payroll, recruitments, departures, and employee engagement activities across our resorts. She has an enthusiastic approach to working with a positive mindset.
AJAY KUMAR SINHA Corporate Housekeeper
Carrying a 32-year experience behind him, hardly anything misses his eyes as he walks through our Resorts. A graduate in hotel management and in business administration, Ajay has worked across brands like Le Meridian, Intercontinental, Best Western, and Club Mahindra. At Stone Wood Hotels & Resorts, he is responsible for the maintenance of standards and constant improvement in guest experience at all our resorts.
SURESH ARYA - Corporate Chef
It is believed in the hotel industry that while managers are easier to train, it takes a minimum of ten years to produce a good Chef. In the kitchen knowledge is not enough, extensive practice is required. Suresh has been through the grill for over two decades. He has worked in multiple restaurants and hotels in Pune, Mangalore, Goa, Fiji Islands, and Wellington, New Zealand. He oversees the kitchen operation of all our Resorts.