Nikhil Manchharam is a 25 year veteran of the industry, former executive in Asia Pacific for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, amongst the largest hospitality management companies prior to the integration with Marriott International in 2016. His earlier career in management consulting included strategic planning, valuation, advisory, asset management and investment initiatives. Presently Nikhil is the Managing Director for Development in Asia Pacific for Yotel, a leading affordable luxury and lifestyle hotel brand that is rapidly growing globally with its design innovation and technology. Nikhil’s unconventional approach to the traditional industry approach has enabled him to become involved with a number of start-ups in the travel industry on strategic planning and M&A. He is presently based in Singapore on these initiatives. Nikhil holds an MBA specializing in Hospitality Management from IMHI – Institut de Management Hotelier Internationale (a joint Cornell-Essec program), Paris, and a B.Sc. in English Literature and Economics with a specialization in Marketing from the University of Rochester.