Projjwal Ghosh Named Area Champion at IHG and Sales and Marketing Director at InterContinental Chennai

Projjwal Ghosh has been named Area Champion for Sales and Marketing, Southwest Asia, at IHG Hotels & Resorts, while also taking charge as Director of Sales and Marketing at InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort.

The appointment gives IHG an experienced commercial leader with more than 16 years across luxury, upscale and mainstream hospitality. Ghosh will oversee the Sales and Marketing agenda at the Chennai resort while supporting commercial performance across five IHG properties. His brief covers revenue growth, market positioning, key accounts, MICE, weddings, corporate business and leisure demand. The appointment also comes as InterContinental Chennai continues strengthening its renewed luxury positioning and market identity.

A dual leadership appointment

InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort has appointed Projjwal Ghosh as Area Champion – Sales & Marketing, Southwest Asia, for IHG Hotels & Resorts, alongside his role as Director of Sales & Marketing at the Chennai property.

The appointment places Ghosh in a dual commercial leadership position covering both the individual resort and a wider portfolio of IHG hotels. His responsibilities will include driving sales performance, strengthening market positioning, developing strategic accounts and identifying new revenue opportunities across multiple customer segments.

For InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort, the appointment comes at a time when the property is seeking to reinforce its identity as a distinctive luxury destination on the Tamil Nadu coast.

What will Ghosh oversee?

Ghosh will lead the resort’s sales and marketing strategy while supporting its repositioning and brand communications. His mandate includes strengthening relationships with business partners and stakeholders, expanding market opportunities and developing commercial initiatives designed to support sustainable revenue growth.

At area level, his responsibilities extend to five IHG properties: InterContinental Jaipur Tonk Road, Crowne Plaza Ahmedabad City Centre, Holiday Inn Chennai OMR IT Expressway, Holiday Inn Bengaluru Racecourse and the upcoming Holiday Inn Resort Kufri.

The role therefore combines property-level leadership with a broader portfolio responsibility, requiring coordination between individual hotel strategies and wider market opportunities.

How will the wider IHG portfolio benefit?

Ghosh is expected to focus on revenue generation, commercial strategy, market development and performance across the five-property portfolio. Particular attention will be given to MICE, corporate, social, wedding and leisure segments, alongside opportunities for cross-property business.

He will also provide strategic direction to the respective Directors of Sales & Marketing and work closely with General Managers to identify commercial opportunities.

This approach is particularly relevant to a hospitality portfolio operating across established and emerging Indian destinations, where demand patterns, corporate travel, meetings and events, weddings and leisure markets can differ significantly.

What experience does Projjwal Ghosh bring?

Ghosh brings more than 16 years of hospitality experience covering sales, marketing, revenue, events and commercial operations. His career began with Starwood Hotels before he moved to Hilton Hotels & Resorts, where he spent seven years in sales and marketing positions across major Indian cities.

He later joined Accor as Pre-Opening & Opening Director of Sales & Marketing (Complex) for Jaipur Exhibition Convention Centre – Managed by Accor and Novotel Jaipur Convention Centre.

That experience provided exposure to pre-opening and opening strategies, MICE, weddings, marketing communications and commercial development. Ghosh joined IHG Hotels & Resorts in 2018, further expanding his experience in sales leadership and commercial strategy.

Why is his MICE experience significant?

Ghosh has represented major hospitality brands at international industry platforms, including ICCA, ITB Asia, EMF Abu Dhabi, IBTM Barcelona, IMEX Frankfurt and UFI Germany.

This international exposure has given him experience in understanding global business opportunities and connecting Indian hospitality destinations with the international MICE ecosystem.

His background across corporate, leisure, weddings and MICE segments also aligns with the diversified demand base targeted by hotels across India’s major commercial and tourism markets.

What recognition has he received?

Ghosh was recognised as Director of Sales & Marketing of the Year 2025 at the Accor South Asia Hotel Awards. He also received the Sales Special Achievement Award – APAC 2015 during his tenure with Hilton.

His academic qualifications include a degree in Hospitality Management, an Executive MBA in Marketing & E-Commerce, an Executive Programme in Strategic Management from IIM Kashipur and a Certificate in Digital Marketing from NIDM, Bangalore.

What does the appointment mean for InterContinental Chennai?

The appointment strengthens the resort’s commercial leadership while giving Ghosh responsibility for a broader IHG sales and marketing agenda. His combined remit brings together property positioning, portfolio coordination, revenue generation and market development.

Anand Nair, General Manager, InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort, said Ghosh’s sales and marketing experience and understanding of hospitality would support the resort’s commercial efforts and relationships with partners and stakeholders.

The appointment reflects the growing importance of integrated commercial leadership across hospitality portfolios. Ghosh’s 16 years of experience provide expertise across sales, marketing, revenue, MICE, weddings, corporate travel and leisure. His previous pre-opening, opening and repositioning assignments are particularly relevant to hotels seeking stronger market penetration and revenue performance.

At InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort, he will focus on sales, marketing, positioning and brand communication. Across Southwest Asia, he will coordinate commercial strategies across five IHG properties. The answer is therefore a broader leadership mandate combining property-level responsibilities with portfolio-wide business development. The reason is to strengthen market relationships, identify opportunities and support measurable commercial growth.