Across marketing, commercial strategy, finance, legal, people and culture, and design, women leaders at Radisson Hotel Group are contributing to business growth while redefining leadership through collaboration and innovation
BY SHUJATH ALI
Hospitality has always been an industry built around people, but more importantly, around how people make others feel. In that sense, women have long been central to its foundation. The ability to lead with empathy, anticipate needs, communicate with care, and bring emotional intelligence into everyday interactions has defined success across hospitality roles for decades, even before it was formally recognised as a leadership strength.
As India’s hospitality sector expands rapidly, driven by rising domestic travel, infrastructure development, and the continued rise of branded hotel experiences, it is also becoming one of the most accessible and meaningful entry points for women into the formal workforce. What makes this moment significant is not just participation, but the expanding possibility of long-term careers and leadership opportunities. Today, more women are entering education and employment pathways with stronger aspirations, greater access, and increasing confidence in shaping their professional journeys. Across hospitality, women are no longer just participating in the industry’s growth story – they are helping define it. Their journeys reflect resilience, ambition, continuous learning, and the ability to lead with both purpose and impact.
As India’s hospitality sector continues to grow, its future will increasingly be shaped by women who are leading teams, driving business performance, creating opportunities for others, and redefining what leadership looks like. These journeys demonstrate that leadership in hospitality today extends far beyond traditional boundaries – spanning marketing, commercial strategy, finance, people and culture, legal, and design.
Together, they represent a generation of women who are not only participating in hospitality’s growth story but actively shaping its future. Their experiences reflect the progress the industry has made, while also highlighting the immense potential that lies ahead as more women continue to lead, innovate, and transform the sector from within.
In the following pages, we profile women leaders at RHG who are spearheading change – and showing the way in their own inimitable way.
Sakshi Dogra
Director, Marketing & Communications, South Asia
For Sakshi Dogra, hospitality has always been about people and the ability to create meaningful experiences that leave a lasting impact. Having begun her journey in hospitality in 2002 after completing her Hotel Management studies, she has spent more than two decades building a career rooted in relationships, empathy, and communication – qualities she believes sit at the heart of the industry.
Throughout her professional journey, Sakshi has benefited from the guidance of inspiring leaders and mentors who encouraged her to think differently, challenge herself, and continue evolving. Their influence helped shape her leadership philosophy, teaching her the value of resilience, continuous learning, and staying authentic.
Her journey with RHG has been particularly rewarding. What stands out most to her is the organisation’s strong people-first culture, commitment to innovation, and focus on empowering individuals to realise their full potential. She sees a leadership team that balances a clear vision for the future with a commitment to delivering value for guests, owners, and employees alike.
Having witnessed the hospitality industry evolve significantly over the years, Sakshi believes there are now greater opportunities than ever before for women to lead, influence, and drive meaningful change. She views diversity, inclusion, and collaboration as deeply embedded within RHG’s culture, creating an environment where different perspectives are welcomed and talent is encouraged to flourish.
Reflecting on her journey, she remains grateful for the experiences, mentors, and teams that have shaped both her career and personal growth. As the industry continues to evolve, she remains passionate about learning, contributing, and inspiring the next generation of hospitality professionals.
Deepika Udyan
Director, Revenue Optimisation, South Asia
Deepika Udyan’s career reflects the growing influence of women in the commercial and strategic side of hospitality. With more than two decades of experience in the industry and over 15 years specialising in commercial strategy and revenue optimisation, she has built a professional journey defined by growth, transformation, and market leadership.
Since joining RHG in January 2024, she has taken on responsibility for leading revenue performance across South Asia, overseeing a portfolio of more than 150 hotels. Her expertise in data-driven decision-making, stakeholder engagement, and talent development has contributed to market share growth and commercial excellence across the region.
What distinguishes Deepika’s journey is her ability to combine analytical thinking with people-centric leadership. Her career reflects a commitment to innovation, nurturing talent, and delivering sustainable business results in an increasingly dynamic hospitality landscape. As hospitality continues to become more data-driven and commercially sophisticated, her journey highlights the expanding opportunities for women to lead in functions that directly shape business performance and growth.
Mehr Sanduja
Director, People & Culture, South Asia
For Mehr Sanduja, growth is deeply connected to trust, empowerment, flexibility, and a strong sense of belonging. During her first year with Radisson Hotels, she experienced many of the factors that women leaders often describe as pivotal to their professional development.
What stood out most to her was the warmth of the culture and the confidence people placed in her to make decisions, create impact, and contribute meaningfully. She found an organisation that provided space for continuous learning while encouraging individuals to evolve and take ownership of their work.
As a woman leader, Mehr views this environment as particularly enabling, not only for professional success but also for personal growth. She believes the culture encourages individuals to bring their authentic selves to work, embrace new challenges, and thrive every day.
Her experience reflects a broader shift taking place across the industry, where workplace culture is increasingly recognised as a critical factor in attracting, retaining, and developing women leaders.
Vaishali Garg
Senior Director, Finance, South Asia
Few stories capture the power of long-term growth and internal progression quite like Vaishali Garg’s journey. Over the last 20 years, she has witnessed and contributed to RHG’s remarkable evolution – from a portfolio of just five hotels to more than 200 hotels across the region.
Beginning her journey as a Coordinator and rising to become Senior Director Finance, South Asia, Vaishali’s career reflects the possibilities that emerge when talent is recognised, nurtured, and given opportunities to grow. She describes her experience as both professionally rewarding and personally enriching, shaped by an inclusive culture that created a safe and supportive environment for individuals to succeed.
She attributes much of her success to the unwavering support of her family and spouse, as well as mentors and colleagues who believed in merit and encouraged growth. A particularly significant influence in her journey has been KB Kachru, Chairman, South Asia at RHG, whose guidance, encouragement, and commitment to nurturing internal talent helped shape her career trajectory.
Looking back, Vaishali sees her journey as a reflection of the people, experiences, and opportunities that have made her growth possible. Her story serves as a reminder that leadership is often built over time through perseverance, support, and a willingness to embrace every opportunity to learn.
Kriti Shukla
Director, Legal, South Asia
Kriti Shukla’s journey into hospitality leadership began far from hotel operations. Growing up in Lucknow within a large joint family, she developed a strong sense of grounding, warmth, and ambition. The experience of being surrounded by diverse personalities and perspectives helped her become more people-oriented, a quality that continues to shape her professional approach today.
After studying law at Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, and pursuing corporate law studies at the Indian Law Institute, Delhi, Kriti began her professional journey in project finance and infrastructure. Her experience with organisations such as L&T Infrastructure Finance in Mumbai and Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. in Delhi helped build a strong foundation in legal and commercial thinking.
Over time, her career moved closer to the hospitality sector, allowing her to combine legal expertise with business strategy. Through this transition, she developed the belief that legal professionals must go beyond traditional advisory roles and become active partners in enabling growth and supporting commercial decisions.
As Director, Legal, South Asia, she works closely with senior stakeholders on strategic priorities, new opportunities, and key legal matters that support the organisation’s growth across the region. She views legal not merely as a compliance checkpoint, but as a strategic enabler that helps shape business outcomes and support responsible expansion.
For Kriti, leadership is built on ownership, trust, and open communication. She takes pride in contributing to RHG’s growth journey while being part of an environment where collaboration, diverse perspectives, and purposeful leadership are valued.
Rashna Kapadi
Director, Design & Technical, South Asia
For Arch. Rashna Kapadi, hospitality is about much more than designing buildings. It is about creating meaningful experiences, empowering people, and forging lasting connections between guests and destinations.
With more than 26 years of experience across luxury and budget hospitality, mixed-use developments, corporate architecture and interiors, resorts, and urban planning, Rashna operates at the intersection of design, business strategy, and hospitality growth. Today, she leads Design & Technical Services for South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group, overseeing design governance, brand stewardship, feasibility, business development support, and project execution across a portfolio of more than 140 operating hotels and over 80 pipeline hotels.
Her journey reflects a steady progression from hands-on architectural practice to regional leadership in hospitality design and strategy. Guided by a philosophy of “design with purpose,” she focuses on creating future-ready hospitality assets that balance guest experience, operational efficiency, commercial viability, and long-term value creation.
Rashna’s contributions have earned significant recognition, including the Gold Medal – UDRI Charles Correa Award for Architectural Excellence and the Mahindra Group Design Thinking Award presented in Milan. Beyond her professional achievements, she remains deeply committed to mentoring future talent, supporting girl education initiatives, and fostering industry-academia collaboration.
Through her involvement in initiatives focused on education, empowerment, and cultural storytelling, she continues to advocate for creating meaningful opportunities for future generations. Her work also contributes to shaping culturally rooted hospitality experiences through initiatives such as Art of Weddings, Literature Escapes, Indianised F&B concepts, and retail ventures that celebrate local identity and heritage.
As Rashna aptly puts it, “Great hospitality is not just about building hotels; it is about creating meaningful experiences, empowering people, and leaving a lasting connection with the destination.”
