Travel & Hospitality Lead

Job Description

Director in hospitality(hotel, resorts, F&B), travel, airports, and aviation consulting leads high-stakes strategy engagements for airlines/railways, airports, hotel global chains driving revenue growth and operational excellence. This role demands 16+ years of experience, with a focus on C-suite advisory, business development, and transformative projects in a dynamic sector.

Oversee strategic consulting for clients in aviation (airlines), airports (infrastructure, operations), and travel (hospitality, tourism). Spearhead BD to secure deals, lead cross-functional teams, and deliver innovations like sustainable aviation and digital passenger experiences globally and/or in India.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end BD: prospect Fortune 500 aviation/travel clients with initial focus on mining and then harvesting the accounts - craft winning proposals, negotiate contracts, and grow accounts
• Advise on sector strategies including fleet optimization, airport commercialization, passenger flow analytics, forecasting, route profitability, slot management, ground handling optimization, technology innovation in forecasting and planning, customer delight, loyalty programs, market entry(luxury experiential travel), etc
• Direct complex projects: airport expansions, airline alliances, sustainability (e.g. net-zero), and tech integrations (biometrics, AI forecasting), digital transformation(contactless check-in, etc)
• Build a team to support and foster thought leadership and grow accounts
• Collaborate with global teams on regulatory compliance (FAA/IATA) and market entry for emerging aviation markets
• Have an oversight on the P&L

Primary Skills

• 16+ years in aviation/travel consulting (Big 4 like McKinsey, BCG, or boutiques) with 6+ years in leadership/BD roles closing deals
• MBA or advanced degree in Aviation Management, Engineering, or Business; PMP or Six Sigma certification advantageous, Labor optimization, F&B revenue stream
• C-suite sales, Shaping RFP, team scaling, P&L management
• Engages with Internal and External stakeholders to have alignment and secure business
• Executive communication for board-level presentations, strategic visioning, and stakeholder influence in high-regulation environments