Written by Keenan McKenzie has been appointed by ITC Hotels as the General Manager for its upcoming luxury property, ITC Narmada in Ahmedabad. Bringing along an extensive 18-year experience in the hospitality and services sectors, Keenan is all set to lead the team at ITC Narmada and script its growth story by strengthening its brand position in the value-driven market of Ahmedabad.
Keenan Began his career two decades ago as a management trainee at the ITC Hotel Management Institute (formerly known as the Welcome Group Management Institute) in the year 2000. He has pursued his degree in Tourism Studies from IGNOU. He took a leap into the hospitality sector in 2004 when he joined ITC Kakatiya in Hyderabad and later moved on to Welcome Hotel Grand Bay at Visakhapatnam. This was followed by his stints at ITC Rajputana in Jaipur and ITC Sonar in Kolkata.
Having worked in different roles across the ITC brand of hotels including the ITC Maratha, Keenan brings along a multi-faceted experience in the hospitality sector with an extensive experience in ITC’s bouquet of luxury hotels in India. By building, positioning and strengthening ITC’s Luxury hotel brands in different markets, Keenan has carved a niche in attaining operational excellence from process to execution to delivery level.
In fact, Keenan’s astute leadership as the hotel manager of ITC Maratha not just steered the property’s revenue growth across different channels but also drove its journey to become the market leader in overall guest experience.
Sharing his views about his upcoming journey with ITC Narmada in Ahmedabad, Keenan said, “Ahmedabad is a unique and promising market. In fact, it is an eclectic blend of centuries-old heritage, culture and traditions and modernity. Ahmedabad draws beautiful contrasts by being the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage City and a gateway to the modern world being a thriving global business hub located in close proximity with India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at GIFT City in Gandhinagar. Adding one more start to my journey with ITC Hotels, I look forward to the opportunity of launching one of the most prestigious properties of ITC Hotels and strengthening the position of this hotel in the value-driven market of Ahmedabad amidst the city’s growing hospitality sector.”
“Through ITC’s promise of hospitality, we will put our best foot forward to continue offering specially curated experiences to our guests,” he further went on to say.
A firm believer in collaborative approach to achieve operational efficiency, Keenan is known for his well-thought out business strategies and keeping his team dynamic and motivated. A voracious reader and a well-travelled individual, he prefers spending quality time with his family.