The LaLiT Suri Hospitality School has appointed Rocky Kalra as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who has served the Lalit Suri Hospitality Group and the Vice President. With more than three decades of experience across some of India’s leading hospitality brands, Kalra brings to the role a distinctive combination of hospitality leadership, people development, psychology, counselling and wellness expertise.
Commenting on the appointment, Dr Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson and Managing Director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, said, “Rocky Kalra’s appointment is an important step in strengthening the vision of The LaLiT Suri Hospitality School. His experience in hospitality leadership, along with his understanding of psychology, wellness and people development, brings a well-rounded perspective to hospitality education. We are confident that under his leadership, the School will nurture skilled, empathetic and future-ready hospitality professionals.”
“I am honoured to take on the responsibility of leading The LaLiT Suri Hospitality School at a time when the hospitality industry is evolving rapidly. I believe education must go beyond imparting technical knowledge—it must nurture empathy, emotional intelligence, resilience and a genuine understanding of people. My endeavour will be to create an environment where aspiring hospitality professionals are empowered to grow not only as skilled professionals, but as confident, compassionate and future-ready leaders,” said Rocky Kalra, CEO, The LaLiT Suri Hospitality School.
In his new role, Kalra will spearhead the strategic direction of The LaLiT Suri Hospitality School, with a focus on strengthening its academic programmes, building meaningful industry partnerships and preparing the next generation of hospitality professionals for a rapidly evolving global industry. His vision extends beyond technical competence, with equal emphasis on empathy, emotional intelligence, resilience and human connection.
Kalra’s professional journey spans senior leadership roles with renowned organisations including Bharat Hotels (The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group), ITC Hotels, Costa Coffee and The Park. During his tenure in senior operations leadership at The LaLiT, he worked across a diverse portfolio of hotels and multicultural teams, driving operational consistency, service excellence, strategic growth, team building and guest experience.
What distinguishes Kalra’s leadership approach is his deep engagement with the human dimension of professional life. Alongside his hospitality career, he has spent more than two decades working in counselling and personal development, helping individuals navigate personal and interpersonal challenges and develop a deeper understanding of their thoughts, emotions, behaviours and relationships.
A trained psychologist and certified Yoga teacher, Kalra incorporates principles of positive psychology, mindfulness, meditation, deep listening, empathy and compassionate communication into his work. His philosophy is rooted in the belief that healthier individuals and stronger teams are integral to creating meaningful professional lives.
This philosophy now informs his vision for The LaLiT Suri Hospitality School. Kalra believes that the hospitality leaders of tomorrow must possess empathy alongside efficiency, emotional intelligence alongside business acumen, and inner balance alongside professional ambition. His approach seeks to develop not just accomplished hospitality professionals, but grounded, aware and compassionate human beings.
Academically, Kalra holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Delhi, a qualification in Business Administration and Management from Cornell University, and a Doctorate in Philosophy from École Supérieure Robert de Sorbon.
With his multidimensional experience spanning hospitality operations, leadership, psychology, counselling and wellness, Kalra’s appointment is expected to further strengthen The LaLiT Suri Hospitality School’s commitment to developing future-ready hospitality professionals equipped with industry expertise, emotional intelligence and a deeper understanding of the human dimension of leadership.
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