Faculty & Research
Raymond N. Bickson
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer
Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces
A division of The Indian Hotels Company Ltd
Raymond Bickson, whose hospitality career spans more than 30 years and four continents, joined Taj Hotels in January 2003 to oversee all luxury property operations. In July 2003, he was named managing director and chief executive officer of The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), a division of India’s Tata Group, with responsibility for all Taj Hotels operations and management, hospitality & travel subsidiary companies.
Under his leadership, the Taj Group has seen rapid global expansion, with new developments and acquisitions in key world markets, including Africa, Australia, Bhutan, Dubai, India, Maldives, Malaysia and the U.S. The Taj Group has formed strategic partnerships with other luxury hotel chains and cruise lines; developed innovative new products, including India’s first luxury safari lodges and tours, and steadily increased revenues, with FY2006 profits estimated at 40% more than 2005.
Previously, Bickson served as vice president and general manager of The Mark in New York for The Rafael Group Hoteliers Monaco and with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group for 15 years. His prior experience includes management positions with Regent International Hotels in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Puerto Rico, Melbourne and Shanghai, and training positions with Hotel Plaza Athenee Paris, Le Montreux Palace Switzerland and the Kahala Hilton Hawaii.
An American national, Bickson attended The École Hôtelière Lausanne – Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in hospitality management by Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island.
Acclaimed as one of the “Top 10 Best Hotel Managers” by Leaders magazine, Bickson is a member of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC); the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF); and the advisory boards of The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Cornell Hotel School Center for Hospitality Research and École Hôtelière Lausanne. Recipient of the Corporate Hotelier of the World Award 2007, by HOTELS Magazine.