With close to 18 years of diverse experience, Abhinav is a seasoned marketing and
communications leader specializing in brand strategy, digital marketing, CRM, public
relations, and event management, with a strong focus on the hospitality industry. Abhinav’s
expertise spans luxury brand development, digital marketing & transformation, media
planning, and loyalty program design & implementation, enabling him to drive impactful
marketing campaigns and business growth across multiple regions, including India, the Middle
East, the UK, and Sri Lanka. Today, he leads Marriott International’s largest on-property

marketing team in the UAE as the Director of Marketing & Communications at W Abu Dhabi-
Yas Island.

Throughout his career, Abhinav has played a pivotal role in establishing and elevating luxury
brands by designing concepts, positioning products effectively, and executing high-impact
marketing strategies. His leadership experience extends to both corporate/organization-wide
and property-level roles, including hotel pre-openings, where Abhinav have successfully

developed and led marketing initiatives. Further, his expertise in marketing to ultra/high-net-
worth consumer segments has been instrumental in creating personalized, high-value brand

experiences that drive customer loyalty and engagement.
Abhinav has an in-depth understanding of media channels, including digital, print, television,
radio, and public relations, for advertising and promotional activities. Additionally, his strong
network of media connections across the UAE, the Middle East, India, and the UK has
facilitated the successful launch and sustained growth of luxury & premium brands. His ability
to manage large-scale media budgets, ranging from $4 million to $20 million in various
assignments, has allowed him to optimize marketing investments and maximize brand
exposure.
In his preceding corporate role, Abhinav was the Group Head of Marketing & Sales
(Commercial) for ITC Hotels’ (part of the ‘Luxury Collection’ brand of Marriott International)

$450M mix-use development leading all aspects of marketing & sales strategy for hotel pre-
opening, branded residences and commercial spaces.

A significant achievement in Abhinav’s career was leading the establishment of the digital
marketing and e-commerce department for ITC Hotels under the 'Luxury Collection' brand of
Marriott International in India. In this capacity, he developed and executed performance-driven
digital marketing strategies, including search engine marketing (SEM), pay-per-click (PPC)
campaigns, search engine optimization (SEO), display advertising, and social media marketing
coupled with chain-wide brand operations. Abhinav’s work in digital transformation has
enabled businesses to enhance their online presence, drive direct consumer engagement, and
boost revenue through targeted digital initiatives.
Another notable accomplishment was launching India’s most recognized hospitality loyalty
programs—Club ITC and Club ITC Culinaire. These programs have successfully strengthened
customer retention, increased brand advocacy, and driven significant revenue growth by
offering exclusive experiences and personalized rewards to members.
Beyond digital marketing and brand strategy, Abhinav has extensive experience in channel and
trade marketing, including organizing roadshows, events, and pop-up activations. He has also
managed enterprise-wide projects such as website and e-commerce platform development,

CRM implementation using Siebel, and product information system (PIM) deployments. These
initiatives have contributed to operational efficiency and seamless customer interactions across
various touchpoints.
Additionally, Abhinav’s experience in working with leading global agencies—including
Wunderman Thompson, Publicis, MSL, GroupM, and Wavemaker—has enabled me to
leverage world-class marketing expertise and execute high-impact campaigns. Managing
multi-geographical marketing operations has further honed my ability to navigate complex
business environments and drive collaboration across diverse teams.
As a leader, he takes pride in managing highly motivated, multicultural teams in a matrix
structure, fostering innovation, and delivering results in competitive markets. Recently
recognized as a part of the ‘Marketing Power List 2025 – 101 Best Hotel Marketeers in ME’
by Hotelier Middle East and ‘Best Hotel Marketing Team 2025 across EMEA’ by Marriot
ELITE Awards, Abhinav’s ability to merge strategic vision with execution excellence has
consistently positioned brands for long-term success.
Abhinav looks forward to leveraging his experience and expertise to drive meaningful
marketing and business growth opportunities in the future.