Europe: OYO Hotels & Homes has appointed Raj Kamal as chief operating officer of OYO’s Vacation Homes business in the UK and Europe.
The appointment represents a continuation of OYO’s policy to continue investing in and attracting world-class leadership to the firm, in order to drive innovation and growth.
OYO Vacation Homes, which comprises brands such as OYO Homes, Belvilla, Dancenter, Danland, and Traum-Ferienwohnungen, provides international and domestic travellers with access to 125,000+ homes globally. Of that total, it manages more than 35,000 homes and services 90,000 homes in over 50 countries, as well as having a footprint in Asia and North America.
OYO Hotels & Homes CSO Maninder Gulati said: “In 2019, OYO Vacation Homes opened its doors in Europe with the promise of delivering great choice and the quintessential OYO experience to guests from across the world travelling to Europe.
“In a short period of time, we are making good on our promise of delivering world-class value to homeowners. Guests from all over the world create everlasting memories at these homes and we have delivered 25-30 per cent more booking value over and above the existing value.
“In the last three months, we have onboarded 400 exceptional professionals to our team and widened our customer reach by working closely with 50 of the top distribution partners, including all major global OTAs. We have also added over 1,500 new homes across popular holiday destinations such as Italy, Spain, Croatia, France and Denmark.
“Our diverse talent who we call OYOpreneurs will continue to be the force behind this momentum, delivering a high-quality experience to guests and increased yield for asset owners.”
“We are delighted to have Raj join our leadership team. Having someone of his calibre with a deep understanding of global businesses will be instrumental in accelerating our efforts in making OYO Vacation Homes the destination of choice for guests and a brand of trust for homeowners.
“Having known him, I have tremendous respect and appreciation for his leadership and execution abilities and am very excited to have him become an OYOpreneur,” added Gulati.
Prior to his role at OYO, Kamal was global head of investments at payment and fintech firm PayU, and served as the head of the payments practice for the APAC region.
OYO Vacation Homes CEO Tobias Wann said: “I am excited about working alongside someone with the pedigree and gravitas of Raj. His deep industry knowledge, financial expertise, and business acumen will help us build a mission-driven organisation with razor sharp-focus on quality, service excellence and delivering a value-driven experience for our homeowners.
“Raj’s appointment marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in OYO’s journey,” added Wann.
Kamal said: “It’s inspiring to see how a truly global brand from India is reinventing living spaces. The company has achieved great heights in a short time, its leadership is among the finest in the Indian startup ecosystem.
“It will be my honour and privilege to work with the team. I look forward to the opportunity that lies ahead for the OYO Vacation Homes business in the UK and Europe, which are critical growth markets for the company.
“I am deeply energised by the dedication of thousands of OYOpreneurs who are driving guest and homeowner delight every day, and I hope to make a meaningful contribution to the business’ growth,” he added.
Back in November, OYO Hotels & Homes announced the appointment of Betsy Atkins as an independent director on the company’s board, following the revelation that the company was planning to inject £40 million into the UK by 2020.
For more information, visit the OYO Vacation Homes website here.
