IHG Names Gopal Rao, Regional Vice President, Sales & Marketing, For Canada

ATLANTA .- IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], one of the world’s largest hotel groups by number of rooms, has named Gopal Rao, regional vice president, Sales & Marketing, for Canada.

Based in Toronto and reporting to Mark Wells, senior vice president, Brand Performance, The Americas, Mr. Rao will be responsible for the Sales and Marketing direction for IHG’s brands in Canada.

“Gopal brings a wealth of relevant experience to his new role, which, along with his strong leadership and communication skills, will be crucial as we continue to expand the marketing and sales impact for our hotels in Canada,” said Mark Wells.

Mr. Rao most recently served as vice president, Sales & Marketing, Travelodge Canada, where he was responsible for leading the sales, marketing, business development and franchise administration departments. He was recognized for expanding the Travelodge brand presence within Canada through his achievements in new partnership opportunities, electronic marketing and loyalty program offerings. He also has held various strategic sales and marketing roles with Royal Host Hotels & Resorts.

Mr. Rao recently earned his master’s degree in Business Administration from Queen University’s School of Business, at Kingston, Ontario, and holds a degree in Hotel Administration and Food Technology from Mumbai, India.