Mumbai, 1st February 2007: Mercury Travels welcomes four new executive committee members - with one unifying mission - to accelerate and fortify its business growth. The established, sixty year old high quality travel provider is transforming itself into an end to end travel related services company. The enhanced services across the travel domain include Business and Leisure Travel, Inbound Handling, Foreign Exchange, Travel Insurance, Passports, Visas, Car Rental, Cargo etc.
Mr. Aashutosh Akshikar is appointed Chief Executive Officer of Mercury Travels. After completing a B.A. in Political Science, Aashutosh acquired a MBA from Pune University in 1990. He then joined Thomas Cook India Limited as a Management Trainee working at branch offices in Goa and Pune before he became the Head of Business Development and subsequently led National Forex Operations. Prior to joining Mercury Travels, he was the Head of Travel Businesses responsible for a profit of about Rs. 200 million. In addition to his responsibilities in India he completed various business projects in Japan, Germany and Mauritius.
Mr. Hoshang Netarwalla is named Chief Financial Officer. With graduate degrees in commerce and law, Hoshang qualified as a Chattered Accountant after completing ICAI in 1983. He brings over 20 years of experience across the service and manufacturing sectors in both Indian and Multinational Corporations. His major assignment has been as Executive Director, Finance AC Nielsons ORG Marg, where he was responsible for legal, secretarial, administration and finance functions for a team of 1700 employees. He also held senior finance positions in Cargo Majors Sealand and Circle Freight.
Mercury Travels is happy to announce that Mr. Anil Nadkarni will be part of the core management team, as the Chief Technology Officer. With a BSc. in Chemistry and Post Graduation in Computer Science, Anil brings 24 years of industry experience of which the last 14 years have been in the CIO role at Cadbury India and Thomas Cook India Limited. He was named one of the top three CIOs in India by Data Quest Magazine. Anil has proven skills in the areas of Enterprise Resource Planning, Business Re-engineering, Networks, Call Centers and large Travel Technology Projects.
Mr. Ajay Bhatia has accepted to join as Head of the Foreign Exchange Business. Ajay who is a Commerce Graduate also has a Diploma in Sales and Marketing from New Delhi University. He attended Executive Education Courses at IIM Ahmedabad, in Hong Kong and in USA. Having joined his previous employer as Foreign Exchange Sales Executive in 1984, he moved to Head Operations in New Delhi, North India and eventually across the country where he managed over 400 employees across 50 branches. Ajay also brings with him substantial experience in Travel Operations.
Mercury Travels will revamp its New York office for an enhanced presence in the Americas and further strengthen the Mercury Travels operations in its Frankfurt office, responsible for business development in Europe.
In India, five new branches will be opened during the next few months in Pune, Goa, Ahmedabad, Navi Mumbai and Gurgaon.
Mercury will shortly launch “Mercury Holidays”. Numerous travel products will cater to the needs of travellers interested in exploring new sites and regions in India and many international destinations.
The technology initiatives of Mercury Travels will include the launch of its “Facile” software next week. The installation of Forex and other new software across Mercury Travels own wide area network is planned.
In consonance with its accelerated growth plans Mercury Travel has appointed new principal Bankers to the Company i.e. Centurion Bank of Punjab. The substantially enhanced facilities provided by Centurion Bank will be available with effect of February 2007.
Says Mr. Ashwini Kakkar, "I am delighted to welcome the new team - high achievers bound by a shared passion - to make Mercury Travels the first choice of the discerning traveller.
Mercury Travels is a joint venture between EIH (Oberoi Hotels) and Mr. Ashwini Kakkar. Mr. P. R. S. Oberoi is the Chairman of the Company, Mr. Kakkar is the Vice Chairman. Mercury Travels presently has fifteen branches across India and in Frankfurt and New York.
For further details please contact us atmedia@mercurytravels.in
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