Abhirath brings a dynamic leadership journey across some of India’s leading hospitality brands, most recently serving as Director of Operations at Marriott Suites Pune. He previously spent nearly five years as Director of Sales & Marketing at JW Marriott Pune, with earlier leadership roles across The Westin Hyderabad, Sheraton Hyderabad, The Leela Palace Hotels & Resorts, Trident Chennai, Hyatt Hyderabad, and Carlson Hospitality Marketing India.

In his new role, Abhirath will lead the resort’s overall operations and strategic direction, with a focus on enhancing guest experiences, driving business performance, and strengthening Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar’s position as a leading hospitality destination.

With a diverse career spanning operations, sales, marketing and commercial leadership, Abhirath brings a well-rounded perspective to his new role, positioning him to lead the team and build on the resort’s strong foundation for continued growth.

“I am delighted to take on this new responsibility at Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar,” said Abhirath. “I look forward to working closely with the team to create memorable guest experiences, build on the property’s strengths, and drive sustainable growth.”

Under the mandate, PR Professionals will lead the company’s corporate communications strategy, focusing on strengthening its corporate brand, enhancing leadership visibility, and amplifying its vision of redefining hospitality through experience-led concepts. Over the years, True Palate Hospitality has built a distinguished portfolio of award-winning, experience-led brands, including One8 Commune, Neuma, and Pincode by Chef Kunal Kapur. Recognized as one of India’s fastest-growing hospitality and lifestyle companies, it seamlessly blends food, culture, design, entertainment, wellness, and community to create immersive, destination-led experiences. With 22 operational outlets across key markets in India and UAE and an ambitious expansion roadmap, the company continues to redefine modern hospitality. As part of the mandate, PR Professionals will spearhead strategic media relations, corporate storytelling, leadership positioning, and reputation management to further strengthen True Palate Hospitality’s corporate identity and support its continued growth and expansion.

Speaking on the association, Aditi Tihara, Senior Vice President, True Palate Hospitality, said:
“At True Palate Hospitality, we are building much more than hospitality brands- we are creating
experiences and communities that resonate with today’s consumers. As our portfolio continues to
grow, it is equally important for us to strengthen our corporate visibility and articulate the vision
behind our brands. We are delighted to partner with PR Professionals and are confident that
their communications expertise will help us build a stronger corporate narrative.”

Commenting on the partnership, Dr. Sarvesh Tiwari, Founder and Managing Director, PR Professionals, said, “True Palate Hospitality has built a remarkable portfolio of brands that have redefined hospitality in India. Beyond the success of its individual brands lies a larger story of innovation, entrepreneurship and a focus on creating differentiated hospitality experiences. We are excited to partner with the company and look forward to strengthening their corporate reputation and showcase the larger vision driving the company’s growth.”

PR Professionals has established a strong lifestyle, hospitality and food & beverage communications practice, partnering with some of the most renowned national and international brands. Our diverse portfolio includes The Westin Hotels & Resorts, Worldmark Aerocity, Nukkadwala, Magnolia Bakery, Pour’d Cocktails, GianChand Indian Single Malt Whisky, Devialet, Withings, D’YAVOL by Shah Rukh Khan and Aryan Khan, Libas, OYO, PVR Cinemas, Refresh Botanicals, Biryani Blues, Sawai Capital, Fackelmann, and Time Out Market, among others. With extensive experience across luxury, hospitality, consumer, food & beverage and retail brands, we deliver integrated communications programmes backed by strategic storytelling, strong media relationships and impactful brand positioning.

Mumbai, 13th May 2026 – The Access Group, one of the world’s leading providers of business management software, today announced the appointment of Shashikant Shimpi (Shashi) as Managing Director, India, for the Hospitality Division. The appointment marks a significant milestone in The Access Group’s APAC growth journey, bringing dedicated senior leadership to a market the company sees as central to its future, both as a fast-growing opportunity for STAAH, an Access company and the region’s leading hospitality technology platform, and as a world-class hub for technology talent, particularly in artificial intelligence. Shashi joined the business in May 2026 and will lead The Access Group’s India operations across both fronts.

Shashi is a seasoned global executive with 25 years of experience in digital transformation, business scaling, and client success. He has successfully established three Global Capability Centres from the ground up, scaling each to more than a thousand professionals across multiple geographies. He joins from RunDTC, where he served as global COO, and has previously held senior leadership roles at Dentsu, Isobar and Tata group companies. Recognised for his ability to translate vision into scale and create long-term value for clients, Shashi brings deep expertise in P&L management, strategic planning, and scaling organisations through both organic and inorganic growth. He was named Business Leader of the Year by the World Leadership Congress.

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing travel and tourism markets, with an expanding base of independent and chain hotels actively seeking modern, integrated technology to improve distribution, optimise revenue, and elevate the guest experience. STAAH, an Access company, has built meaningful traction in this market over many years, and The Access Group now aims to build substantially on that foundation, offering Indian hoteliers access to a broader and more powerful suite of solutions backed by global scale and resources.

Beyond the commercial opportunity, India’s world-class technology talent ecosystem, and particularly its growing strength in AI-related disciplines, also makes it a strategically important base for capability development within the wider Hospitality division.  Shashi’s remit will include developing exceptional talent in India that can contribute to the Divisional  product and technology ambitions.

“India is an exciting near term growth market for us in the accommodation software space. Through STAAH, an Access company, we already have a substantial footprint with hoteliers across the country, and as we prepare to bring Access Evo to India, our AI-powered platform that empowers hospitality businesses to focus on what truly matters, from answering the biggest strategic questions to completing everyday tasks, having world-class leadership on the ground is critical. Shashi is exactly the right person to lead The Access Group in India.

” Louise Daley, Head of Hospitality APAC, The Access Group Commenting on his appointment, Shashikant Shimpi, Managing Director, India, The Access Group, said, “Joining The Access Group at this point in its India journey is a tremendous opportunity. We have a strong foundation through STAAH, an Access company, and the broader Access platform opens up possibilities that support even greater options for our customers to grow their businesses and support their employees to do more. My priority will be to build a team that is deeply connected to The Access Group’s mission, bring in the best talent India has to offer, and ensure our customers across the region have a technology partner they can genuinely rely on.”