Raymond Bickson
Managing Director, Indian Hotels Company Ltd

Mr. Bickson joined IHCL in December 2002 as COO of the Taj Luxury Hotels and is an Executive Director on the Board. As COO, Mr. Bickson was charged with overseeing the operations of these luxury properties and plays a key role in the expansion of future hotels.

Prior to this, Mr. Bickson served as the General Manager of The Mark, New York since 1988.

After earning his stripes in the kitchens of the Berlin Hilton circa 1973, Mr. Bickson ventured on to work in some of the world's most exotic locations before calling New York home. The Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, the Montreux Palace in Switzerland, and the Kahala Hilton in Honolulu were his first stops after Germany. In 1977, Mr. Bickson joined Regent International Hotels as an assistant guest services manager for the luxury Cerromar Beach Hotel in Dorado, Puerto Rico.

In 1978 Mr. Bickson returned to the Kahala Hilton, and then rejoined Regent International Hotels for an eight-year stint. In 1979 he opened The Mayfair Regent in New York City and became the assistant general manager. In 1981 he was resident manager for The Mayfair Regent Hotel in Chicago, and in 1984 Mr. Bickson transferred to Australia as the executive assistant manager for The Regent of Melbourne.

Prior to joining The Mark in 1988, he was the project manager in China for Regent International Hotels and chief consultant for the restoration of the historic Cathay Hotel and Palace Hotel (now known as The Peace Hotel) in Shanghai.

Mr. Bickson studied at the L'École Hôtelière Lausanne and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in Boston. His education encompasses languages, French culture, hotel services, cooking, and financial management.

Mr. Bickson was voted one of the Top 10 Best Hotel Managers by Leaders Magazine from 1997-2002 and as the Best Hotelier in the World by the Gallivanter's Guide in 2002. He was nominated for the 2002 Independent Hotelier of the World award by Hotels Magazine.