Six-month leadership development program launched to groom Cinnamon’s next generation of General Managers
Gurugram, June 16th 2025:
The Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) has launched an intensive leadership development program in collaboration with Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The initiative is part of a six-month engagement following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) earlier this year.
The first cohort of 15 senior managers from Cinnamon Hotels completed a week-long bootcamp at the ISH campus in Gurugram, followed by a week-long orientation across Leela Palace properties in New Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Bengaluru. The bespoke program is designed to groom high-potential talent for General Manager roles as Cinnamon scales its brand and enters the luxury segment.
Faculty from academia and industry delivered core modules on Finance, Digital Transformation, Marketing, and People Leadership. The orientation at Leela’s flagship luxury hotels gave participants both guest and operational exposure, immersing them in delivering luxury experiences from front to back.
This collaboration falls under ISH Business Solutions, the institution’s executive education vertical focused on delivering capability-building interventions for the hospitality and service sectors. Built on ISH’s academic foundation and global affiliations with Sommet Education, the vertical represents ISH’s deep and sustained engagement with the industry in India and offshore markets.
“The need to build a strong pipeline of future General Managers remains a strategic priority across the global hospitality sector. Future-ready brands like Cinnamon Hotels recognise the value of investing in human capital as they pursue rapid regional growth. ISH is delighted to be their knowledge partners to support the continued learning of their managers,” said Dilip Puri, Founder and Executive Chairman, Indian School of Hospitality.
As the hospitality sector continues its transformation, ISH remains focused on shaping future-ready talent through programs that continuously align academia and business. The collaboration with Cinnamon Hotels brings this vision to life at a time when leadership development has become a clear business priority.
“This initiative is designed to immerse our high-potential talent in transformative, real-world experiences that broaden their global outlook and enhance their leadership capabilities,” said Ishara Naufal, Senior Vice President – Human Resources, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts. “By investing in hands-on, future-focused development, we are not only strengthening our leadership pipeline but also reinforcing our commitment to positioning Cinnamon as a globally competitive hospitality brand.”
