Alexander Mirza
| Alexander Mirza | |
|---|---|
| Born | India |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Canadian, American |
| 🎓 Alma mater | Queen's University at Kingston, Harvard Business School |
| 💼 Occupation | Entrepreneur, Investor and Thought leader |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Mogul Hotels |
| 🌐 Website | www |
Alexander Ahmar Mirza is a Canadian American social innovator, entrepreneur, investor, and author.[1] He has worked in the hospitality industry for over two decades, having held senior positions at the largest hotel chains and consulting firms,[2] including Accenture, Hilton, Caesars, and Starwood.[3] Mirza is the founder and CEO of the venture-backed Mogul Hotels & Residences,[4][5] and was the co-founder of Cachet Hotels & Resorts. He is among the first foreigners to develop and scale a hotel brand in China.
Early life and education[edit]
Mirza was born in New Delhi, India. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School, where he was awarded the McArthur Fellowship for Canadians. He also has an M.A. in International Relations and a BAH from Queen's University in Kingston, Canada,[6] where he was an Aga Khan Foundation Scholar and graduated with First Class Honors.[7]
Career[edit]
Management consultant and entrepreneur[edit]
With a career spanning 25 years as a management consultant and C-suite executive, Mirza has advised CEOs, heads of state, and international organizations. He has collaborated with scientists in Shell’s Gamechanger Program that generated $3 billion of new businesses addressing climate change.[8] His consulting background includes years of project management at Deloitte/Braxton Associates in the areas of value-based management and growth strategy.
Mirza was a senior principal at Strategos, an innovation consultancy formed by one of the world’s leading corporate strategists, Gary Hamel. At Strategos, Mirza led client teams creating new businesses, products, and services in the consumer, financial services, and oil and gas industries.
Transitioning from consultancy, Mirza joined Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide as Head of Strategic Planning, responsible for brand positioning, development planning, and business innovation; he reported to the CFO and CEO.[9] Subsequently, Mirza worked as Senior Vice President of Hilton Hotels Corporation,[10] reporting to the CEO.[11] At Hilton, Mirza revamped a $2 billion food and beverage business, integrated Hilton International, helped establish the Waldorf Astoria luxury brand, and developed the company’s first fitness and spas division.[12] Before joining Hilton, Mirza was a managing partner in the consumer practice at Accenture, the world’s largest technology consulting company.[9]
In 2010, he served as Vice President and Executive Associate to Gary Loveman, then chairman and CEO of Caesars Entertainment. Caesars subsequently appointed Mirza the head of Caesars Hospitality Ventures and Caesars Global Life.[13] Mirza led service improvements and new hotel, restaurant, and nightlife developments, including Gordon Ramsay, BR Guest, Nobu Hotel, Drais nightlife, and branded non-gaming resorts.[14]
In 2012, Mirza founded Cachet Hospitality in Shanghai. Under his leadership as CEO,[15] Cachet acquired and grew China’s first carbon-neutral hotel and developed luxury lifestyle hotel and restaurant brands in China,[16] Southeast Asia, and North America.[17][18][19] Cachet’s global hotel brands are differentiated by sustainability and east meets west design, art, and food.[20] [21] [22] Cachet hotels received global recognition for its branding, hotel management, and interior design, raising four rounds of capital with international investors in China, the U.S., and UAE.[7]
In 2018, Mirza founded Mogul Hospitality, a venture-backed technology and branding company.[23] Mogul hospitality has been recognized as a top start-up by Harvard Alumni Ventures,[24] Phocuswright,[25] and named one of the 28 most innovative travel tech startups around the world in 2022.[26] Mogul’s technologies include MogulRecruiter, the industry’s first AI-powered talent marketplace[27]; StayMogul, a host-driven reservations system and CRM platform; and Mogul Hotels and Residences[28], an AI luxury brand that features work-live designs, sustainability and well-being. All of these products and services use artificial intelligence and data science to curate luxury experiences and facilitate service innovation.
Speaker[edit]
Mirza was a speaker at the 2021 Phocuswright Conference, HEDNA-Global Distribution Conference, YJP New York 2017,[29][30][31] Boutique Lodging Association Events, and the Independent Lodging Congress.[32] He has also spoken at other major events, including NYU Hotel Investment Conference, China HVS Hotel Investment Conference, Cornell HR in Hospitality, eCornell[33], and Harvard Real Estate Conference, where he was also a moderator.
Board Member & Strategic Advisor[edit]
Mirza is a Strategic Advisor and Advisory Board member of Kiwitech[34], a U.S.-India software development and AI engineering firm, and serves on the Management Advisory Board of the Cornell Center for Innovative Hospitality and Employment Relations (CIHLER)[35] and the Collins College of Hospitality Management at California Polytechnic University. He is a former board member of Cachet hotels, Wahlburgers Asia-Pacific, Ticketmaster China, Ticketmaster Australia and Sbe Asia.
Author[edit]
Mirza is the author of three books, Talent Disruption: People are the brands[36][37], Reimagining Global Hospitality: Envisaging the AI Hotel of the future[38][39],and Peacekeeping, Peacemaking, & World Order: A Study of the International System[40]. He is also a contributing author on several platforms, including Entrepreneur]],[41] Medium,[42] Harvard Real Estate Review[43], Queen’s Journal[44], Hotel Executive[45][46][47], and Thrive Global.[7]
Recognition[edit]
Mirza was recognized as one of the top 100 most powerful hospitality executives by the Global Hospitality Institute in 2022. Harvard Business School wrote a case study on Mirza’s career in organizational development in March 2020. He was also profiled for his career accomplishments in the HBS alumni magazine in 2024.[48] Mirza was listed on Canada’s Top 40 under 40 and awarded Toronto’s Mayor Volunteer Creed.[48] He was named one of the top 10 international Canadian executives by Canadian Business Magazine in 2006.[48]
Personal Life[edit]
Mirza is married to Barbara Mirza, a managing partner and board member at Cooley LLP, a leading technology law firm,[49] known for its technology and life sciences practices as well as its experience with marquee initial public offerings (IPOs) and deep-rooted venture capital connections & financings. They have a daughter together. His brother, Faisal Mirza, is a Federal Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, a law professor at the University of Toronto and previously a National Security Advisor to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.[50]
References[edit]
- ↑ "HOW ALEX MIRZA BEATS THE CORPORATE WORLD WITH CACHET HOSPITALITY GROUP". forpressrelease.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Hilton and Precor Partner to Improve Hotel Fitness Centers". athleticbusiness.com. 31 October 2006. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ Aya Tsintziras,"In the east, a new chain of cutting-edge hotels rises: Introducing Cachet Hotel Group". nationalpost.com. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Alexander Mirza CEO/Founder, Mogul Hospitality Corp". bloomberg.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024. line feed character in
|title=at position 16 (help) - ↑ "KiwiTech Partners with MogulRecruiter to Launch Hospitality's First Private Elite Talent Marketplace". markets.businessinsider.com. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ↑ "Hilton Hotels Corporation Names Alexander Mirza to New Position of Senior Vice President, Corporate Development". hospitalitynet.org. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Alexander Mirza Founder and CEO of Mogul". hospitalitynet.org. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Shell – GameChanger". strategos.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Caesars Launches Unit for Restaurants, Non-Gaming Hotels". hospitalitydesign.com. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Hilton Hotels Corporation Names Alexander Mirza to New Position of Senior Vice President, Corporate Development". hospitalitynet.org. 27 November 2005. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "A Room With a Pedicure". nytimes.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ Samantha Worgul,l"CHG Eyes Asia for Its Innovative Brands". costar.com. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Caesars Entertainment Names Alexander Mirza as Head of Caesars Hospitality Ventures and Head of Caesars Global Life, the New Unit for Nongaming Development". hotel-online.com. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ↑ David Eisen,"Caesars' Mirza Opens Up On Forthcoming Lifestyle Brand". travelagentcentral.com. 27 June 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ↑ "Cachet Seeks Admiration in Luxury Hotel Segment". costar.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Cachet Hotel Group to Launch New Midscale Lifestyle Brand in China, SAVANT". travelpulse.com. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ↑ "Cachet Hotel Group Launches New Hotel Brands". hospitalitydesign.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ Mark Elliott,"Cachet Hotels plans India, Middle East expansion". traveldailymedia.com. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ Laura Schreffler,"Mark Wahlberg Brings Wahlburgers to LA, Announces Asia Expansion". hauteliving.com. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "EASTERN TRADITION MEETS WESTERN FLAIR AT CACHET BOUTIQUE NYC, SEPTEMBER 2017". luxebeatmag.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ Mark Elliott,"Cachet launches new boutique hotel in Shanghai". traveldailymedia.com. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ Mark Elliott,"China's green hotel brand sprouts in Kunming". traveldailymedia.com. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ Sean O'Neill,"Mogul Recruiter's $20 Million Funding Draws Notice to a New Wave of Data-Based Travel Startups". skift.com. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ↑ "HBS Alumni New Venture Competition Western U.S/SoCal Regional Finals". hbsasc.org. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "VIDEO: MOGULRECRUITER - LAUNCH PITCH AT PHOCUSWRIGHT CONFERENCE 2021". phocuswire.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "The 28 Most Innovative Travel Tech Startups Around the World". mize.tech. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "HB Exclusive: MogulRecruiter ranks operators, talent to help employment searches". hotelbusiness.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Mogul Hotels". mogulhotels.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "ALEXANDER MIRZA Founder & CEO Mogul Hospitality". phocuswrightconference.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "CEO Leadership, Innovation and Diversity Symposium". access.yjp.org. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Mogul Founder & CEO Alex Mirza - HEDNA 2019". youtube.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "2023 Boutique Hotel Owners Conference by BLLA". bllaevents.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "NAVIGATING THE TALENT DISRUPTION". ecornell.cornell.edu. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "KiwiTech Appoints Mogul Hotels' Alex Mirza to Advisory Board". kiwitech.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Alexander Mirza is a global citizen, entrepreneur and thought leader". sha.cornell.edu. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Talent Disruption: People Are The Brands Hardcover". amazon.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "PEOPLE ARE THE BRANDS". talentdisruption.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Reimagining Global Hospitality: Envisaging the AI Hotel of the Future Kindle Edition". amazon.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Reimagining Global Hospitality: Envisaging the AI Hotel of the future". kiwitech.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "PEACEKEEPING, PEACEMAKING, & WORLD ORDER: A STUDY OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM Kindle Edition". amazon.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "3 Ways Franchisors Can Recruit for Diversity". entrepreneur.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Alexander Mirzalast=". medium.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "A New Era of Lodging: Airbnb's Impact on Hotels, Travelers, and Cities". medium.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "First among nations: Canada's path to becoming a tourism superpower". queensjournal.ca. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ Alexander Mirza,"A Call to Action: Responsible AI". hotelexecutive.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ Alexander Mirza,"Addressing the Paradigm Shift: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the U.S. Hotel Sector". hotelexecutive.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ Alexander Mirza,"Overturning Orthodoxies: How Hotel Ceos Can Accelerate Diversity". hotelexecutive.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 "Alexander Mirza Biography". alexandermirza.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "BARBARA MIRZA". cooley.com. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ↑ "Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Ontario Français". newswire.ca. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
