Rakesh and Rachanee “Mei” Sarna '21

Bio

Rakesh Sarna has a diverse leadership career as a senior executive of global hotel management companies. Over 38 years
of operational, management, and board experience in various regions around the world. Highly valued
for being a clear thinker, providing decisive and motivational leadership, balancing brand and financial
integrity, balancing brand protection and expansion, developing corporate mission and strategy,
building a caring and genuine service culture, and cultivating positive relationships with shareholders,
owners, senior executive team members, local communities, employees and the media.

• Strong cross-cultural awareness, sensitivity, and communication skills; having worked and lived
  in North America, the Caribbean, Asia, the Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East.
• Thorough understanding of hotel operations, revenue and cost structures, deal valuations, cash
  flows, capital deployment and capital allocation.
• Fluency in Product and Brand Design.
• Ability to inspire employees at all levels across cultures – very focused on talent development,
  gender diversity, and succession planning.

A native of Bangkok, Thailand, Mei received her bachelor’s degree in English from Chulalongkorn University. She
relocated to the United States in the early 1980s and studied, lived, and worked in several cities including Boston,
Los Angeles, Hawaii, Chicago, and Mumbai prior to settling in Miami.

Mei and her husband, Rakesh, made the decision over a decade ago while living in Chicago that Miami would
become their home when they both stopped working full time. Miami’s multiculturalism and energetic vibe were
what attracted them to the city which has been their permanent home since late 2017 after Rakesh completed
his stint as Managing Director and CEO of Taj Hotels based in Bombay, India.

Mei has extensive experience in the hospitality industry, having spent close to twenty-five years working for
luxury hotel companies such as Four Seasons Hotels and Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Additionally, she also worked
as a senior adviser in brand development and service excellence disciplines for luxury hotels and airlines in
Switzerland, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Russia, Thailand, and India.

As a life-long learner, Mei recently completed her Master of Arts in Global Affairs from the Steven J. Green School
of International and Public Affairs at FIU. She strongly believes in the role education plays in the advancement of
society and is committed to helping young people achieve their academic goals by, together with her husband,
establishing and managing the Rakesh and Mei Sarna Scholarship programs for college students in the United
States and India.