Preferred Hotels and Resorts, the world’s largest global provider of sales, marketing, and distribution services to independent luxury hotels, has announced the appointment of Jit Bose to Director of Global Sales and Development for South Asia, and James Koh to Regional Director for Southeast Asia Pacific. Coming at a pivotal moment for the region as international travel makes a meaningful return, these appointments deliver on the company’s objective to further develop and enhance its capabilities in Asia, supporting the growth of the brand’s footprint and the diversification of member hotel experiences across the region.
As Director of Global Sales and Development for South Asia, Jit Bose will drive the company’s efforts in corporate, MICE, and leisure sales, as well as oversee the development and retention of the brand’s expanding portfolio across the region. Bose, who is based in the company’s regional office of New Delhi, brings more than three decades of executive experience in India’s hospitality industry and specialises in sales, marketing, and hotel operations. Recognised for his strong business acumen and strategy implementation, Bose has a proven track record of transforming underperforming hotels to commercial successes through long-term vision building and short-term tactical strategies.
Prior to joining Preferred, he served as Area Director of Sales and Marketing for Southwest Asia at IHG Hotels and Resorts, extending commercial support for 13 hotels in India and Bangladesh across the InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, and Holiday Inn brands. He has also worked with other prestigious brands, including Taj Hotels, Hyatt, Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts, Shangri-La Hotels, and Ritz-Carlton Jakarta. Jit reports directly to Seema Roy, Area Managing Director of South Asia, Middle East and Africa.
In his new position as Regional Director for Southeast Asia and Pacific, James Koh, who is based in the company’s regional headquarters of Singapore – is tasked with the retention and expansion of the brand’s Southeast Asia and Pacific portfolio, which currently encompasses 110 member hotels, resorts, and residences located across Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Myanmar, Australia, and New Zealand. A Singaporean Chinese national, Koh joins Preferred Hotels and Resorts with more than 16 years of progressive hotel industry experience in the region, spanning senior leadership roles in sales, revenue optimisation, and hotel development.
Prior to joining Preferred, Koh held several executive positions for WorldHotels, most recently serving as Regional Vice President of Hotel Development for Asia Pacific where he led regional development efforts as part of the company’s hotel development team in Singapore. Earlier on in his career, Koh was based in Shanghai, where he served as the Senior Manager of Performance and Revenue Optimisation for Greater China, overseeing the portfolio of hotels across Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Prior work experiences include management positions at Raffles Hotels and Grand Hyatt Singapore. James reports directly to Jonathan Newbury, Executive Vice President of Asia Pacific.
