United Hospitality Management (UHM) India announced the appointment of Ricardo Leal as Vice President Operations – India & Southeast Asia. In this role, Ricardo will oversee operational performance across all company-managed properties in India and Southeast Asia, further reinforcing UHM’s commitment to excellence, scale and strategic growth in the region. He will report to Deepika Arora, Managing Director, United Hospitality Management (UHM) India.
The appointment comes at a pivotal phase for UHM India as the company accelerates expansion and strengthens its presence across high-potential markets. With India emerging as one of the world’s most dynamic hospitality markets, UHM continues to invest in building a strong regional leadership platform to enhance performance, elevate guest experiences, and deliver long-term value to owners and stakeholders.
Ricardo brings over two decades of international leadership experience in luxury and ultra-luxury hospitality operations across diverse global markets. His expertise spans the full hospitality asset lifecycle — from feasibility and design planning to pre-opening strategy, repositioning, and full-scale operational management. At UHM, he will play a critical role in driving operational excellence, optimizing property performance, and aligning execution with the company’s broader growth ambitions in India and Southeast Asia. In this expanded role, he will responsibility for Southeast Asia operations and report directly to Klaus Assmann, Chief Executive Officer, UHM Middle East, India & Southeast Asia.
Welcoming Ricardo to the leadership team, Deepika Arora, Managing Director, United Hospitality Management India, said: “Ricardo’s appointment is a strategic milestone for us as we enter our next phase of growth in India and Southeast Asia. As we expand our portfolio, Ricardo brings a strong balance of global perspective and on-ground leadership that will strengthen our performance culture, deepen owner confidence, and ensure we scale with discipline and quality. India remains a core growth engine for UHM, and building a future-ready operational framework is central to our long-term vision.”
Commenting on his appointment, Ricardo Leal said: “I am delighted to join UHM at such an exciting moment in its regional growth journey. India and Southeast Asia present tremendous opportunities and I look forward to working closely with our teams to drive operational consistency, strengthen guest satisfaction, and support sustainable expansion across the portfolio.”
With this strategic addition to its leadership team, UHM India continues to reinforce its commitment to disciplined expansion, operational strength, and delivering distinctive hospitality experiences across the region.
