Mr. Narayan has over 35 years of business experience and founded Rockwood Associates LLC in 2010. Since then he has provided strategic advice to clients in Peru, India, China and the United States. In 2010, he was invited by the Governor of the State of Washington to join her trade mission to China and Vietnam.
He most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Red Lion Hotels Corporation (NYSE:RLH). Under his leadership, the company increased its focus on core business operations by divesting unrelated businesses, initiated a follow-on stock offering to raise equity, strengthened the balance sheet, improved its market position and profitability, and increased investor awareness.
From 1998-2004, he was with Best Western International, the world’s largest hotel chain headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. He served as Senior Vice President for Global Strategy and as the Acting Chief Executive Officer. There he had global responsibility for Global Strategy, Finance, Operations, Quality, Brand Management, Procurement and Legal services. He was instrumental in Best Western’s expansion in Asia and South America.
Prior to 1998, for twelve years he was with a Kohlberg, Kravis and Roberts (KKR) hotel and real estate company and closed $4.0 billion of debt financings, completed two Initial Public Offerings which raised $0.3 billion, and was actively involved with real estate development, joint ventures, divestment, mergers and acquisitions and the capital markets.
In 2003, he was nominated for Business Leader of the Year by the London based Hotel Reports publication.
He is a frequent speaker at hotel industry and investment conferences worldwide and served on the Board of Directors for the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IHRA) based in Paris, France. He has also served on the Governmental Affairs Committee of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. He currently serves on a number of Boards including Ginger Hotels (A Tata Enterprise) in India.
Mr. Narayan is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, India and he received his MBA at the University of Florida, USA. He is based in New Delhi and Portland, USA.
Job Title
Chairman Rockwood Associates LLC, Global Hospitality and Business Advisors
Type of board member
The Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership is located in room 344 of J.R. Howard Hall on the Undergraduate Campus.
MSC: 71
email entrepreneurship@lclark.edu
Chrys Hutchings
Director
chryshutchings@lclark.edu
503-768-7683
Catarina Hunter
Associate Director
chunter@lclark.edu
503-768-8683
The Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership
Lewis & Clark
615 S. Palatine Hill Road
Portland OR 97219