Arora strengthens management and advisory teams ahead of expansion

The three new roles - finance director, general counsel and head of IT - have been filled by Devansh Bakshi, Jackie Lewis and Bira Bains respectively. 

Bakshi, who began his career with Hilton Worldwide, joins Arora from his role as UK head of finance at PPHE Hotel Group while Lewis, who takes up her role on 31 October, joins following 15 years at the Canal & River Trust. In her new role she will provide expert and strategic legal advice to Arora’s senior management and executive board. 

Bains, who has worked in IT for 20 years, has taken up the head of IT role allowing current IT and purchasing director Sunny Roda to focus on the development of the Group’s purchasing activities. 

Advisors​

The company, which recently opened residential development scheme, Arora Tower alongside its Intercontinental London - The O2 hotel in Greenwich, has also appointed three new members to its advisory board. 

Steve Pateman, CEO of Shawbrook Bank has been appointed chairman while John Donaldson, who retired from his role as executive director at Arora in July, has been appointed as an advisor. They both join lawyer Patrick Holmes, who was appointed an advisor in April. 

Arora Group founder and chairman Surinder Arora said: “These strategic appointments will be critical to driving the group’s wider commercial activity as we continue to expand, develop, and consolidate our diversified property asset portfolio, generating value for our business.

"Their appointments come at an exciting time for the group as it breaks ground at Heathrow Terminal 2, and rapidly progresses with Crawley Gateway Redevelopment, with several new projects still in the pipeline.”