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FIU names Rakesh and Mei Sarna 2025 Torch Award honorees
The awards are the university’s highest alumni honor, recognizing individuals who exemplify professional excellence, integrity, and a commitment to community service.
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 19, May 2025
- 16:49 EDT
- 16
Rakesh and Mei Sarna / FIU
Indian American hospitality executive and philanthropist Rakesh Sarna and his wife, Mei Sarna were honored as 2025 FIU Torch Award recipients by Florida International University.
The couple were recognized for their leadership in the global hospitality industry and their philanthropic efforts supporting education.
Also Read: Aahana Kidambi named Ideal Bonaventure Student 2025
Rakesh Sarna who completed his master of arts in global affairs from Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University (FIU) in 2021, has spent 35 years with Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
He held senior leadership positions across the Caribbean, Middle East, Pacific, Europe, and North America. He served as chief operating officer – International from 2007 to 2012 and as group president of the Americas from 2012 to 2014.
In 2014, Rakesh Sarna returned to India to serve as managing director and chief executive officer of Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), the parent company of Taj Hotels, which was grappling with performance issues and brand stagnation.
During his tenure, which lasted until 2017, he led the company through a significant financial and cultural turnaround. His work during this period was later featured in a Harvard Business School case study that examined corporate strategy and organizational change.
Beyond his executive leadership roles, Rakesh Sarna has chaired several boards in the hospitality sector, including Oriental Hotels Limited, PIEM Hotels Limited, TajSATS Airline Catering, and TAL Hotels and Resorts. Industry peers have credited him with providing clarity in brand strategy and fostering what he has described as a culture of “sincere service and mutual respect.”
Mei Sarna, who also has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, held senior roles at luxury brands including Four Seasons Hotels and Hyatt Hotels Corporation. She has served as a senior advisor in brand development and service excellence for hotel and airline clients in Switzerland, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Russia, Thailand, and India.
The couple relocated to Miami in 2017 after Rakesh Sarna concluded his leadership at IHCL. In recent years, they have focused on education philanthropy, establishing scholarship programs for students in both the United States and India.
The FIU Torch Awards are the university’s highest alumni honor, recognizing individuals who exemplify professional excellence, integrity, and a commitment to community service.
The 2025 honorees included a healthcare executive overseeing a $2.5 billion foundation portfolio, a nurse who pioneered HIV/AIDS patient care, and a pharmaceutical executive advancing health equity.
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