Alexander Mirza

Founder & CEO at Mogul Hospitality

Alexander has over 25 years’ experience as a management consultant and C-suite executive at leading hospitality brands including Starwood, Hilton and Caesars. He’s currently a Founder and CEO of Mogul Hospitality, a venture-backed, company that is scaling the hospitality's first global talent marketplace and developing an ESG hotel brand. As a management consultant, Alex advised CEOs in financial services, consumer and travel businesses, Heads of State and cabinet members, and international organizations such as the World Economic Forum. He also advised scientists in Shell’s Gamechanger Program that generated $3 billion of new businesses addressing climate change. After consulting, Alex joined Starwood Hotels as head of Strategic Planning, reporting to the CEO and CFO and leading profile projects including brand turnarounds and corporate strategy for the board. He subsequently became SVP of Operations at Hilton Worldwide where he was on the senior operating team reporting to the CEO. At Hilton he revamped a $2 billion food and beverage business, helped acquire and integrate Hilton International and launched the Waldorf Astoria luxury brand. After Hilton, he joined Caesars Entertainment as Chief of Staff to the Chairman and was promoted to SVP of Hospitality. At Caesars, he spearheaded new hotel, restaurant and nightlife developments including Gordon Ramsay, BR Guest, Nobu Hotel, Drais, and Caesars branded non-gaming resorts. In 2012, Alex co-founded Cachet Hotels in Shanghai and became one of the few foreigners to successfully build a hotel brand in China. Under his leadership as CEO, Cachet built China's first Carbon neutral hotel and opened boutique/lifestyle hotels, branded residences and celebrity-chef restaurants in Asia and North America. Cachet hotels also raised several rounds of capital from family offices, won numerous design awards, and was recognized as “Asia’s Up and Coming Management Team.” Alex received his MBA from Harvard Business School where he was awarded the John A. McArthur Fellowship. He holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Queen’s University at Kingston (Canada), where he was an Aga Khan Foundation Scholar and graduated First Class (top 5%). Alex has authored studies, articles and op-eds featured in Harvard Real Estate, Entrepreneur Magazine, Phocuswright, the World Economic Forum and the United Nations. He has been featured as one of Canada’s top international executives by Canadian business magazine and has been awarded Toronto’s Mayor Volunteer Creed for his work at Tennis Canada and with inner-city youth.