From left to right: Jonathon Zink, COO, The BHN Group by Northstar, Karan Mahesh, Senior Sales – South & Southeast Asia, STR, and Andrea Belfanti, CEO, ISHC
Singapore (22 October 2025): The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC), in partnership with the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) awarded Karan Mahesh, Senior Sales – South & Southeast Asia, STR CoStar, with the Rising Star Award Asia Pacific during the HICAP event on 22 October 2025. The award recognizes an emerging leader in the hospitality industry who has demonstrated exceptional professional growth, leadership, and impact in the Asia Pacific region.
Born and raised in India, Karan began his career in sales and marketing with ITC Hotels in Bangalore, where his talent and drive quickly led to a series of promotions from property-level roles to the corporate office. In 2019, he joined STR (a CoStar company) as Account Manager for Central and South Asia, where he distinguished himself through his ability to build strong client relationships, expand data coverage, and grow revenue across diverse markets including India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
Now based in Singapore, Karan leads STR’s business development efforts across South and Southeast Asia, representing CoStar at major industry conferences and investment forums. His collaborative approach and thought leadership have earned him recognition as a trusted advisor among clients and colleagues alike. Beyond his commercial achievements, Karan is deeply committed to mentorship, regularly guiding interns and junior colleagues in their professional growth.
In recognition of his consistent excellence, Karan was named to CoStar’s prestigious President’s Club in both 2023 and 2024—an honor reserved for top-performing sales professionals globally. His innovative mindset, adaptability, and dedication to advancing hospitality analytics have made him a standout example of the next generation of industry leadership.
“Karan’s curiosity, discipline, and generosity make him a role model for future leaders in hospitality,” said Jesper Palmqvist, Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific at STR CoStar, who nominated him for the award. “He embodies the balance of drive and humility that defines true leadership.”
“I’m incredibly honoured to receive the Rising Star Award. It’s been overwhelming and deeply humbling to be recognised by such respected organisations and leaders from an industry I’m so proud to be a part of,” said Karan Mahesh, the 2025 Rising Star Award recipient. “I’ve been fortunate to learn from amazing leaders, mentors, colleagues, and friends along the way — with my family as my constant anchor of love and support. This recognition is a powerful reminder to keep paying it forward and to continue contributing to the future of this incredible industry.”
Added Andrea Belfanti, CEO of ISHC, “We are delighted to recognize Karan as the recipient of the 2025 Rising Star Award Asia Pacific. This award celebrates emerging leaders who are shaping the future of hospitality through innovation, excellence, and passion. Karan’s achievements and commitment to advancing our industry embody the very spirit of this recognition. Congratulations, Karan!”
“It was a privilege awarding Karan with the Rising Star Award Asia Pacific at the 35th edition of HICAP. Karan’s exceptional dedication, analytical prowess, and unwavering commitment to the hotel industry distinguish him as a promising leader. Moreover, serving as a HICAP Regional Advisor for South Asia, Karan is actively shaping the landscape of the industry in Asia Pacific. We look forward to continued collaboration with him for many years to come,” shared by Jonathon S. Zink, COO of The BHN Group by Northstar.
ISHC launched the Rising Star Award Asia in 2014 in partnership with HICAP to recognize young, emerging leaders in the Asia hospitality community. Nomination criteria require an individual be 35 years or younger, currently working and living in Asia and working in the hospitality development and/or investment field. Past Rising Star Award Asia recipients include Stella Blythe (2024), Vicky Jian (2023), Calvin Li (2022), Siddhant Jhunjhunwala (2021), Corey Hamabata (2020), Daniel Yip (2019), Kieran Bestall (2018), Peter Harper (2017), Kiichi Mashita (2016), Nihat Ercan (2015) and Christopher Hur (2014).
For more information:
Libby Acquista
Manager of Membership and Marketing
International Society of Hospitality Consultants
+1 314.724.8436
lacquista@ishc.com
www.ishc.com
About ISHC
The International Society of Hospitality Consultants is truly The Leading Source for Global Hospitality Expertise, represented by over two hundred of the industry’s most respected professionals from across six continents. Collectively, ISHC members provide expert services in over fifty functional areas and have specialized skills in virtually every segment of the hospitality industry. ISHC is dedicated to promoting the highest quality of professional consulting standards and practices for the hospitality industry. Candidates undergo a rigorous screening process, ensuring that all ISHC members have a reputation of integrity and are qualified by their experience, training, and knowledge to develop and express sound judgment on industry issues. Additional information about the organization, along with a directory of ISHC members, is available on the ISHC website at ishc.com.
About HICAP
Founded over 30 years ago, HICAP is Asia’s largest and longest-running hotel investment event, making it the most important gathering of hotel developers, investors, lenders, operators, and other industry executives for information exchange, trend spotting, and deal making. With a rich tradition and unrivaled history of stability, HICAP is the unequaled gathering place for Asia-Pacific’s hotel investment community, attracting the most influential owners, developers, lenders, executives, and professional advisors from around the globe. The HICAP portfolio of events consists of three key events across the region — Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Singapore; HICAP UPDATE in Hong Kong, and HICAP Australia New Zealand (HICAP ANZ) in Sydney. Visit HICAPconference.com for more information.
About Northstar Travel Group (www.northstartravelgroup.com)
Northstar Travel Group is the leading B-to-B media company providing information and marketing solutions for the global travel industry. The company owns 14 media brands connecting 1.4m industry professionals through a comprehensive portfolio of digital, social, print and more than 100 events in 13 countries. Northstar Travel Group is owned by EagleTree Capital. Northstar Travel Group is based in Rutherford, NJ, and more information is available at northstartravelgroup.com.
About The BHN Group
The BHN Group is the worldwide leader in developing and organizing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. With over three decades of experience, more than 190 events completed to-date, and in excess of 130,000 international delegates, these conferences have become “must attend” events for industry leaders who come together to network, conduct business, and to learn about the latest trends. The current slate of events include: the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles; ALIS Law in Los Angeles; ALIS DESIGN+ in Los Angeles, the ALIS Summer Update series held in various U.S. cities; ALIS CALA in Miami; Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Singapore; HICAP UPDATE in Hong Kong, and HICAP Australia New Zealand (HICAP ANZ) in Sydney. The BHN Group also publishes Hotel Investment Today, a digital media outlet focused on the ROI of hotel investment. The BHN Group’s website is the gateway for information about the annual conferences it produces, as well as a direct link to important players in the hospitality investment world.