By Rafiq Vayani
ABU DHABI: Auriga International Management Consultancy, a leading hospitality and real estate advisory firm, has announced the appointment of André Erasmus as Chief Operating Officer (COO), strengthening the firm’s operational capabilities as it continues to support the transformation and repositioning of hospitality assets across the region.
With over two decades of hands-on experience in hotel operations, Erasmus brings deep expertise in launching, repositioning, and optimising hospitality assets. His appointment reinforces Auriga’s commitment to helping owners unlock long-term value by transforming existing properties into modern, market-ready, and operationally efficient hotels and resorts.
Commenting on his appointment, André Erasmus, COO of Auriga International Management Consultancy, said: “Auriga’s strength lies in its ability to bridge strategy and execution. Refurbishment and rebranding deliver real value only when grounded in operational reality, and that is where my experience comes into play. My focus is on strengthening operational frameworks, scaling service delivery, and expanding Auriga’s refurbishment capabilities to help owners maximise asset performance across market cycles.”
Unlike traditional hospitality consultancies, Auriga differentiates itself through an end-to-end, asset-focused approach, working closely with owners and operators across the full lifecycle of hospitality and real estate assets. Rather than operating solely as a concept or design consultancy, the firm combines strategic advisory with on-the-ground execution spanning feasibility studies, asset management, rebranding, refurbishment, and operational optimisation.
Priya Jaganathan, Managing Director and Co-founder at Auriga International Management Consultancy, added: “André and I first worked together on the Anantara project in Abu Dhabi back in 2008, and over the years that collaboration evolved into a strong professional partnership built on trust and shared values. Bringing André into Auriga at this stage is both a strategic and personal milestone. His operational leadership strengthens our ability to deliver refurbishment and repositioning projects that genuinely perform once they are live.”
Erasmus’s career spans senior operational roles across international hospitality brands, giving him a strong understanding of how brand standards, design intent, and asset strategy translate into day-to-day performance. As COO, he will play a key role in scaling Auriga’s operational advisory offering across the region.
Auriga works across a broad range of hospitality formats, including hotels, branded and independent F&B concepts, lifestyle venues, wellness and salon brands, and emerging cloud kitchen operators. While the firm maintains a strong footprint in Abu Dhabi, its operations extend across Dubai, the wider GCC and Africa, supporting both local and international stakeholders on hospitality and mixed-use developments.
