What inspired you to work for SHG Universities?
I was a student, and they took a chance on me to help manage the operations. I love education, and I was fascinated by the way that SHG educates students and involves practical experience in a degree. I also agree with their motto for excellence, and a personalized learning experience which helps students graduate, not only with work experience and a degree, but also with soft skills to be able to connect interculturally.
Describe a typical day at work.
A typical day for me is generally full of different types of tasks. One of the things I love most about my job is my flexibility to innovate and to push my own limits of excellence. I must be creative and find marketing solutions, create strong partnerships, and manage operations. I also do a lot of research based on student feedback to continuously improve our programs and set us apart from other brick-and-mortar schools.
Classes at SHG
Why do you do what you do?
I am the Junior VP of the university. I take care of both the general operations of the university and the SHG Portugal program, which is held entirely at the Sofitel in Lisbon and has a goal of creating leaders among workers who already have experience in the field. I enjoy seeing the students improve and grow every week, and I am able to help them where I can. I also enjoy working with the teachers and modifying curricula so that they are adapted to the current global market and interactive.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is my ability to innovate. The director puts a lot of trust in my ideas and gives me the freedom to dream as big as I can. I am a dreamer and an innovator, and this job gives me the opportunity not only to think big but to make a real impact on people's lives. And that is what the most gratifying part of the job is - seeing the impact that the school has on the students.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
My previous education and background are actually quite different from my current role. My bachelor's degree was in political economics, where I graduated with honours and magna cum laude for doing research with the faculty for many years. My work experience was also mostly in law, corporate law, and immigration law. Then, when I started my own business in marketing consulting, I had to start putting on multiple hats and be an entrepreneur. My internships taught me a lot in hospitality, and working in HR also softened my heart to the conflicts between management and staff. Although my experience is very vast, each part of my previous experience lends to my jobs today - contract law for our policies, research for developing our learning methods, studying student success, marketing the company, and negotiating strong partnerships with relevant parties. I was gutted when I realized that I did not want to go into law, but once I started working in hospitality, it changed my life, and I am so glad that it turned out this way.
What advice would you give your pre-travel self?
I would tell my pre-travel self that it is okay to let go and follow your dreams. Sometimes the worst thing you can do is live your life pondering how life would be if you took a chance and made a change. I would tell myself that all of the things that I am worried about if I moved abroad are nothing to the life that I would gain by taking the chance. Not only did I learn about myself and who I was, but I reached new limits I never knew I could reach.
Faculty Members
What makes SHG Universities special?
What makes SHG special is how personal and practical it is. We are not a traditional university where you sit in big lecture halls for years before touching the real world. From the first week, our students are already working in 4- and 5-star hotels, learning by doing. Every six months, they can move to a new city or country, gaining international experience and building a global network.
Our classes are very small, so every student receives personal attention and guidance. Many of our teachers are former hotel managers or executives, and they mentor students as future professionals, not just as students.
By the time they graduate, our students have 2-3 years of work experience, speak several languages, and feel ready to step directly into management-track roles. SHG is special because it truly prepares students for real careers—not just a diploma.
Why should someone choose SHG Universities over competitors?
You should choose SHG because we focus on preparing you for the real world, not just giving you a diploma. From the first week, you’re already working in 4- and 5-star hotels, learning by doing, not just sitting in a classroom. Every six months, you can move to a different city or country, which means by the time you graduate, you’ve experienced hospitality in several cultures and built an international network.
Our classes are small, so you’re not just a number. Teachers know you personally, and most of them are former hotel managers or executives. They guide you step by step and often stay in touch even after you graduate.
You’ll graduate with up to two years of real work experience, strong business and hospitality skills, and confidence that comes from doing the job every day. That’s why many of our students find good jobs quickly—often in luxury hotels or management-track roles.
SHG is also more accessible than many hospitality schools. The program is designed to be affordable, and you can work while you study. Most of all, SHG feels personal—students often say it feels more like a family than a traditional university.
If you want to start a real career in hospitality, gain international experience, and learn in a supportive environment, SHG is the place to do it.
Lisbon Hotel
Why should someone choose SHG Universities over competitors?
You should choose SHG because we focus on preparing you for the real world, not just giving you a diploma. From the first week, you’re already working in 4- and 5-star hotels, learning by doing, not just sitting in a classroom. Every six months, you can move to a different city or country, which means by the time you graduate, you’ve experienced hospitality in several cultures and built an international network.
Our classes are small, so you’re not just a number. Teachers know you personally, and most of them are former hotel managers or executives. They guide you step by step and often stay in touch even after you graduate.
You’ll graduate with up to two years of real work experience, strong business and hospitality skills, and confidence that comes from doing the job every day. That’s why many of our students find good jobs quickly—often in luxury hotels or management-track roles.
SHG is also more accessible than many hospitality schools. The program is designed to be affordable, and you can work while you study. Most of all, SHG feels personal—students often say it feels more like a family than a traditional university.
If you want to start a real career in hospitality, gain international experience, and learn in a supportive environment, SHG is the place to do it.
What is your organization's mission, and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our mission is to prepare the next generation of hospitality leaders through practical, Swiss-quality education that is accessible and truly career-focused. We believe that hospitality cannot be learned only from books—it must be experienced, lived, and practiced every day.
We work toward this mission by combining classroom learning inside 4- and 5-star hotels with structured internships from the first semester. Every six months, students can move to a different city or country, gaining cultural fluency and building an international network.
Our small class sizes ensure personal mentorship, with teachers who are experienced hotel managers and executives guiding students step by step. By graduation, students have up to two years of real-world experience, strong business and leadership skills, and the confidence to succeed in luxury hospitality worldwide.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
We want every student to leave SHG with real confidence, practical experience, and a clear path for their career. By the time they graduate, our students have worked in 4- and 5-star hotels, rotated through different departments, and learned how the industry really operates.
They also gain international exposure, often living in several countries during the program, and build a strong professional network that can help them anywhere in the world.
Most importantly, we hope they leave feeling prepared—not just with a diploma, but with the skills, mindset, and ambition to grow into leadership roles in luxury hospitality.
Working with Students
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
Traveling abroad and experiencing new cultures is essential for personal and professional growth. It teaches you how to adapt, communicate, and understand people from different backgrounds—skills that are especially important in hospitality, where every guest has unique expectations.
Living and working in different countries also builds cultural intelligence, a quality employers look for in future leaders. It helps you become more open-minded, creative, and confident when solving problems.
At SHG, we encourage students to move to a new city or country every six months because these experiences don’t just teach hospitality—they teach you how to thrive in a global industry.
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
Learning a new language opens doors—both personally and professionally. In hospitality, it’s more than just communication; it’s about making guests feel understood and welcome. Speaking multiple languages also helps you build stronger relationships with colleagues from around the world and gives you more career opportunities in international hotels.
At SHG, students are encouraged to learn new languages while living and working abroad, so by graduation, they not only speak to guests—they connect with them on a deeper cultural level.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel is more than sightseeing—it’s about connecting with people, understanding their culture, and growing from the experience. It means learning how others live, respecting their traditions, and taking those lessons with you. In hospitality, this understanding is priceless because it teaches empathy and cultural sensitivity, which are key to creating unforgettable guest experiences.
At SHG, we encourage meaningful travel by giving students the chance to live and work in different countries every six months, turning travel into a true learning experience.
What issues do you see in the world of international education that don’t line up with your values and expectations for mutually beneficial & educational relationships between programs and the communities in which they are located?
One of the biggest issues in international education is that many programs treat communities as a “backdrop” rather than true partners. Schools often place students in locations without building real relationships with local businesses or considering how their presence impacts the community. Internships are sometimes poorly supervised, leaving both students and host organizations feeling like it’s just cheap labor rather than a meaningful exchange.
At SHG, we believe education should be mutually beneficial. Our programs are built in partnership with 4- and 5-star hotels, where students contribute to operations while learning from experienced professionals. We also keep class sizes small and work closely with our partners to ensure that our presence supports local businesses and offers real value. For us, international education is about creating respectful, long-term relationships—not just sending students abroad.