Hello ! My name is Besty Borda Calisaya, and I can say that my training at the École Hôtelière de Genève has been very enriching, both professionally and personally. I chose the EHG because I originally wanted to become a chef. Pastry-making was the field that interested me most, because of the meticulousness and creativity required.

During my training, however, several teachers advised me to do my second internship in a non-operations department. So I did my internship with InterContinental Geneva and Crowne Plaza for IHG as a sales trainee. It was thanks to this internship that I discovered what marketing and sales are all about. I enjoyed it so much, with all the tasks I was given, that I decided to do my final internship in a field close to marketing, events management, with the Geneva Tourism Convention Bureau. Thanks to the flexibility between the months of training and the months of work experience offered by the Hotel Management School Geneva, I was able to develop my professional career while acquiring skills in several areas.

Not at all, I was thinking of becoming a pastry chef, and one of my wishes was to manage a brigade… In the end, I manage a team of four people. For me, the luxury sector has always been too abstract and sometimes even too austere, and I’m delighted to be working for a family business like Drake Store, where one of the values is to make luxury more relaxed, with a more focused approach on customers and their needs. Drake Store’s warm approach allows me to make this a real strength both within the company and with the customers we have.

The internship I did as a Sales trainee was the most revealing of my professional and personal career path. I discovered a great interest in sales and human contact. My colleagues took the time to show me as much as possible about all the areas of sales and their responsibilities. They have always been very professional and have excelled in their professional careers. I’m very grateful for all the teaching each of them gave me, and for having been able to carry out my internship at the Crowne Plaza Geneva and InterContinental Geneva.

Thanks to EHG and the training offered at the school, I have acquired excellent managerial skills. Having completed several internships has enabled me to observe and learn from a variety of management styles. Each work environment offers a unique opportunity to observe how managers lead and motivate their teams. For example, I’ve seen managers adopt an authoritarian style, where decisions are made vertically and instructions are clearly defined, while others favor a more participative style, encouraging team members to contribute to decisions and processes.

By working under different forms of management, I’ve been able to learn the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. For example, authoritarian management can sometimes create a rigid and discouraging environment, whereas more participative management can foster creativity and commitment among team members.

Moreover, it helped me understand that each individual has his or her own way of reacting to management, and that it’s important for a manager to adapt his or her leadership style to the needs and preferences of his or her team.

Ultimately, this diversity of experience provided me with a solid foundation on which to develop my own management style. By drawing on the best practices I’ve observed and avoiding the pitfalls I’ve noticed, I’ve been able to develop a management approach that fosters collaboration, motivation and professional development within my team at Drake Store.

I decided to pursue a master’s degree in digital marketing because I wanted to broaden my knowledge in the field of marketing, although at the Ecole Hôtelière I was able to acquire good knowledge in this area. In particular, I wanted to learn more about KPIs and how to measure them in digital marketing, while developing my professional knowledge in fields other than hospitality and management.

As a certified Google Ads professional at Drake Store, I integrate my skills by developing specific advertising campaigns, carefully selecting relevant keywords and creating compelling ads. I carefully monitor the performance of these campaigns to adjust parameters and optimize results. In addition, I ensure consistency and complementarity between our Google Ads campaigns and our other marketing initiatives, guaranteeing a smooth and effective overall marketing experience for our customers.

I draw on a diverse set of experiences to shape our strategies and achieve our goals. My previous internships were incredible stepping stones thanks to the École Hôtelière de Genève. There I learned alongside experienced colleagues, absorbing their knowledge like a sponge. This enabled me to grasp the best practices and most effective strategies in marketing and management, which is really valuable in our constantly evolving field.

Then there’s my career as Swiss table tennis champion. I was lucky enough to play the sport from the age of 7 to 16, taking part in several national competitions, and was coached by my father, who is now president of the Silver Star CTT table tennis club. This may seem far removed from the world of marketing, but in reality it taught me a lot about management and leadership. On the court, I had to be strategic, know how to motivate my teammates, and deal with the pressure of competition. These skills translate perfectly into my current role. Leading and motivating the teams at Drake Store to achieve our marketing objectives is a bit like being the captain of a sports team.

I think the best teaching I ever received and still apply on a daily basis is the teaching I got from my parents. My parents were an invaluable support and showed me time and again how resilience is essential for success. When I made the decision to train at a hotel school rather than opt for a more “traditional” course such as medicine or law, my parents were perplexed. Having skipped two grades during my education, they probably envisaged a more conventional academic path for me. However, despite their misgivings, they chose to support me in this decision. They understood that hotel school offered a unique opportunity to combine classroom learning with hands-on experience in the field. Their unconditional support gave me the confidence to follow my own path and explore my passions. And today, I’m grateful for their understanding and encouragement. Their guidance and example have been with me throughout my career, and they continue to guide the way I approach professional challenges at Drake Store.

It’s this combination of experiences that enables me to navigate the dynamic world of marketing and e-commerce. I bring both strategic expertise, acquired through my studies and internships, and a practical perspective, forged in the field and in competition. And it’s this fusion that enables us to innovate, anticipate trends and keep Drake Store ahead of the game.

Online competition is intense, which pushes us to stand out from the crowd. We also need to keep abreast of the latest trends and technologies to remain competitive. Maximizing our return on investment is a constant objective, requiring ongoing monitoring and adjustments. Finally, building customer loyalty is essential, so we strive to provide exceptional customer service to maintain engagement. On the management side, some challenges may include motivating and engaging team members and creating a collaborative and inclusive working environment. In addition, ensuring clear and transparent communication, as well as providing effective leadership to guide the team towards the achievement of objectives, are also crucial aspects of management. In addition, managing the professional and personal development of team members can be a challenge, as can establishing and maintaining a positive and productive corporate culture. In short, management involves juggling a variety of responsibilities and finding effective solutions to overcome day-to-day challenges, while promoting the team’s growth and success.

Over the next five years, I see myself continuing my career at Drake Store as Marketing & E-commerce Director, while making a significant contribution to the company’s growth. Professionally, I aim to continue developing my skills in leadership, marketing strategy and e-commerce, while staying at the forefront of new industry trends and technologies.

On a personal level, I’d like to continue enriching myself culturally, for example by learning a new foreign language. I’d like to continue to balance my professional life with time with family and friends. Above all, I’d like to be able to devote more time to my faith on a spiritual level.

From what I’ve learned along the way and from my experiences, it’s often beneficial to face up to situations that frighten us and deal with them head-on. In fear, we always emerge greater and with more learning. It’s in these moments of challenge and uncertainty that we often have the opportunity to surpass ourselves and discover new resources within ourselves, both personally and professionally.