We caught up with Master in Tourism & Hospitality Management alumni Desmond Homenya from the class of 2018-2019 to ask about his experience at EADA.
Desmond is a hotel professional with global working experiences in Europe, the Middle-East and Africa. In the last five years, he has been working with premium and luxury hotel brands such as Ritz-Carlton by Marriott in Barcelona, Spain, Dubai and UAE, Luxury Collection by Marriott in Greece, Kempinski Hotel and Golden Tulip Hotel by Louvre Hotels in Ghana.
What aspects of the programme would you highlight?
The program is a complete package of experiences; the classes, company visits, business trip, the leadership modules, network with alumni and the opportunity to learn and grow in a multinational environment optimize the whole experience.
What are your most memorable experiences so far?
One of the reasons I came to EADA was that I was looking for something my undergraduate didn’t give me, a hands-on methodology. The teaching methodologies in EADA encouraged learning by doing. Secondly, the leadership skills at Residential Training Campus Collbató. The leadership skills have really transformed my interpersonal skills and prepared me for my professional career.
EADA does not only teach you. It puts you to test and connects you with the industry.
What course and/or professor do you prefer better?
The courses in the first trimester were hypothetical with cases to impact on my way of thinking. The third trimester is more practical, and as close as possible to the hospitality industry.
EADA does not only teach you. It puts you to test and connects you with the industry. All my professors have worked in the industry, including general hotel manager of the best hotel in Barcelona, event organiser Fira Barcelona, Directors of Development of Hilton for Spain and Portugal, OTA operators such as Booking and Expedia and many more.
What advice would you give to future students of the International Master in Tourism & Hospitality Management?
If you have chosen hospitality as a career and want to outgrow your profession like myself, or perhaps, you are interesting in working in the hospitality industry, EADA offers you the space to learn, grow, connect with the industry and have fun.
What are your future career plans? How has the master prepared you to reach your professional goals?
In the medium term, I want to gain a well-rounded skills in the operational and managerial aspects of hotel management. In the near future, I want to move into consulting and hotel openings in Africa.
Barcelona has helped me develop an open-mind for different cultures as well as a cosmopolitan outlook.
What main differences have you found between EADA and the university where you took your bachelor degree? And between your home country and life in Spain/Barcelona?
The teaching methodology which is mainly practical in EADA as compared to the theoretical methodology in my previous university. Barcelona exposed me to diversity among people. This has helped me develop an open-mind for different cultures as well as a cosmopolitan outlook in order to interact and relate with people from diverse backgrounds.
Please summarise what EADA has meant to you in one sentence.
EADA has been a big jump in my life and a big step towards my professional goals. In short, if EADA was a company, the Residential Training Campus Collbató would have been the production house where raw materials are transformed into finished goods.