The benefits of her return to student life make her choose the online Executive Master’s in International Hotel Management program at Les Roches, which is ranked among the best educational institutions in hotel management worldwide, Ms. Gianna Delibaltidi, member of the Sani/Ikos Group.
With a degree in hospitality and a decade of professional experience, Ukrainian-born Yanna Delibaltidi, who has created a home – and a career – in Greece, talks about her studies at Les Roches
“I started my career journey in hospitality in the front office, honing invaluable skills in communicating with guests and understanding their different needs,” he explains. “For the last eight years I have been an integral member of the VIP department for the Sani/Ikos Group, overseeing the prive services and enhancing the guest experience beyond their stay at the 12 Sani & Ikos Resorts in Greece and Spain. The service and care of our guests is of the highest level, which is why it requires from us the utmost professionalism, attention to detail and the ability to fulfill the wishes of our guests even before they ask for them”.
Definitely quite a demanding role, which offers plenty of practical, day-to-day experience. But Janna knew she needed something more to move up the ranks – an enhanced level of expertise that can only come from “going back to school”.
“When looking for an academic programme, a key factor was the presence in the programme not only of theory, but also of practical knowledge – examples from professors who already have quite impressive experience in this field. I also wanted to see tasks included that help develop skills that would be really useful in the work process itself,” he says.
Fascinated by the content of the Executive Master’s in International Hotel Management program and the faculty, as well as Les Roches’ reputation throughout the industry, Janna chose the school as a means to open doors to the future. She started her studies in September 2023.
A great advantage of the Executive Master is that the studies offer flexibility, with the participant being able to combine work and family responsibilities at the same time. This was an important factor that pushed Gianna to choose this particular programme, although she had some reservations, which have now disappeared.
“I had some concerns that the online programme would be weaker than the one the students attend in person. But all of this was immediately dispelled at the start of the first section. The well-structured presentation of information, the open access to the lectures and the personalised interaction with the lecturers via video calls or emails exceeded my expectations. The flexibility of the online programme allows me to combine work and study without compromising on quality,” he underlines.
The programme
Although the vast majority of the Executive Master is attended remotely, the programme also includes residential weeks, which bring the student group together on campus for live classes, industry visits and peer networking. Janna took advantage of this element.
“My visit to the Marbella campus reinforced the excellence of the programme. The willingness to help and the professionalism evident in every organizational aspect was beyond my imagination. There were no indifferent presentations or tedious lectures – the professors imparted knowledge, drawn from their extensive experience through live communication, discussions, answering our questions and providing practical examples, going beyond the conventional academic curriculum”, he notes.
Off-campus activities that Janna fondly remembers included a sake tasting and a sushi masterclass at the Nobu Hotel Marbella, which, she said, “proved the pinnacle of service, setting a standard for our ambitions”. And a visit to a luxury hotel for a chat with the director general and other senior executives was considered “simply invaluable and something that cannot be gained from a dry study of the material”.
Having reached the halfway point of the Executive Master programme, Gianna has already started thinking about what will happen next and how she will use what she has learned. But what does he hope to achieve?
“I aspire to apply the knowledge I have gained to my current role. Perhaps in the future I will also be ready to explore opportunities in other companies, in the belief that the Les Roches diploma will open doors to the world’s leading hotel companies. My dream was to get an education in the best school in the world, and this is an achievement that I am on the verge of realizing,” he says.
