Tell us about your journey in hospitality so far – what drew you to the industry and keeps you passionate about it today?

Born and raised in Corfu, Greece, I was surrounded by tourism and initially planned to return home to work in traditional hotel operations. However, my perspective shifted while studying Hospitality and Tourism at the Business College of Athens (BCA), where my mentor, Dr. Antonios Giannopoulos, inspired me to explore the broader ecosystem of travel technology. After earning an MBA with Distinction from the University of Plymouth, I focused on travel-tech because I valued innovation, agility, and data-driven strategy. My career began at Holidu (a German OTA and travel software company), where I helped establish the first Greek office and contract our first 1,000 properties. I then moved to a fast-paced role at Booking.com, consulting over 400 partners on revenue optimization across Mykonos, Athens, and Rhodes.

Today, I manage hotel partnerships at Lighthouse, an organization at the forefront of hospitality innovation and AI-driven commercial tools. In this role, I consult with hundreds of partners on how to leverage technology to maximize their revenue. Alongside my corporate work, I remain deeply connected to academia and community building, delivering public speeches and lecturing part-time at BCA College and the Alpine Center to help shape the next generation of industry professionals.

What motivated you to join the Connecting Future Leaders Committee, and how has working alongside peers from other companies helped you expand your network and develop new perspectives?

For me, community building has always been a primary focus because collaborative environments are where we learn the most. Joining the HSMAI Europe Connecting Future Leaders Committee was a natural step, allowing me to use my established network in the Greek market to help grow a vibrant professional community. It provides a relaxed yet impactful space to connect with like-minded peers, share our respective successes and failures, and discuss emerging industry opportunities.

Greece has hundreds of talented young professionals in tourism who are actively looking for networking, knowledge expansion, and new career avenues. Through this committee, we have a unique opportunity to build a powerful support system that bridges the gap between rising local talent and the evolving needs of the international hospitality sector.

What excites you most about the future of hospitality, and how do you see yourself contributing to that future?

What excites me most is how the hospitality industry is shifting from being reactive to highly proactive and fast-paced. Driven by data and technology, the sector is currently undergoing a major transition, particularly with the integration of AI. Alongside this technical shift, hospitality education has become much more grounded, producing specialized professionals who are deeply intentional about making a long-term impact in this space.

I see my contribution living at the intersection of industry practice and education. Through my work at Lighthouse, I am helping to bring advanced commercial technologies to the Greek and Cypriot markets, training revenue managers to navigate this new era. Simultaneously, through my lectures, I aim to give back what my professors gave to me: guiding students to find their specific interests, grow their careers, and find genuine satisfaction in their professional choices.

For young hotel and travel professionals who might be thinking, “Is this for me?” – what would you say to encourage them to get involved?

Hospitality and tourism have many different faces, meaning there is a place for almost every skill set. Whether your interests lie in revenue management, finance, data analytics, or marketing, you can build a meaningful career here. The key to finding your niche is to remain agile, curious, and willing to experiment with different paths early on in your journey.

Ultimately, we work in an industry dedicated to creating lasting memories for people. There is immense fulfillment in knowing that your daily work directly contributes to those experiences, and I encourage anyone starting out to embrace that impact and explore where their unique talents fit best.

Quick-fire round (one-line answers only):

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received at HSMAI Europe events?

Always stay curious, never settle for what you already know, and always practice active listening.

What’s one skill every young leader should develop?

Agility and adaptability, because navigating rapid change is essential for long-term growth in this industry.

Name a hospitality trend that excites you right now.

Experience personalization, which allows us to deliver tailored services at every step of the guest journey, both physically and digitally.

How would you describe the greatest benefit of HSMAI Europe in just one line?

It connects you with a network of peers who share the exact same curiosity, professional drive, and eagerness to grow.