My name is Boris and I am the Assistant Food & Beverage Manager at the Hilton Prague. Before joining Hilton actually I was a professional football player, so by the age of 18 I was playing football and nothing else. I got an injury so I studied hospitality management. Hilton was the one that opened a new hotel in Bulgaria, in Sofia, and I said I’m going to work for this one and this is what happened.

My favourite part from the Elevator programme is definitely the operations, I adore it. In food and beverage I am responsible for the service in the restaurants and the bars of Hilton Prague. There is a lot of pressure but I really enjoy the direct contact with the customer and after all I think this is what hospitality is all about.

The Elevator programme is aimed to prepare the future generations of GMs. In five to eight years time the Elevator trainees will become General Managers. I believe this is going to be my future, a way to achieve my goal. I have developed my communication skills definitely. I have developed my general management skills. The Elevator programme is both for graduate recruits and for internal candidates for who there is no requirements to have a degree.

I joined the Elevator programme as an internal candidate. I had been working for the Hilton Sofia for three years before joining the Programme. Hilton is definitely a very good employer and as an international company it gives so many opportunities for development and this is extremely important for young individuals like me.