As an alumnus of V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE) Mark Troy D’souza went from being unsure about the hospitality industry to being one of twenty-five students at the Hotelschool The Hague in the Netherlands pursuing his MBA.
In a candid chat, Mark reveals to us how the three years spent in this leading hotel management institute served as a building block to becoming an effective hotelier and leader.
What stuck out to you that made you choose VMSIIHE?
I wasn’t originally looking at the hospitality industry and was trying to decide between business and liberal arts. My family is in the hospitality sector so that is what first attracted me to the industry and then I discovered VMSIIHE. The faculty and infrastructure played a huge role in me joining the hospitality management course. What stuck out to me was the way the hotel management institute implemented and instilled in us a sense of discipline and responsibility. Also, the on-site interviews and placements were very important.
What was your experience in the institute like? Do you think it opened up opportunities for you?
The institution embodies quality learning which is something that transformed my experience as a student in general. It was here that I understood what quality meant; the exposure I got travelling and doing internships abroad as well as the other opportunities the institute provided in terms of the curriculum which is of an international standard. The batch sizes were also smaller here as compared to other hotel management schools which allowed for a more personalized teaching methodology. Even though I was a part of the third batch the institute provided me with a lot of networking opportunities in the hotel industry. I didn’t come to VMSIIHE with a specific career path in mind but the institute introduced me to so many different areas that ultimately led to me discovering my path.
What excites you in the field of hospitality management? Does it motivate you to push forward and strive for the best?
Meeting new people and networking are some of my biggest passions. Networking is something that drives me forward.
You’ve now moved forward in your educational career and are doing your MBA at Hotelschool The Hague. How has your experience been and did your VMSIIHE connections help you in international waters?
Just to give you some background, The Hotelschool The Hague is a popular institute and I am a part of their MBA program. There are only about 25 of us in the program, so it’s a very personalized method similar to VMSIIHE. So far it has been interesting and fun, though it is a lot of hard work and pressure. It’s an amazing experience with ups and downs and it’s been one of the fastest years of my life with memories for a lifetime.
Coming to the latter part of your question, it’s an interesting story about how networking works. I needed to conduct an audit for my MBA and I have a favourite restaurant here in The Hague. I’ve been eating there very often and when I had to do my thesis, I thought of doing it there since I love it so much. I know their product, the service and so on but I didn’t know how to go about approaching the restaurant. So, I opened a LinkedIn account and put in the restaurant’s name. The first thing I saw was that the head of recruiting had a mutual connection with Professor Irfan Mirza, Director/Principal of VMSIIHE. I had just been speaking to him about my audit and it was amazing to find the link. I formed my connection with the head of recruiting and the restaurant because I was from VMSIIHE which then snowballed into me getting hired as the first student consultant to work with them. All that was only possible because of our mutual connection.
Would you say that VMSIIHE helped you come out of your shell if you had one before?
Big time! So I was not as vocal as I am today. I was pretty social but more comfortable in smaller groups. I would never have been able to take on public speaking on a big scale or undertake leadership responsibilities. But studying at VMSIIHE helped build my confidence. This led to me taking charge of our theme nights and other events which helped me gain confidence, be more social and build my networking skills.
Lastly, I wanted to ask you if you could tell us maybe one of your fondest memories back in VMSIIHE?
One of the fondest memories I would say for me was during the India Chefs awards. I was handling the management side of it and after a successful last day once all the guests had left, the supervising teacher told us we could stay back and celebrate. I’d say that was one of our best nights.
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LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-troy-dsouza-677015191/
