The world starts here

Jen Ellin

Jen had already built a successful business, but her course led to a change in direction.

Harvey MacDiarmid

Harvey has harboured a passion for travel since school, so the chance to get out into the world of work alongside his academic studies was too good to turn down.

Manavi Tribhuvan

Manavi describes herself as “a people person,” so she had few doubts that her future career would lie in hospitality.

Abigail Edwards

Abigail began work as a teaching assistant at University College Birmingham in September 2024, but she was already very familiar with her surroundings, and this was one of the…

Zoey Harris-Wright

Zoey attributes her success not just to her academic achievements, but her decision to grasp everything university life offers with both hands.

Sefena Iqbal

A period of adversity convinced mature student Sefena to take the plunge back into education after she was made redundant during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sagar Sanjiv Mahale

Sagar had already gained a lot of technical experience when he decided to explore the management side of the industry.

Bhavi Sunil Mehta

Bhavi was the events coordinator for the 2023 Special Olympics World Games, using skills she learned on her degree.

Emeka Emmanuel Akpor

Emeka’s route into Aviation Management was perhaps a little different to most. Nevertheless, he saw the decision to return to study as essential in pursuit of his career…

Ayisha Gordon

When Ayisha finished her dance and performing arts course at college, she had no idea what to do next.

Abhyuday Khare

After completing his bachelor’s degree, Abhyuday spent four years working in his home country, India. Always eager to take steps forward in his career, however, a return to edu…

Ajinkya Gurav

After gaining an MSc in air transport management and an LLM in aviation law, Ajinkya decided to expand on his skills.

Roland Ozolins

From a young age, Roland harboured a passion for aviation, but was unsure how to make his way in the industry.

Daniel Bennett

Award winner Daniel was inspired to study hospitality after cooking at home as a child and falling in love with all things culinary.

Charlie Hobbis

Alumni Charlie studied events management and now owns a multi-six figure business with an array of diverse clients.

Priyanshu Sharma

Priyanshu had been interested in travelling and food since he was young.

Ellie Ricks

With a father passionate about rally driving, and a mother working as a pacesetter, it seemed inevitable that Ellie too would become a petrolhead.

Wajeeha Rafaqat

After completing her English degree and wrapping up an internship, Wajeeha knew she wanted to stay in education and learn more about marketing.

Kanyi Bubacarr

Retired from the Royal Navy through injury, Kanyi was working for HM Customs and Excise in London when he made a key life decision: to go back into education

Phil Thebridge

Phil ventured into a master’s in Aviation Management at University College Birmingham to expand on knowledge he gained while studying tourism.

Kerry White

Kerry fell in love with the aviation industry after travelling abroad from an early age.

Laura Hulme

The accreditation of Laura’s course by the University of Warwick was a real selling point when choosing her degree.

Raphael Akakpo

Now working for a top travel company, Raphael chose to build on his degree from a French university with an internationally-focused top-up.

Whitney Nwabuwe

Attending a hospitality careers event during her degree quickly led to a foot in the door for budding events planner Whitney.

Samuel Salter

As a business leadership graduate for Collins Aerospace, Samuel is flying the flag for industry improvement – and it all started at University College Birmingham.

Rhys Williams

From a game-changing Whitbread operations manager to talent recruiter, Rhys has carved out a diverse career since completing his course.

Afroz Ahmed

Completing a culinary college course in his home city of Mumbai, Afroz was keen to expand on his skills overseas.

Richard Behan

Richard encourages students to start considering their career plans as early as possible, and he equips them with practical, real-world insights and connections to thrive in the…

Karla Keating-Nel

Karla has travelled all four corners of the world – from Japan, Argentina and the USA to the solar eclipse site in Antarctica – and she bring all these experiences into her…

Salil Colge

From security services to loading aircraft at Mumbai Airport to managing 24/7 airport operations at Dubai International, Salil has seen it all in aviation and earned multiple awar…

Leila-Jane Edwards

Leila-Jane has loved every minute of teaching Events Management at UCB since joining in 2008 – it's a far cry from preparing Disney Cruise Line's 'Disney Wonder' for her fi…

Simon Faulkner

Simon is a big advocate for regenerative tourism and loves exploring ways to make travel more sustainable and meaningful, especially in rural areas of Central and South America…

Katie Bickley

Katie once pre-empted the impact of a cyclone and advised British Airways to change flight schedules, saving them thousands of pounds – she even got an award for it!

Valentina Basile

Valentina's professional background spans various roles within the tourism and education sectors. Drawing on these diverse experiences allows her to bring real-world insight…

Yvonne Worrell

With broad professional experience in finance, HR and business administration at organisations such as the London Borough of Lambeth and Sun Alliance Insurance, Yvonne brings a…

Helen Joyner-Harris

Having served in the Royal Navy and worked in everything from diving to tourism, Helen brings a wealth of real-world experience to her teaching in aviation, hospitality, a…

Paul Bamber

I have been a lecturer at UCB since 2004, following a career in destination management with Bristol City Council, Leeds City Council and Marketing Manchester. My key responsibilit…

Saša Bobić

One misconception Sasa likes to challenge is that hospitality and tourism are all about long hours and low pay. In reality, the industry is incredibly diverse, rewarding, and full…

Elisabeth Stratton

Ros McAteer

As a former UCB student, Ros's experiences here have directly led to a diverse career, from managing hotel banqueting to leading contract catering teams. She has been published in…

Paul Stewart

After graduating, I was employed as an actor, writer, and director by a Stirling-based arts and entertainment company. Other work during this period included stints as an actor/s…

Sophie Murphy

My journey at University College Birmingham started as an Events Management student. In the years prior to and during my study, I spent six years at a large scale specialist eve…

Ankur Ahuja

I joined University College Birmingham as a lecturer in March 2015, which is my first teaching job. Prior to this, I have primarily worked within luxury hotel sector including Gro…

Catherine Yard

Catherine worked in hotel and restaurant management, leading teams in fast-paced, customer-focused environments. These experiences gave her a clear insight into how HR shapes s…

Hafiza Rasool

Hafiza was involved in the selection panel for the 22,000-strong volunteer cohort for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she also had the honour of serving as lead fl…

Nancy Mpofu

With nearly two decades of industry experience, including management roles at Best Western, Premier Inn, and IHG, Nancy brings real-world stories and practical insights directly t…

Shivaun Caffrey

From five-star hotel kitchens to volunteering in Uganda, Shivaun's hands-on experiences around the world have shaped her approach to food and education, bringing theory to lif…