Meet with Karan A. Khiani, Director at Kiros Hospitality Solutions Pvt. Ltd Licensee Direct Hotel Supplies (DHS Mumbai).
Karan graduated from Glion in 2002 with a Postgraduate Diploma in Hospitality Administration
What made you pursue an education in Hospitality Management?
I have always been a people person, and loved entertaining family and friends at home. I am also very fond of traveling and experiencing new cultures and cuisines. After my bachelor in business administration; I felt there was no better way to fulfill my passion than by pursuing a hospitality management degree. My long term goal was also to start my own business in this field, and ultimately, to have my own restaurant or some related business.
Why did you decide to study at Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland?
Like any other student, I spent a lot of time researching various programs and schools in Switzerland, as Swiss hotel schools are known to have the best programs and are considered the best in this industry. Glion always came up in the top three hotel programs, and the postgraduate diploma program was perfect for me. It had the right subjects to complement my business degree, as it focused on learning about hospitality, which was a new world for me.
I also met some alumni, who were all very happy with the choices they made and the great internship prospects during and after the course. Glion, also has a diverse cultural mix of students, which was also a leading factor that motivated me to choose the school. Finally, the icing on the cake was Glion’s stunning campus and location which also helped me to explore Europe.
Where did you do your internships? Did this experience influence your career choices? How did this develop your professional and personal skills?
I interned at a restaurant in Regendorf, Zurich called Hot Wok during the program and InterContinental The Grand Mumbai after my graduation.
For me, both were equally important experiences and taught me different life lessons. I was always interested in food & beverage and wanted to open my own restaurant. The restaurant experience gave me a great insight to the skills and process required to run and own your own restaurant and think like a business owner which is important in any industry.
My experience at Intercontinental The Grand Mumbai gave me a broader perspective over how larger organizations of people and departments work together to deliver a great product and service.
My internships gave me the right skills and discipline to lead and manage a team of people.
Describe your career path and career opportunities since your graduation, please.
The knowledge and experience that I gained during my time at Glion gave me the opportunity to start as a managerial trainee in one of the leading hotel chains of the world. I was able to quickly climb up the hotel ladder to become one of the youngest F&B managers of the InterContinental Marine Drive Mumbai, at the age of 27. It also made me achieve my long term of goal of having my own business related to the field of hospitality. Today I run, manage and own a leading hotel & restaurant operating supply company called Kiros Hospitality Solutions in India and the Sub Continent. My hospitality background really helped me understand my clients’ needs and also bridge the gap of the hotel supply industry in India. We specialize in hotel turnkey projects and restaurant projects, and we have worked with many leading hotel chains and projects like the Taj Hotels, Oberoi Hotels, Hyatt International, Hilton Hotels, Kempinski Hotels and Marriott Hotels all over India, to mention a few.
In which way did Glion Institute of Higher Education help you achieve your professional objectives?
In the short term, the hard skills & knowledge I gained at Glion helped me achieve my goal of being a leader in F&B and also one of the youngest F&B managers in this field. Leadership skills, which I gained during my internship, helped me climb the ladder faster and manage people better, which I find extremely important for our industry.
If you would recommend Glion Institute of Higher Education to a potential candidate, what would you say?
If you are ambitious, driven, passionate about hospitality, and you want to be a leader in the field, then Glion is the place for you. It has a great program, cultural mix of students and alumni network which is really what you need from your school nowadays.
The Glion Spirit will be with you forever.
