Olivia is the Academic Director of Dubai College of Tourism, and has been involved since the college's inception, contributing to its overall strategy, planning and design. Prior to this, Olivia worked for 6 years as a management consultant in the Educational and Skills Consulting division of global advisory firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers in their Dubai office, as well as in the Talent and Organisation team of global technology consulting firm Accenture in London. She has advised a range of governments and large multinational companies on change management strategies as well as developed innovative learning programmes. Olivia is also a qualified teacher in England & Wales having completed the prestigious Teach First programme, before later becoming a Trustee.  Olivia completed her MA in Geography and Education at Cambridge University and is dedicated to providing young people with world class educational and vocational opportunities that will help them go on to have challenging and rewarding careers.

Elham Bolooki is an Academic Advisor and Senior Instructor at DCT. With an MBA in International Hospitality from The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, Elham has had an extensive career at Jumeirah Group. She was selected to be part of the Future Leader Program that allowed her to experience different departments such as: Rooms Division, Food & Beverage, Events Operations and Human Resources. She has worked in properties such as the Burj Al Arab, Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Jumeirah Port Soller in Mallorca, Spain. She was awarded The Rising Star at the 2017 Middle East Hospitality Awards. Elham moved on to work in Retail at Dubai Mall looking after all Food & Beverage, health and beauty outlets as a Senior Retail Relations Manager. 

Priyanka is a Student Well-being Lead, an Instructor and an Academic Advisor at DCT. She has over 16 years of experience in learning and development with various industries in India and Middle East in designing, developing, and delivering a variety of development and growth pathways for individuals. She has a Master’s Degree in Psychology and a Post Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management, from the prestigious XLRI, India. Priyanka is also ACC-ICF Certified Life Coach and uses her knowledge and skills to develop a nurturing, supportive and inclusive environment at the college while also supports the students by providing them with personal counseling and coaching services. Priyanka is a life-long student and is always curious to explore and learn more about human behaviour. She also loves cooking, singing, reading and writing blogs in her free time.

Miles is the Owner of Definitive Hospitality, a restaurant and hospitality solutions company based in Dubai. He is a hospitality professional with over 20 years’ experience, specialising in restaurant pre-opening and set-up, concept creation, and training and development. Having worked with Michelin-starred chefs in Dubai and London, and with renowned establishments such as Fortnum & Mason and Emirates Golf Club, Miles has extensive expertise in delivering exceptional standards of guest service and experience across diverse hospitality environments. He is also a keen competitive boxer, marathon runner, skier, and Ironman triathlete.

The Lead Culinary Arts instructor at DCT comes with a long history in the kitchens of established hotels throughout the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Christian has worked with Marriott International for over 26 years, of which for 12 years he held the position of Executive Chef. His personal passion is in large-scale catering, in the detail and fundamentals of cooking skills and culinary management.

Nikoleta Hroncova is the Hospitality Programme Lead at DCT and brings a wealth of professional knowledge and experience to the college.

Prior to joining the college, she worked as a Hospitality Lecturer with Les Roches Jing Jiang International Hotel Management College in Shanghai for 4 years.  Her own hotel career began in Orlando, Florida working for Vacation Resorts International. She moved on to spend 5 years with St Regis Hotels and Resorts in guest relations and front office management in Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Shanghai.

Nikoleta holds a First Class Degree BA (Hons) in International Tourism Management from the University of Bedfordshire, Business School in the United Kingdom as well as an MBA in Global Hospitality Management (Distinction) from Les Roches Global Hospitality Education, Switzerland and a Postgraduate Diploma in International Hotel Management from Les Roches International Hotel Management College, Shanghai.

Gerhard Gendrano is a highly skilled chef and an accomplished culinary instructor having served as a Culinary Director for the Global Academy in the Philipines for 10 years before moving to Dubai in 2019. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management and a Diploma in Culinary Arts and Technology Management.

In 2017, Gerhard won the Chef of the Year award at the Philippine Culinary Cup for winning gold medals across seven categories, at the same time he also captained the school to win the third overall award for winning the most medals across the entire culinary cup. His success as a culinary director & team captain earned him a spot to represent and win medals for the Philippines at the Food Hotel Asia in Singapore and the Ultimate Chef Challenge in Thailand. Upon his return, Gerhard was nominated to train as a WACS Competition Judge and a WACS Certified Culinary Educator.

Throughout his career, Gerhard worked in a range of F&B service operations across different types of establishments. He started his career in restaurant and catering operations and held several managerial roles in different hotel chains such as Dusit Thani Hotel, Hyatt Hotel & Casino and Resorts World before moving to academe.

Gerhard is a passionate educator & strongly believes in a holistic approach, mentoring the next generation of chefs to thrive and build a more sustainable F&B industry. He is a father of 2 boys and also married to a chef, and enjoys traveling with his family and spending time outdoors.

Zainab Merchant is an educator with seven years of experience in mainstream schools across Dubai, supporting neurodivergent learners with diverse needs. Her work centres on creating accessible and personalised learning experiences that help students thrive. She began her career as a neuro-physiotherapist, spending a decade working with children with neurological conditions. This clinical background gives her a distinctive understanding of the physical, cognitive and emotional aspects of learning, which now informs her work with Students of Determination in vocational settings.

At the Dubai College of Tourism, Zainab leads the Entry-Level Hospitality Programme, combining evidence-based practice with real-world industry exposure to deliver accessible hands-on training that equips learners of determination with the skills and confidence needed for meaningful roles in the hospitality sector.

Zainab is currently pursuing a PhD in Special and Inclusive Education and has presented and published her research internationally, contributing to global conversations on inclusion and equitable learning pathways for People of Determination.

Kyi Kyi Thein is an events industry expert and Founder of CSN Events and Consultancy, based in Dubai. Originally from Myanmar, she has over 18+ years of experience across hospitality and the events sector in the UAE, Africa, and the Middle East, leading cross-functional teams and delivering inbound and outbound events across global destinations for corporate and hospitality clients.

She holds an MBA and is a certified trainer, combining strong academic credentials with extensive practical experience. Her career includes senior leadership roles in 5-star hotels, luxury event venues, and Pfizer, a Fortune 500 organization, providing her with deep expertise in commercial strategy, operations, and large-scale event delivery.

As an instructor at Dubai College of Tourism, Kyi Kyi trains and mentors future hospitality and events professionals, bringing real-world industry standards into the classroom.

Outside of her professional work, Kyi Kyi enjoys travel and music, values wellbeing and quality rest, and has a keen interest in exploring cuisines from around the world.

Manzar is a retail business professional with 25+ years of global experience across the industry spectrum of Consumer Electronics, Fashion, Perfumes, Pharmaceutical in the areas of Sales, Business Development, and Strategic Business Planning.
In his tenure as Retail Manager in Eros group, he led a team of 200+ staff members including Regional Managers, Store Managers and support staff to increase revenues and profitability. He also contributed to the streamlining of product team operations to ensure effective delivery of marketing and sales solutions. This led to him winning the category of Electronic Retailer under the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme in 2014, 2015 and 2017.
He is currently pursuing his passion of teaching and mentoring at Dubai College of Tourism.

Jessy Abraham is the Founder and CEO of Thrive, a boutique HR consultancy based in Dubai and London, specialising in leadership development, coaching, and organisational transformation.

With over 30 years of experience in the aviation industry, she has held senior talent development roles at Emirates Airline, dnata, and Emirates Flight Catering, leading large-scale transformation initiatives across the UAE and international markets. Her work has included culture change programmes, airport openings in Dubai, and airline and ground handling start-ups in Canada, the UK, and Iran.

Jessy played an advisory role in the establishment of Dubai College of Tourism, representing the aviation sector, and is a contributor to the Harvard Business Review Council. She holds an MBA in Human Resources from the University of Leicester and has completed executive education at Harvard Business School. She is also a certified executive coach and NLP practitioner.

Actively engaged in the UAE’s business ecosystem, Jessy is a member of the Dubai Business Women Council and the Irish Business Network, and mentors startups through the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre.

With over 30 years of experience in the Travel and Tourism industry, Aabha Dcruz brings a holistic understanding of the sector. Her career spans across corporate travel consultancy, IATA instruction, Amadeus Travel Solutions training and support, as well as development and delivery of Travel Industry Orientation, Customer Service and Selling Skills trainings.

During her tenure with Etihad Aviation Group, Aabha led a dynamic team at Amadeus Gulf, overseeing customer support and training for various Amadeus products. Her efforts were aimed at equipping travel agents with cutting-edge technology and tools. Her dedication to mentoring and guiding the training and support team, earned her an Outstanding Performance Award from Etihad Aviation in 2021.

Aabha’s specialization includes corporate travel, managing both business and leisure travel needs for major companies. She began her UAE career as a trainer in the IATA/UFTAA certification division, preparing students for both the IATA Standard and International Travel Consultant exams.

She holds a degree in Mathematics and a Postgraduate Diploma in Travel and Tourism Management, along with an IATA-UFTAA Geneva, International Travel Consultant certificate and Train the Trainer certification.

Currently, Aabha serves as an instructor at Dubai College of Tourism, passionately sharing her decades of industry insight. She empowers the next generation of travel professionals with a deeply empathetic approach, valuing each learner’s unique journey.

Alexia Doherty has a strong passion for retail business and for delivering the highest standards of customer service. With a career spanning over 17 years, she worked as a Department Manager in Harrods, London for 8 years overseeing a department of 200 employees, and then for LVMH Perfumes and Cosmetics where she was responsible for the wholesale and retail sales of Guerlain across Central London’s department stores namely Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Peter Jones, Fortnum and Mason, John Lewis and House of Fraser. Alexia holds a BA (Hons) degree from Cambridge University.