Hello Marion and thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. To begin with, could you tell us about your career and your years at KEDGE Wine School?
I started the MSc in Wine and Hospitality Management program in October 2021 and am now nearing the end of it. My internship is with Wine Owners, a wine business management firm based in London. I work as a data researcher and also assist various company departments such as the trading desk and customer support. I also contribute to the blog; last December, I wrote about the Burgundy wine trade market. I'm also researching the cultural similarities between the natural wine movement and the hip hop movement for my thesis on Wine Culture.
All this was possible thanks to the program, we covered several disciplines in both the wine and hospitality industries from business fields of Finance and Economics to more creative sides such as Art and Sommellerie. My favourite course was the Wine Investment and Valuation of Wine Assets. It was really challenging but thanks to supportive professors, I found it very interesting being interested to the world of fine wine investing, determining a wine’s worth and the ways in which vintages or critic reviews can influence a wine’s price.
Can you tell us about your best memory at KEDGE Wine School?
Wow, there are so many moments to choose from! We had the pleasure of participating in a variety of experiences. But, if I had to choose, it would be when we had the opportunity to dine at Restaurant de L'Hôtel de Ville (Crissier) in Lausanne. Franck Giovanni's three-star restaurant lived up to all of its praise and fame. I had never eaten at a fine dining restaurant in Europe before, let alone one with three stars! Chef Giovanni was extremely welcoming, the staff was friendly and helpful, the food was impeccable, and the wine pairings were a match made in heaven. Dining with the class and staff from the Kedge Wine School's partner EHL was also a pleasure. It was actually there that I discussed my research topic with some of my professors and finally decided on one!
How has KEDGE Wine School helped you to become what you are today, and how has its teaching helped you in the development of your career?
To be honest, I would never have considered a career in the wine industry. It was eye-opening to observe the world of wine beyond the drink and its service. The course selections are extremely relevant and open up a plethora of opportunities for future career professions. I particularly appreciate the assistance provided by the program coordinating team, Aurore, Pierre, and Emilie. As an international student in Paris, they walked with me and made me feel at ease in the program.
Our tutors are experts in their fields. I only wish we had more time to interact with them because the module durations were so short. Some of them have become mentors to me and have provided me with invaluable support, making my time in the program all the more worthwhile.
I definitely feel optimistic about what I can do with my career because of the breadth of what I learned. Despite having specialized in wine and hospitality management, I feel well equipped to delve into a wide range of disciplines. They all come together as well. For example, my understanding of Wine Investments is bolstered by what I learned in the Wine Markets, Wine Economics, and Somellerie/WSET/Wine Regions courses.
Because it is a Master’s program, virtues such as self-discipline, time management, and critical thinking were naturally cultivated. The program is challenging enough to foster academic and personal development. Again, as an international student, being immersed in a new culture, visiting exciting and beautiful regions across Europe, living in one of the world's largest cities, and meeting new people was unquestionably beneficial to my personal development and identity formation.
Can you tell us more about your background and tell us more about your company and your job?
Nairobi, Kenya, is where I was born and raised. My Bachelor's degree was in Economics and Information Systems, which I completed at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Although I enjoyed the program and performed well, working in these industries was not my passion. When I returned to Nairobi, I began my career in the coffee and coworking industries, pursuing my dream of owning my own hospitality establishment. I learned a lot, honed several skills, and felt confident in my dream of one day opening my own business.
After a few years of working, I was ready for a change in scenery, pace, and challenge. I didn't have the resources to start my own business, so I decided to obtain more knowledge and possibly do it in a city/country I'd never been to before. That's when I discovered the MSC program, which piqued my attention because, despite having worked in the hospitality sector for many years, I had never been professionally educated on it, and I was eager about what the Wine side of the curriculum would offer me. I'm glad I took that enormous step for all of the reasons I've already stated.
What are your future development goals?
I hope to continue gaining experience at Wine Owners, where I am currently interning. The Wine Hub, a wine business management solution, is one of their main service offerings. It is innovative and quite revolutionary in the industry in its uniqueness and capability. It provides wine businesses (specifically retailers, merchants, distributors, and so on) with a powerful solution that optimizes business operations such as inventory control, logistics, accounting, CRM, e-commerce, and point-of-sale. I wish to be a part of this one-of-a-kind product that is already helping several wine businesses (of various sizes) grow.
Aside from that, I've curated a few natural wine experiences in Nairobi, with a focus on speaking and enjoying wine without the jargon and rigidity that can be found in some wine spaces. The tastings were also paired with local foods to assist tasters in identifying familiar flavors within their wine. Because wine tasting notes can be quite Western-centric, using familiarity really opened people up to the wines.
I still want my own space one day, but just like a fine wine, I'm being patient with it, knowing that with my experience and growth, it will evolve and fully develop over time. I'd like to use the space to bring more wines (especially natural wines) into Nairobi, continue with the curations and create a local environment of safety, creativity, and collaboration.
Finally, if you had to give one advice to KEDGE students, what would it be?
Be open to new experiences!!! You're there to learn, so grab the bull by the horns and run with it. Ask questions, even if they are outside the scope of your course; there is so much to learn that can help you understand the industries and place them in the context of the real world. Best wishes; it'll be a fun and educational ride!
Additional links:
Wine Owners: https://business.wineowners.com/
Her blog post: https://www.wineowners.com/blog/A-look-into-Burgundy%E2%80%99s-power-moves-in-2022-2/pid/82251/
