Student success: Élesztő Award won by the Protégé Mentoring Programme

This year, the protégé mentoring programme was honoured by the prestigious Élesztő Award, a joint initiative of Bridge Budapest and Dreher Brewery. The award recognises the efforts of the Protégé Mentoring Programme and its community to help young people committed to tourism, hospitality and the hotel industry to succeed in their careers. 

The independent initiative was conceived and is led by Viola Horváth with the help of an active team of nearly 20 volunteers. Viola, a third-year student at the Corvinus University of Budapest’s Doctoral School of Business and Management, and Márk Kiss, a student of the master programme in Business Development at Corvinus, are enthusiastically working to make tourism attractive to young people and help them start a successful career. 

The protégé. mentoring programme offers a wide range of opportunities for students, recent graduates and those interested in the profession, including mentor-mentee meetings, interactive professional workshops, small group training, team-building programmes, company visits and participation in national and international events. The programme not only provides support and inspiration for the mentees, but also gives mentors the opportunity for professional development and exchange. 

Forbes has also reported on the award-winning business communities. 

ÉLESZTŐ AWARD for knowledge sharing and transfer: the Protégé mentoring programme 

This year’s joint award of Bridge Budapest and Dreher Brewery was given to a mentoring programme and youthful community where professionals dedicated to tourism, hospitality and hotel industry help young pathfinders to build a successful career in tourism. The professionally focused mentoring programme and Talent Discovery Workshop is the brainchild of Viola Horváth project leader.  Protégé’s mission is to attract young people to the profession through successful examples and special events. 

Members of the jury: Csongor Biás (Managing Director at Startup Hungary), dr. Judit Katonáné Kovács (Associate Professor of the Institute of Economics and World Economy at the University of Debrecen), Réka Matheidesz (CEO of  Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design), Krisztina Máté (producer of Az első millióm története- My First Million, Cápák között- Hungarian edition of Dragons’ Den), Gergely Tóth (founder of HR Fest, creator of Business Fest) and Veronika Pistyur (founder and CEO of Bridge Budapest and Oktogon Ventures).