Life on the Intern Program with: Isabella Grant

“Expedia Group (EG) always stood out to me as a company that not only leads in the travel tech industry but also fosters innovation and values diversity of thought. I was drawn to the EG Intern Program because it promised hands-on experience in a fast-paced, global environment. I wanted to learn from the best in the industry and contribute to the company’s purpose and mission.”

Isabella Grant, Product Management Intern in London, UK, joined the TravelerOne team in June 2024. Something Isabella noticed early on in the internship is how much effort and preparation had been put in prior to the interns arriving to set them up for success and get to work on meaningful projects right away. Learn more about Isabella’s experience, below.

I am currently studying IT and Business Management at University College London and am particularly interested in ethics, sustainability and AI. I am excited to provide some insight into my project and time here at Expedia Group this summer in this post!

What is your role and what team did you join?

I have been lucky enough to be part of a dynamic, machine learning (ML) focused, team, the TravelerOne team. I have been working alongside ML Product Managers who are responsible for overseeing API (Application Programming Interface) building, from concept to final delivery.

My main responsibilities went from following the key product management lifecycle phases including the product discovery phase consisting of defining user needs, through to planning and designing, to explore the potential opportunity for a new capability within our current offerings. Efficient communication is key and I had the opportunity to put this into practice when I facilitated a solution ideation brainstorming session through to my final presentation, where I showcased my key findings and learnings. The opportunity to involve an extensive range of stakeholders, up to VP level, in my proposal was an invaluable learning experience for me and I have thoroughly enjoyed leading my project.

Why did you want to join the EG Intern Program?

I was initially drawn to the EG Intern Program from the opportunity it was offering to gain hands-on experience by collaborating on a project in a fast-paced and truly global environment. Prior to applying, I researched the role and was able to gain insights from current employees and discovered how EG leads in the travel industry through fostering innovation and placing real value on diversity of thought. This really sparked my curiosity and ultimately inspired me to really want to be part of such a forward-thinking workplace. As a result, I experienced taking ownership of the product development lifecycle from start to finish and was supported by experienced colleagues in my team during the process.

What were your first impressions of EG?

Perhaps the most pleasantly surprising thing to me was during the first onboarding week in the role; the welcoming atmosphere that greeted all interns and realising the effort which had gone into providing us with meaningful presentations and information. I joined sessions to understand the key business practices, brands strategy and was introduced to the mentorship program where I was lucky enough to be paired with a fantastic mentor who was a key contact to run through queries and processes for tackling anything I was unsure of. This set the tone for the next 10 weeks as I was able to build relationships and collaborate with fellow colleagues and interns. This could not have been possible without the EMEA Emerging Talent team who organised fantastic events for us, such as the Intern Socials and Leadership Series to ensure we could make the most out of our time here.

What support and mentorship did you receive?

Throughout my internship, my manager, Humiun, was instrumental in providing me with support that allowed me to dig deep into exploring business opportunities and contributed greatly to making this experience enjoyable and rewarding,

EG offers a mentorship program which helped to support my learning journey as I was paired with my mentor, Jo, and each week we collaborated on topics I wished to discuss, spanning personal development to effective strategies for key competency development.

The support from everyone here has been second to none and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from such inspiring individuals.

How would you summarise your experience?

Reflecting on my experience as an Intern at EG, my time here has been very rewarding, having had the invaluable opportunity to immerse myself in a culture of learning, collaboration and growth. My summer project allowed me to explore real-world challenges, and, matched with the support from my team, this enabled me to develop my skills as an aspiring Product Manager. I look forward to applying these learnings as I move forward in my career and I am excited to see what comes next!