Life on the Intern Program with: Jemma Green

“Being encouraged to network with people across the business provided an understanding of the number of opportunities available here, so I was excited to schedule lots of meetings to increase my knowledge, form connections and shadow key business interactions. The Emerging Talent & Careers team ensured that I was equipped to do this.”

Jemma Green, Commercial Intern in London, UK, started her internship in June 2024. While on the program, Jemma got to work with hotel partners around the globe and develop her account management skills, such as pitching, relationship building and negotiation. Alongside this, Jemma valued the support system around her to setup interns up for success, such as mentors, managers, buddies, and more.

What team have you joined, and what is your role?

I’m a Commercial Intern at Expedia Group and I have had the opportunity to be a part of the Intern Program in London this summer. I have been working in Expedia for business lodging, which involves market management of partner hotels and properties. Working across multiple teams within the London office, in addition to networking with colleagues from all over the world from a variety of different teams, has provided so many opportunities to learn and experience new things throughout my 10 weeks here.

I have worked in the London Account Management team and the PGA (Partner Growth and Agility) team. In my first team, I managed my own portfolio of hotel partners in London, setting up meetings to discuss their growth goals and pitching relevant opportunities to help them achieve these with Expedia Group. I also attended market visits to hotels around London where I shadowed market managers maintaining partner relationships, negotiating, and pitching. With PGA, my role as an account manager was to support partners that were returning to work with EG after undergoing renovations or changes in ownership. This provided the opportunity to work with hotel partners from all over the world and gain lots of account management experience.

What does a typical day look like in your role?

In a typical day, I would begin by catching up on any emails and setting up networking opportunities. I would then attend team meetings to discuss progress and ways to move forward through any challenges. After this, I’d contact partners, before working on my summer project which involves research, data collection, prioritization and communicating with key stakeholders. At lunch, I would head to the terrace to enjoy the views of the city before meeting with other interns to continue my project work, collaborating to find new approaches. Often, there would be Intern Program learning sessions, talks or events to get involved with, too.

What is your summer project? And what have you enjoyed about it?

My summer project was focused on package optimization, which aimed to increase the number of hotel partners engaged with our package opportunity, where hotels are available to customers in combination with other trip elements, such as flights or trains. This project focused on communicating the value of our extensive B2B network and I enjoyed speaking to market managers to gain insight in addition to contacting partners directly to encourage uptake. I presented the outcomes of this project to my team and our director; it was great to present what I had learned regarding approaches to package optimization and commercial strategies going forward.

Why did you want to join the EG Intern Program?

One of the things that drew me to the EG Intern Program was Expedia Group’s values and the ability to get involved with meaningful projects and opportunities. Since joining, not only have I enjoyed working with hotel partners from around the world and attended market visits to hotels here in London, I have also been able to get involved with EG’s Inclusion Business Groups, such as WELL (Women at Expedia Leading and Learning) and worked on projects that aim to make travel more accessible for everyone. I was also drawn to this program due to the level of support and opportunities for professional growth. From growth mindset workshops to talks from our CEO, the Emerging Talent & Careers team ensure that there are so many opportunities to develop your skills and knowledge.

What were your first impressions of EG?

My first impressions of EG were that the culture was something I wanted to be a part of. People were always willing to take some time to share their knowledge and the office was a great environment to work in. Being encouraged to network with people across the business provided an understanding of the number of opportunities available here, so I was excited to schedule lots of meetings to increase my knowledge, form connections and shadow key business interactions. The Emerging Talent & Careers team ensured that I was equipped to do this, with a support system of experienced colleagues, including a mentor. Overall, my first impression was that I felt very supported and excited to get started.

What are the three main learnings you’ve had while being on the program?

1. Always ask questions. Be curious to develop your knowledge, as this will help you get to where you need to be much more efficiently and achieve better results. At EG, people are always happy to help so asking lots of questions happens naturally.
2. Commercial strategy and practical skills . As a Commercial Intern, I have developed my account management skills such as pitching, relationship building and negotiation.
3. Professional skills growth. From daily problem solving, to listening to talks from experienced colleagues, I have developed my abilities to adapt, communicate and work effectively within a team.

What has been the highlight of the summer so far?

I really enjoyed seeing the results of my summer project coming together, I felt proud to have worked on something meaningful with tangible results. I have also really enjoyed the intern socials; these events provided a fun environment to meet new people and share updates on our progress. After achieving a big goal or learning something valuable, it has been great to celebrate with other interns!

Why would you recommend the program to students?

I would recommend the program to students as it provides so many opportunities to learn, network, and develop your professional skills. By the end of the internship, you will have spoken to people from all across the business and learnt new things each time. There is so much to get involved with each week, and lots of support from mentors, managers, navigators, and the Emerging Talent & Careers team to ensure that you can achieve your goals during your time here. As well as this, the office is a great place to spend the summer with so many different coffee machines, treats, events, and views of London from the terrace!