RaizUp launches fourth Revenue Leadership Program cohort as hospitality faces widening skills gap

Update, 15 October 2026: This article concerns the fourth cohort announced in February. RaizUp now lists its fifth cohort for 20 October–8 December 2026. The arrangements below describe the February programme. We have corrected the curriculum history and the scope of the employment projection, and removed unsubstantiated US employment and training-spending figures.

Berlin-based consultancy RaizUp will launch the fourth cohort of its Revenue Leadership Program on 17 February 2026, an eight-week professional development initiative targeting senior hospitality professionals navigating the intersection of revenue strategy, artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

The programme, which runs until 5 April, delivers more than 25 online sessions across four core verticals: revenue strategy and total profit management, guest experience and digital marketing, AI and innovation, and leadership development. Sessions are held on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 16:00 CET, with Friday demonstration days introducing emerging hospitality technologies.

Up to 70 delegates can participate in each cohort, with a time commitment of approximately three hours per week. A standout feature is the MERGE networking event, an in-person gathering timed to coincide with ITB Berlin from 3–5 March – the global travel trade show’s 60th anniversary edition.

“This transformative initiative continues to empower hospitality professionals with tools and insights to shape the future of our industry,” said Rita J. Varga, founder and CEO of RaizUp. “This programme is about more than learning – it’s about fostering a dynamic community of trailblazers ready to lead and innovate.”

The programme arrives at a critical moment for hospitality leadership development. The World Travel and Tourism Council projects the sector will face a shortfall of 8.6 million workers by 2035, roughly 18% below required staffing levels.

Executive search firm AETHOS identified a widening succession gap as one of the sector’s most pressing challenges entering 2026, noting that many mid-level managers lost during the pandemic never returned. The firm now lists “commercial fluency beyond the P&L” – encompassing revenue management, digital acquisition, distribution partnerships and margin strategy – as a universal requirement for effective hospitality leadership.

It is precisely this cross-disciplinary capability that the Revenue Leadership Program aims to build. Session formats range from masterclasses and case studies to moderated industry roundtables and innovation labs. Delegates also receive one year of access to RaizUp’s community platform and priority access to job opportunities through the company’s recruitment partnerships.

The programme costs €1,250 per delegate, with a corporate package offering five places for €5,000. Participants who attend at least 70% of sessions receive a certificate of completion.

RaizUp’s inaugural 2024 programme already covered revenue management, digital marketing, AI and technology, and leadership development.

Varga founded RaizUp in 2019, initially as Women in Hospitality and Travel Tech (WHTT), before expanding into a recruitment and business consultancy specialising in building diverse teams for hospitality technology companies. The firm now offers services spanning executive recruitment, DEI auditing, expansion consulting and professional development.

Varga, who has more than 20 years’ experience in travel technology with companies including D-EDGE, Infor and Availpro, was named Women Leader of the Year by the International Women in Travel and Tourism Forum in 2025. She is also a founding team member of Hotel ResBot, a hospitality AI startup, and leads the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance, a coalition of more than 30 organisations working towards gender equity in hospitality.

WTTC projects that travel and tourism will generate 91 million additional jobs over the decade to 2035. For hospitality employers, this wider projection provides context for workforce planning; it is not a hospitality-only job forecast.

Related: Accor’s corporate travel priorities put revenue, distribution and technology capabilities in focus.