Hi, I’m Maria, a seasoned consultant, a globetrotter, and a language enthusiast. With over 6 years of experience in consulting, my passion for tourism has led me to turn it into my profession, joining the Skift Advisory team in 2024. I focus on sustainable tourism and its power to not only bring people together, but also widen their horizons and positively change their perspectives. I believe in the importance of the social impact of the tourism industry, while preserving the environment and local cultures.

Before joining Skift Advisory, I worked at management consultancy, Capgemini Invent, for over 4 years, specializing in digital and agile transformation, project management, and customer experience. My diverse professional background took me from working with film festivals organizations to investment coordination for a Fortune 500 company.

I hold a Masters of Science in Management from ESSEC Business School in Paris, as well as Masters of Science in Foreign Languages and Area Studies from Moscow State University. I am fluent in Russian, French, English and Italian, aspiring to add Spanish and Arabic to my collection. I am certified in Agile project management (SAFe framework) and Google Analytics.

I grew up in Moscow and have lived in Rome, Singapore, Paris, and recently Barcelona. Outside of my work, I pursue my passion for travel and have visited more than 60 countries, embarking on various adventures from travelling by boat to Antarctica to trekking Patagonia, living in the jungle in Ecuador and surviving a sand storm in Mongolia. When not travelling, you will find me either dancing Argentinian tango or ballet, or brewing the perfect cup of coffee as a certified barista.