Today, Derek De Salvia ’03 ’11MS serves as executive vice president and chief customer officer for Hilton Grand Vacations, where he is responsible for more than 200 resorts across 10 countries, 9,400 employees and $1.4 billion in revenue.
It’s an enormous operation, but for De Salvia, hospitality has never been simply about delivering excellence at scale.
His approach is grounded in empathy and care. He understands the power of that kind of service because long before he was responsible for hospitality on a global level, he experienced it himself as a UCF student.
It began when De Salvia became a Knight in 1999, pursuing his bachelor’s in marketing and discovering a natural connection to consumer behavior and marketing intelligence. While his UCF journey deepened his academic understanding of hospitality, it would ultimately contribute toward the formation of his belief that true service occurs when life hits hardest.
Humanity, Hard Work and Honor
De Salvia arrived at UCF ready to begin a new chapter. But just weeks before starting his first year at UCF, he lost his best friend to an asthma attack.
“He was the one that always pushed me to continue pursuing my academics,” he recalls. “He always told me I was so much smarter than I thought, and that I had to keep going.”
Inspired by his friend’s belief in him, De Salvia forged on with his bachelor’s until he was rocked by another loss a month later: his brother George, an Orlando police officer, was killed in the line of duty at only 29 years old.
Suddenly, De Salvia’s degree hinged on two things: his will to succeed, and the support from UCF faculty and administration who rallied around him.
“I’ll never forget that,” he recalls fondly. “They kept me on track. I didn’t have to drop classes or change things. They were there for me every step of the way.”
Together, they transformed a trying and challenging semester into a successful journey that forever tethered De Salvia’s heart to UCF.
“I decided not to let my brother and best friend down; to work hard, outpace and outperform everyone to honor their memory,” he says. “I can’t express how big a part UCF played in my life, ensuring I could make them proud.”
De Salvia stood by his decision by earning his bachelor’s degree and, in 2004, establishing the George De Salvia Memorial Endowed Scholarship at UCF. True to his promise to excel, he returned in 2009 to earn his master’s in management.
New Knowledge, New Horizons
“I call my master’s in management the awakening of my professional career,” De Salvia says. “It’s the best money I’ve ever spent investing in myself.”
The program challenged him to recognize his capabilities and reconsider his professional direction. Empowered by an expanded mindset and greater self-awareness, he resolved to take his knowledge to an organization where he could implement it.
“I call my master’s in management the awakening of my professional career. It’s the best money I’ve ever spent investing in myself.”
That meant acknowledging he was unhappy and unfulfilled in the job he held at the time. In a bold move, he resigned two days after graduating.
There was no plan b.
He credits that step with granting him the life he has today, and UCF with giving him the personal insight to take it.
His newfound freedom led to an eight-year career with Disney overseeing their Vacation Club sales and marketing, ultimately propelling him to his current position with Hilton Grand Vacations.
De Salvia largely measures the value of his success by how much he gives back, especially to UCF.
In addition to the scholarship honoring his brother, he sits on both the Entrepreneurial Leadership Board and the management board at the Barry S. Miller College of Business, mentors students, supports the Joint New Venture Competition and speaks at The EXCHANGE.
Through Hilton Grand Vacations, he’s also working to establish the Hilton Grand Vacations Scholarship Fund to help reduce financial barriers for hospitality students and bring Knights into the Hilton Grand Vacations family.
It’s a level of support that gives UCF students greater access to the industry while deepening the partnerships that are central to their experience at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
“The scholarship reflects Hilton Grand Vacations’ commitment to developing the next generation of hospitality leaders,” says Kyle Trager, director of development for Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
“Derek recognizes the long-term impact an endowed scholarship can have on attracting, supporting and retaining exceptional hospitality students,” he continues. “His leadership has been instrumental in advancing both the scholarship and broader partnership opportunities between HGV and Rosen College.”
Life, Lessons and Leading the Next Generation of Knights
De Salvia says he strongly believes UCF alumni share a responsibility to return and pay their knowledge forward. One of his key lessons is encouraging students to enter the world with their eyes wide open.
“Don’t look at just one path you feel you need to be on,” he says. “Whatever feels like an opportunity you want to pursue with passion, go for it. The thing people can never take from you is passion.”
And De Salvia’s devotion to his alma mater won’t be waning. He wants to pursue his doctoral degree at UCF and when he retires, he’d be happy to teach here and share what he’s learned to help students get a better start.
Are you interested in matching De Salvia’s spirit of service and helping UCF succeed in our next great mission? Learn more about the Go For Launch campaign that’s elevating student success and building a future the world has only begun to imagine.
