Germán Casado was born in Granada, South Spain. He holds a Master’s Degree in Translation & Interpretation (English, French, & Italian) from the University of Granada. He also has a degree in Business French from the Business Chamber of Paris. Germán has studied and lived in France, Belgium, and Italy, where he perfected his language skills.
Since 1997, Germán has operated a travel and study abroad business in Granada for North American and European students. He also has been leading hiking trips to the Alps and the Atlas mountains.
Germán is a true outdoor enthusiast and he loves to travel the world.
What is your favorite travel memory?
I have two marvelous memories from my travels that impacted my life. One was arriving at the base camp in Annapurna. It meant achieving a great goal and not just because of the physical effort but also because of having fulfilled the dream of traveling to the Himalayas and having overcome several obstacles on the trip. That day, the fog disappeared, which let me see all the mountains around me
The other was a visit to the Uyuni Salt Flats and the Eduardo Avaroa reserve in Bolivia. We spent several days in a remote place in the Andes visiting volcanoes, the salt desert, and fabulous salt lagoons.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I have grown a lot as a professional working for Sol Education since I have faced countless situations with the students, families, and coworkers. My capacity to respond to problems and sensitive situations is much better and, after all of these years of experience, I feel much more secure in making decisions.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
The best story I have heard was the story of two students that came to Granada for the Spring semester in 2009. I did not know that at the end of the program they had started dating and they got married when they returned to the United States. When I traveled to Texas in 2010, I contacted one of them that lived in Austin and I went to greet them. My surprise was when I saw them both arrive and they told me they had gotten married and lived together. It was very exciting!
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
I would choose to go to the program in Oaxaca, Mexico. For a long time, I have been attracted to the cultures in Central America like the Mayan, Aztec, Zapotec culture, etc. I think living in Oaxaca would allow me to discover more about its culture, its cultural identity, its food, etc. I have also heard that the city is very beautiful and has a great student atmosphere.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
What makes Sol Education unique among other companies is the dedication and human involvement that we have when it comes to doing our job. We are interested and concerned about the circumstances of our students and we work to make them as comfortable as possible so that their experience can be the best! We also always do everything with a little bit of love!
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
The most important factor that makes a company successful is offering a service that goes beyond the expectations of the client. If the client leaves satisfied, they will speak well about the service and the company.
The best publicity that a company can have (and the worst as well) is without a doubt what is transmitted by “word of mouth” between clients and their friends. Therefore, the company has to take good care of the entire process of providing the service so that it results in the customer having quality service from beginning to end.
In addition to good service, we must not forget the human factor of being close to the client.
