Fifteen years ago, Mandi Graziano made a life-changing decision. It started with a call from HPN Global CEO Bill Kilburg, who said, “I heard you fell in love. You know, if you work with HPN Global, you can move back to San Diego and be with your boyfriend. You can work anywhere in the world.”
He was right. Mandi was living in Las Vegas in a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend in San Diego. That conversation not only changed her zip code, it also transformed her career path and her life.
The very next day, longtime HPN team member Julie Dunkle asked her an important question: “Aren’t you tired of only offering clients one hotel brand, in one city?” After 12 years on the hotel side, Mandi knew it was time for something new.
HPN had already been one of her top clients, and she had grown close with the team. They felt like family. The shift to “the other side” felt like a natural next step.
She wasn’t alone in this decision. Her longtime colleague and friend, Amy Walkowiak, had once imagined the same path. After a conversation in Amy’s Jeep following a client event, they agreed to take the leap together.
Mandi made the move, returned to San Diego, and never looked back. In the years since, she has built a thriving business with HPN Global that allows her to follow her passions, including writing, speaking, and sales training. HPN never saw those pursuits as distractions. Instead, HPN embraced them as we always say “change is your friend”.
Mandi also forged lasting partnerships with hotel and vendor teams who share her commitment to creating outstanding conference experiences.
Life at HPN Global has brought professional growth along with plenty of family and fun. From rooftop dinners in Colombia to navigating unexpected hotel challenges, canceled flights, double bookings, contract surprises, and even spontaneous high kicks in Berlin, Mandi has shared unforgettable adventures with her HPN peers and clients around the world.
She often reflects on how lucky she was to be welcomed into HPN as the “little sister.” Fifteen years later, she proudly carries that tradition forward by welcoming new team members with the same warmth and camaraderie she received.
Here’s to 15 years and many more ahead!
