From Surrey graduate to sustainability leader: Zuzana Vojtek’s journey

Originally from Slovakia, Zuzana’s interest in hospitality began early. After studying hospitality and tourism at high school, she moved to the UK part-way through her education, completing her studies at Guildford College. That move, prompted by family connections and a desire for a different education system, would prove pivotal.

“I never really thought I would go to university,” she explains. “Back home, 15 years ago, it felt like you either became a doctor or a lawyer – and that just wasn’t for me.” Discovering the UK’s more critical, discussion-based approach to learning opened up new possibilities, and when it came time to choose a degree, Surrey stood out.

“The University of Surrey was ranked number one for hospitality and tourism at the time – it felt like a no-brainer,” she says. “But what really made the difference was how industry-focused it was. We had guest speakers, real-world examples, and flexibility to choose modules that genuinely interested us.”

Zuzana went on to complete both her BSc in International Hospitality and Tourism Management and later an MSc in Sustainable Development at Surrey. While sustainability wasn’t initially her end goal, it quickly became central to how she saw the world.

“In hospitality and tourism, you talk a lot about ethics, cultures, and the impacts of travel,” she explains. “That really sparked something in me. I remember attending sustainability talks on campus and thinking, ‘This is what I want to come back and study.’”

That curiosity turned into action during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Zuzana returned to Surrey for her master’s. The course’s balance between sustainability theory and business application proved crucial. “A lot of sustainability courses felt very policy-heavy,” she says. “What I loved about Surrey’s was that it was still very business-focused. That felt much more aligned with how change actually happens.”

Unlike many graduates, Zuzana’s transition into work wasn’t through a traditional graduate scheme. Instead, it grew organically through conversations, connections, and saying “yes” to opportunities. From working at the Savoy to joining start-ups in operations and food delivery, she then steadily built experience across hospitality-adjacent roles – a phrase she uses fondly to describe her current career space.

“It’s working with hospitality – and I love that. Hospitality people are full of life.”

Those experiences eventually led her to Cauli, a women-led start-up focused on making reuse as convenient as single-use through technology. As Head of Operations and Sustainability, Zuzana’s role is deliberately broad: managing suppliers and logistics, supporting clients, reporting on environmental impact, and helping businesses redesign their systems for reuse.

“The most rewarding part is working with clients to find solutions that actually work for them,” she says. “Every operation is different, so when you crack that code and then see the impact – the waste saved, or the positive customer feedback – that’s really special.”

One of Cauli’s flagship innovations is the CauliCup, a reusable coffee cup system designed to replace disposable cups without relying on customers to remember their own. Users can borrow a cup, return it easily, and keep the system circulating – with technology ensuring cups are tracked, reused, and their impact measured.

“Reuse only works if items are actually reused,” Zuzana explains. “Our whole aim is to make reuse just as convenient as single use – because that’s what people need.”

That mission is now coming full circle, as the CauliCup system launches on the University of Surrey campus this January, replacing single-use coffee cups across outlets. For Zuzana, the collaboration is both professional and personal.

“It really feels like a family,” she says. “There’s something special about working with Surrey again – that shared connection is still there.”

She hopes the initiative will do more than just reduce waste. “I’d love it to be a first step into sustainability in practice for students. Often, once people change one habit, it opens the door to thinking differently about everything else.”

Looking back, Zuzana doesn’t frame success as reaching a fixed destination. Instead, she talks about direction, impact, and fulfilment. “I never had that moment of knowing exactly what I wanted to do,” she admits. “But I know I’m doing something I enjoy, with people I care about, and that makes a difference – and that’s enough.”

Her advice to current Surrey students interested in sustainability is refreshingly honest: explore niches, stay curious, don’t be afraid of start-ups, and ask for help more often than you think you should.

Because, as Zuzana’s journey shows, sometimes the most meaningful careers are built not from a rigid plan – but from conversations, connections, and a willingness to follow what genuinely matters.