Semester 2

the newsletter of the international college of hotel management Y adelaide, australia Y semester 2, 2011
OnCourse
In this issue
Melbourne dispatches
ICHM Y great job Y global career . . . wow!
Events
> End of Course
> Course Commencement
> Graduation
Internships
OPTii keeper software
At Oxford Brookes
Chief Executive’s comments
Think 5 Star. ICHM proudly presents a representative example
of graduates in international hotel chains in Melbourne. ‘We’ve
been blown away by the number and their successes, and we believe
they bring a whole new level of professionalism to hotel management’,
says Chief Executive Gerald Lipman. And if earlier graduates who
followed the same path are anything to go by (see page 7), the question
for these graduates is: ‘London? Shanghai, Dubai? Just where will I take
my career next?’
1
Career options
Overall, ICHM has more than 50 graduates
in five-star hotels in Melbourne. And just as
many again are in boutique hotels or outside
the hospitality industry. Their fields range
from information and communications
technology, through to human resources and
marketing and events. Many are heading up
their own businesses.
The hoteliers here are an ambitious lot, but
close, keeping in touch, supporting each
other and socialising most weekends. And
they appreciate the value of their network,
knowing they can just pick up the phone to
take the next step.
Tim Chatfield
Position: Sales
Executive—Corporate
Country of origin:
New Zealand
ICHM: 2005–2008
Park Hyatt
Jade Gosling
Position: Sales &
marketing Coordinator
Pacific
Country of Origin:
New Zealand
Grand Hyatt
Camilla Betts
Position: Laundry
Manager
Country of origin:
Australia
ICHM: 2006–2008
ICHM: 2006–2009
Internships:
1 Holiday Inn, Surfers Paradise, Queensland
2 Language studies, Spain
3 Hyatt Melbourne
Ambition: to be based in central or South
America (Colombia) or Spain
Advice: be prepared to take the little steps,
and don’t be afraid to tell people what you are
interested in achieving
‘We’re all proud of the ICHM level of education
and training and its affiliation with the Swiss
Hotel Association. Rather than a traditional
university, ICHM provides knowledge gleaned
by practical lecturers with real-life experience,
which is backed by internships. This study/
experience combination gave me the confidence
to go out and do things.’
Danielle Butler
Position: Front Office
Country of Origin:
United Kingdom
Internships:
1 Hilton London Heathrow Airport
2 Park Hyatt, Philadelphia, US
Ambition: to live and work in Australia
Advice: if you’re mentally prepared, do the
degree online
‘I never knew what I wanted to do, but happy
with what I’ve done. I loved campus life and
made friends for life. Every day is interesting to
me, and I’m particularly keen on learning how
the structure (of hotels) works.’
2
Ambition: to be a Director of Sales &
Marketing in Australia or wherever the
opportunity comes up
Advice: Get into campus life—I loved it
‘ICHM, so far, has taken me from New Zealand
to Adelaide, the Gold Coast, Spain and now
Melbourne, where I am in a position to have
my own corporate clients and develop my
own business plan. What I learnt gave me the
confidence to take on a strategic business role.’
Ambition: to transfer to the US, Canada or
Europe within the chain
Sophie Christie
Position: Guest Services
Officer, Grand Club
Advice: be prepared to give up a lot of social
activities, especially if your friends are
working 9–5
‘ICHM opened my eyes to how much there is out
there for you to do. It’s not just a small stage.
Time management was one of the biggest things;
you had to look ahead and plan ahead to get
assignments done. But everybody is there to help
each other; and everybody was welcomed with
open arms.’
Annabelle Coats
Country of origin:
Australia
ICHM: 2007–2010
Internships:
1 Quay West Suites, Southbank, Melbourne
2 Garden Beach Hotel, Juan-les-Pins, French
Riviera
Position: Front Office
Team Leader
Ambition: to work in the US or Dubai and
France down the track
Country of origin:
Australia
Advice: Really enjoy your time on campus; I did
ICHM: 2006–2009
ICHM: 2006–2008
Internships:
1 Hyatt Regency Perth
2 Sheraton Mirage, Port Douglas
Internships:
1 Holiday Inn, Surfers Paradise, Queensland
2 Language studies in Spain
3 Sheraton Shanghai Pudong, China
Internships:
1 Crown Melbourne
2 Pennyhill Park, UK
3 French language studies
‘I’ve never been so set on a decision (as ICHM)
in my life. ICHM gave me not just an education,
but also a network of friends and taught me
independence. I grew up. Plus I have a much
more exciting life than if I had stayed in Perth.
I’ve lived on the French Riviera!’
Ambition: to be part of an opening team
somewhere in Asia
Advice: Make the most of every opportunity
and don’t let an opportunity pass you by
‘ICHM gave me a lot—work ethic, motivation,
fantastic friendships and the idea that I could
achieve anything. And I’ve achieved so much; an
advanced diploma, a degree and wide-ranging
experience and skills. ICHM was better than any
other study I could have done.’
The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au
langham
Katherine Cross
Position: Meeting,
Incentives, Conventions
& Exhibitions Sales
Trainee
Country of origin:
New Zealand
ICHM: 2007–2010
Internships:
1 Huka Lodge, Taupo, New Zealand
2 Language studies in Spain
3 Quay West Suites & Sebel Suites, Auckland,
New Zealand
Ambition: to experience the hospitality
industry in a variety of overseas destinations
and eventually land a senior position within a
Global Sales Office
Advice: Have realistic expectations and be
prepared to prove yourself first
‘As do most graduates I started with an entrylevel position, but I was able to progress because
of the experience gained from internships. I think
being out of my comfort zone and travelling to
Spain when I couldn’t speak a word of Spanish
really challenged me. That experience then
allowed me to know who I was and be confident
that I could take on a challenge with success.’
Hilton South Wharf
Yota Ogura
Position: Front Office
Manager
Country of origin:
Japan
ICHM: 2003–2006
Internships:
1L
angham Melbourne (formerly the Sheraton
Melbourne)
2 Grand Hyatt Dubai
Ambition: : to continue to ascend in my career
Advice: : Strive for excellence in service
delivery, while setting a good example for your
peers, managers and team members
‘ICHM taught me the fundamentals of this
industry and what to expect in my first role.
I believe this has been instrumental to my career
progression as I can relate to all aspects of
the hotel.’
Sofitel
Novotel on Collins
Ben (Bibin) Karmadi
Position: Assistant
Concierge/Reception
Supervisor
(Masters studies, Monash
University)
Crown Metropole
Crown Towers
Jessie Zhang
Kevin Loh
Monik Liem
Country of origin:
China
Country of origin:
Singapore
Country of origin:
Indonesia
ICHM: 2004–2008
ICHM: 2004–2008
ICHM: 2004–2007
Position: Front Office
Shift Leader
Position: Club Lounge
Supervisor
Position: Front Desk
Agent
Country of origin:
Indonesia
ICHM: 2005–2008
Internships:
1 RACV Club, Melbourne
1 Ramada Resort Port Douglas (formerly
Radisson Treetops), Port Douglas, Queensland
3 Duxton Hotel Perth
Ambition: to open a bar on the beach in Bali
Advice: Get the wide experience that comes
from exposure to big and small properties
‘I am pleased with my decision to study at ICHM.
It helped me get the network to start out with,
but also goes on to initiate opportunities to grow
it— through Facebook and by getting new and
old colleagues together here in Melbourne.’
Westin
Fiona Winger
Position: Night Manager
Country of origin:
New Zealand
ICHM: 2005–2009
Internships:
1 Sofitel, Cairns, Queensland
2 Four Seasons Shanghai
3 Hilton on the Park, Melbourne
4 Langham, Melbourne (work-based
degree project)
Internships:
1 Raffles Hotel Singapore
2 Observatory Hotel, Sydney
3 Sofitel Melbourne
4 Como, Melbourne (work-based
degree project)
Ambition: to be located in either Shanghai or
Singapore
Ambition: a Front Office supervisory role
before making a move into Sales
Advice: There are opportunities, but if
they don’t come straight away keep your
confidence
Advice: Really work at building up your
experience
‘Once you get to know each other on campus it’s
so much fun. I have no regrets. There is quite a
lot of study pressure, but the teachers are very
professional and you really get to know them.
I made lots of lifelong friends from all over the
world, and met my husband (Kevin Loh). We’re
now both permanent residents and plan to stay
in Melbourne in the short term.’
InterContinental
Alejandro Mendoza
Position: In-Rooms
Division Team Leader
Country of origin:
Colombia
Internships:
1 Ramada Resort Port Douglas (formerly
Radisson Treetops), Port Douglas, Queensland
2 Language studies in Spain
3 Westin, Melbourne
Ambition: to return to New Zealand
eventually
Advice: If you do the degree online be
prepared to put your social life on hold for six
months; it’s worth it
‘ICHM lived up to expectations; I absolutely
loved it and got out of it what I wanted. Plus,
the friends I made are just like family. We got
together to party at ICHM and we’re still doing
it regularly, by Friday or Saturday we’re on the
phone to one another to find out what’s on.’
Akshay Deosthali
Position: In- Room Dining
Team Leader
Country of origin:
India
ICHM: 2006–2010
Internships:
1 RACV Club, Melbourne
2 Aman Resorts, Phuket
Ambition: to set up a food and beveragerelated business
Advice: Go wherever a good job takes you
‘ICHM appealed to me more than any other
course of study. It and the ICHM community
are well respected and, in turn, central to a wide
network of good hospitality people. It’s possible
to move between properties purely through
contacts. All I have to do is pick up the phone,
which is how I got this job at the end of the day.’
ICHM: 2004–2009
Internships:
1 Ramada Resort Port Douglas (Formerly
Radisson Treetops), Port Douglas, Queensland
2 InterContinental De Medellin, Colombia
3 Sebel Citigate Melbourne
Ambition: to own and operate a café-style
business
Advice: if you’re not happy be prepared to
make a switch
‘I started at Le Cordon Bleu and transferred
across to ICHM after a year because I wanted
to expand into studies that incorporated
management and finance. I succeeded in
winning a management traineeship in IHG’s
High Potential Academy, which adds pressure.
But it’s also a great opportunity and another step
toward upgrading to a supervisory position.’
Holiday Inn on
Flinders
Daniel Lawder
Position: Night Manager
Country of origin:
United Kingdom
ICHM: 2005–2009
‘ The full-time study combined with internships
is what sold me on ICHM. It means that you get
to apply knowledge in the real world. And I really
enjoyed life on campus, where we’re a really close
community. The networking starts with your
first friends, then extends to classmates then
senior students and builds from there. I now
have really good friends in at least 10 countries.’
Bronson Linington
Position: Front Office
Country of origin:
South Africa
ICHM: 2005–2007
Ambition: to be Front Office Manager (5
years) and General Manager (10 years)
anywhere in the world
Advice :Look at what the customer wants,
and take service up a notch high
‘Straight away after hearing about ICHM I
was hooked. My family had moved around the
world so hospitality seemed like the way to go
and ICHM just connected. It’s not all about the
books though; you need passion as well. If you
don’t have that you don’t make it.’
Ambition: to explore more options, including
the business side of things
Advice: Take the work seriously, but have fun
at the same time
‘I think my dad was overwhelmed by how much
I wanted to go to ICHM; it took me about a year
to win my mother around because I hadn’t left
home before (I was 17). Right from the start I
liked the idea of combining study and work. I
shared a unit with three other people on campus:
a girl from Indonesia and two /Australians. We
all got on.’
Crowne Plaza
Lleyton
(Hyung Joon) Yoon
Position: Night Manager
Country of origin:
South Korea
ICHM: 2005–2007
Internships:
1 Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove, Gold Coast,
Queensland
Ambition: to stay with Crown and work my
way up into Sales and Marketing
Advice: Keep trying and be prepared to work
your way up
‘I transferred to ICHM after a year at Varsity
College, and was granted permanent residency
two years ago. ICHM gave me a solid foundation
of knowledge. As the course covers from hotel
operations through to sales and marketing,
business and finance you don’t have to get
stuck doing the one thing. I might move into a
completely different field down the track.’
Crown Promenade
Anthony Mauro
Position: Front Desk
Agent
Country of origin:
Australia
ICHM: 2007–2010
Internships:
1 Langham, Melbourne
2 Sofitel, Melbourne
3 Language studies in Italy
Ambition: to be managing Front Office
Advice: Don’t let anyone tell you you’re too
young. But do the hard yards, pay your dues,
prove yourself
Internships:
1 Holiday Inn, Cairns, Queensland
2 & 3 Crowne Plaza, Perth
Internships:
1 Sheraton Mirage, Port Douglas, Queensland
2&3 Crown Towers
Internships:
1 Reef Hotel Casino Cairns
2 Shangri-La Cairns
Ambition: to head into owning a business
Advice: Take an internship in a city and a
region to get a wide a range of experience
‘The affiliation with the Swiss Hotel Association
(SHA) brought me to ICHM. The study regime
was pretty tough; we got done in six months
what takes others a year. I had thought about
Cornell, but decided the SHA program was more
hands-on. I made my internships work for
me and got the job at the Crowne based on my
reference from the Shangri-La.’
ICHM has many
industry professionals
who have hit their
straps, overcoming
every challenge to make
it into top positions in
prestigious properties
around the world. On
Course asks about the
ride to the top.
See Page 7, Top Notch Hoteliers
‘Campus is cool. Even though I could have (after
first year), I would never have stayed at home.
We all looked out and cared for each other, it’s
like a big family. Working in teams is very big at
Crown, and ICHM really prepares you for that.
Mind you, working in bars and polishing up my
Italian on the Amalfi coast was a highlight of my
time there.’
Go to www.community.ichm.edu.au
for full profiles
3
End of Course 1 July 2011
Lipman Hall, Regency International House
Events
1Anna Hurley
(inset) Andrew Baggaley
2 SHA Medal recipients
3 Degree Medal recipients
4> Formalities over
ICHM was fortunate to have Andrew Baggaley (representing James Allen, newly appointed
General Manager of the InterContinental Adelaide) at the End of Course Ceremony,
at which successful students were presented with their Swiss Hotel Association
International Hotel Management Diplomas and ICHM degree medals. Anna Hurley was
Dux of 3rd Year, and her top performance earned her the IHG Award. She also gave the
farewell address on behalf of the students.
3
2
4
1
3
4
5
6
7
8
1 Nathan Rhodes
2 Imalka Maddumapatabendi
3Violet Yoo
4 Eun Bi Jun
5Amazing Race Winners:
Cate Cormie, Elizabeth Rice,
Megan Giles & Margarita
Kaneta
6 Patty Ponti & Mick
Udompol giving the
welcome address on behalf
of the students
7 Merit Award recipients
8>At the event
1
2
Course Commencement 29 July 2011
Function Room, Grand Chancellor Hotel, Adelaide
A common refrain of Melbourne and, most likely, the vast majority of ICHM students and graduates is, ‘I love
Course Commencement’. It’s the evening for ‘frocking up’, to celebrate academic achievement and welcome
new graduates and 2nd and 3rd years returning ‘home’ from their internships.
Dux of 1st Year went to Nathan Rhodes, who also picked up the Cameron Sykes Memorial Scholarship and
the Food & Beverage Incentive Award. Imalka Maddumapatabendi won Dux of 2nd Year and the Australian
Hotels Association prize for the top student returning to 3rd year. The Uhak Channel Scholarship went to
Violet (Heeyoung) Yoo and the KOSA award to Eun Bi Jun.
4
The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au
Graduation 3 September 2011
The Grand Ballroom, Hilton Adelaide
The 2011 Graduation Ceremony was one of the biggest ever in ICHM’s history, with more than
200 students graduating with either the ICHM degree, SHA International Hotel Management
Diploma or Advanced Diploma.
Graduations are family affairs as ‘the achievements of our students and graduates would not
be possible without the support of their partners, family and friends’, says Gerald Lipman.
The Hon Russel Wortley MLC, Minister for Industrial Relations (representing the Minister for
Education) gave the student address. Linda Parbs, representing sponsor Peter Lehmann Wines,
also congratulated students and wished them the best in their endeavours, before introducing
the selection of wines to the more than 350 guests.
Young Ae Lee was awarded Dux of Degree 2011.
3
4
5
6
1
2
1 Young Ae Lee
2 Graduands enter
3 Hon Russell Wortley MLC
4 Young Ae Lee & Elly Im
5 Graduate Melissa Tracey with ICHM staff (L) Derek
Milligan, Andrew Foster Johnson, Darren Camilleri
6>Graduates with partners, friends and families
5
Master Class
Within only a few years of ICHM
delivering the Swiss Hotel
Association Diploma in Adelaide,
graduates began expressing
interest in a Masters degree to
round out their education. Hence,
ICHM’s relationship with Oxford
Brookes University in England in
one of the world’s most famous
university cities.
Since ICHM aligned with Oxford Brookes
in the mid-1990s, up to 20 ICHM graduates
have enrolled in its hospitality focused
Master of Science.
ICHM promotes hospitality Masters
programs in its prospectus, for example,
at the University of South Australia, and
in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and
in Switzerland and the United States.
However, Masters degree studies are far
wider than the universities listed, with
some graduates going on to further their
studies in numerous other disciplines,
such as accounting, finance and
information technology.
But for graduate Freddy Page, Oxford
Brookes appears to have provided the
ideal qualification for a supervisory
role. She finished her Masters Degree in
September and is now in Qatar as Food
and Beverage Supervisor for the newly
opened Renaissance property in Doha.
According to Oxford Brookes Master’s
program director Professor David Bowie,
ICHM students have been well prepared
by their excellent teachers to cope with
the demands of studying for a one-year
intensive Masters degree at this leading
British university.
There are three ICHM graduates studying the
Oxford Brookes Masters program in 2010–
2011: Gianna Palmaro, from Madagascar;
Frederique (Freddy) Page, from France; and
Ryan Wong, from Hong Kong.
While more ICHM graduates have attained
their Master’s degree from Oxford Brookes
than any other university, about 10% of
bachelor graduates go on to study for a
Masters elsewhere each year.
L (front) Gianna Palmaro from Madagascar,
Frederique (Freddy) Page from France and
Nicholas Ramanantsoa from Madagascar
L (back) Ryan Wong from Hong Kong and
Sylvester Thang Fedor from Singapore
OPTii keeper on campus
Soenke Weiss, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of OPTii Solutions,
was on campus on 12 August to present the company’s housekeeping
software package OPTii keeper to senior ICHM students.
Set to go mainstream, OPTii keeper is arguably the most recent and revolutionary software
created for housekeeping management. It’s been adopted by a number of properties in
Australia and is experiencing a rapid take up in the Asia–Pacific region. The company has
opened an office in Europe.
As well as presenting the package, Soenke Weiss spoke to students of its development, which
reveals a solid foundation of revenue management and innovation. His August visit was one of a
number to the campus since late 2009.
Mr Soenke Weiss with a selection of senior students
More information about the package can be found at www.optiisolutions.com
Internships July–December 2011
INTERNATIONAL
China
Le Royal Meridien Shanghai
Han, Jason
Hong Kong
Langham Place Hotel
Chan, Wilmington
W Hotel
Beerens, Steven
Indonesia
Hotel Majapahit
Adipradja, Claudia
Malaysia
Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur
Loh, Murphy
6
New Zealand
Mercure Dunedin
Allison, Ned
Hilton Auckland
Buckland, Melanie
Singapore
Starwood Asia Pacific
Divisional Office
Bay, Elaine (Zhi Ying)
Taiwan
W Hotel Taipei
Liao, Emilia
United Arab Emirates
Monte Carlo Beach Club
Saadiyat Island
Hasanovic, Mahira
United Kingdom
Langham London
Gibson, Maria
Gleneagles Hotel
Johnson, Todd
Williams, Maria
Crieff Hydro
Henderson, Vanessa
Vietnam
Van Chai Resort
Bowen, Poppy
Sofitel Plaza Hanoi
Le Ngoc, Minh
AUSTRALIA
New South Wales
Four Points Hotel Sheraton
Darling Harbour
Djasni, Billy
Ju, Hyeon Seok
Park, Eunhan
Tai, Brian
Yonesato, Sho
Sheraton On The Park
Choy, Susan (Yeon Ju)
The Westin Sydney
Wong, Billy (Chi Chung)
Shangri-La Sydney
Zhou, Phoenix
Queensland
Lizard Island Resort
Dasan, Marc Daniel
Causer, Luke
Pullman Reef Casino
Cairns
Choi, Yoomi
Phang, Stephany
Kim, Michelle (Ok Ju)
Shangri-La Hotel Cairns
Doyle-Walker, Jessica
Mansfield, Hannah
Sheraton Noosa Resort &
Spa
Maruti, Smita
Nazaahah, Ja’afar
Sheraton Mirage Port
Douglas
Cheon, Viviana (Eunji)
Fang, Pin Wen
Grozema, Rochelle
Hogestien, Anne
Iksanto, Conny
Lim, Jun (Hyeong Jun)
Rudanny, Rudanny
Yoon, Elaine
Sheraton Mirage Resort &
Spa Gold Coast
Dwyer, Indya
Friemann, Simone
White, David
Hospitality Marketing
Concepts
Yaworsky, Hannah
South Australia
Hilton Adelaide
Kim, Jane
Lamichhane, Prakash
Lo, Sean
Ngo, Minh Man
Vassiliev, Misha
Trong, Quang Ho
InterContinental Adelaide
Chen, Yuli (Yu-Ching)
The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au
Stamford Plaza Adelaide
Bui, Jenny (Ha Giang
Kitagawa, Sachie
Woolfitt, Sarah
Adelaide Oval Function
Centre
Yeung, Jason
Lee, Ju Yeon Victoria
Crowne Plaza Melbourne
Hardy, Jonathon
Grand Hyatt Melbourne
Duan, Yaya (Xiaojie)
Gac, Adam
Magno, Tomas Miguel
Yaakoup, Juliet
Hilton On The Park
Melbourne
Tuttle, Fintan
Melbourne Convention
Exhibition Centre
Hai, Phoebe (Chung
Ching)
Hwang, Sungwon
Park Hyatt Melbourne
Hoang, Heidi
Nadila, Nadia
RACV Club
Shepherd, Rhiannon
Zwart, Cariljn
Sofitel Melbourne on
Collins
Van Dijke, Linda
Swanston Hotel, Grand
Mercure
Kim, Mike (Soo Hyun)
Travelodge Docklands
Lam, Thao (Xuan Ngoc
Thao)
The Westin Melbourne on
Regent Place
Hill, Sophie
Larkin, Catherine
Langham Melbourne
Shrestha, Srijan
Surace, Carla
Grand Chancellor
Melbourne
Warren, Jennifer
Western Australia
Duxton Hotel Perth
John, Matthew Kai
Hyatt Regency Perth
Desouza, Sean
Pan Pacific Perth
B.K, Anil
Bogati, Shashi
Kim, Jenny (Jung Eun)
Phung, Nick (Duc Thinh)
Parmelia Hilton Perth
Kaderbhai, Huzefa
Pudasaini, Jayaram
LANGUAGE
Italian in Florence Italy
Bentley, Joel
De Simoni, Jake
Hutchison, Casey
Top-Notch Hoteliers
They started in Melbourne
Paul Town
Peter Pysk
Nicholas Lacey
Nawee
Wattanasongsuit
On 30 September 1992 the Swiss Hotel
Association and the South Australian
Government signed the agreement that
established the International College
of Hotel Management (ICHM) as an
education institution in the model of the
famous Swiss Hotel Association (SHA)
schools. The intention was to create a
world-class hotel school in Adelaide.
The
professionals
The
challenge
Perks of
the job
What to say
What not
to say
Highs
Lows
Tips
Chief Executive’s
comments
Vice President
Hotel Operations
Galaxy Macau
Assistant Director
Food & Beverage
Grand Hyatt Taipei
Resident Manager
Grand Hyatt Erawan
Bangkok
Executive Assistant
Manager
The Siam Bangkok
Launching a massive
project from nothing.
I could never fully
anticipate
everything.
The belief that the
older you are the more
experience you have
(perception in
Asia is that age =
experience).
Adapting to the
cultural differences
from country to
country and hotel to
hotel.
Deciding on new job
opportunity against
the current one when
both are good.
The excitement
and intensity.
While I still have
the energy I love the
level of action when
pulling together a
property like this.
Immersion
in different
cultures,
rather just gaining a
holiday snapshot.
Every day brings new
challenges and you
collect a wealth of
experiences.
A hotel career is a
luxury ride with lots of
perks. Word of advice:
nothing is for free . . .
and never abuse it.
I will assume ultimate
accountability, no
matter what, for
better or worse.
Yes! Certainly! With
pleasure!
How may I assist?
Listen with your mind
engaged and answer
based on facts.
Best to avoid
statements that
undermine others.
I will try my
best (there is no
commitment to
making it happen).
That’s not my job.
Gossip.
The opening of
Galaxy Macau. It is
very rewarding to see
it all working as we
planned.
The first opportunity
to work overseas and
the thrill of living in a
hotel.
Meeting Mohammed
Ali and Nelson
Mandela . . . on the
same day.
Dining invitation with
billionaires on the top
floor of The Mandarin
Oriental, enjoyed Foie
Gras d’oie des, Duckling
Tour d’Argent style from
Challons region (duck
no.1557), best Burgundy
wines and fascinating
views of the river.
18 months
straight of
night shift in London.
Hospitality management is a tough job, it’s
not a lifestyle. Don’t
become a show-pony
prancing around in
Armani suits before you
have a few achievements under your belt.
Being threatened with
a weapon for refusing
someone entry to the
nightclub.
Every day has highs
and lows. How they
are dealt with will
determine your success.
Taking work too
seriously and
forgetting to enjoy life.
Never lose
sight of
the bigger
picture, have that
10-year plan and drive
the car (yourself)
towards it. It’s all
worth it!
Never be afraid of
moving outside your
comfort zone.
Never say no to
opportunity; positive
thinking is the key to
success.
The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au
In the ensuing years, young men and
women signed up to ICHM—confident that
the career success that graduates from SHA
schools like Ecole Hotelier de Lausanne
would also flow to graduates of ICHM.
The feature story in this edition of On
Course, which highlights graduate success
in Melbourne, seems to prove the point.
More than 50 graduates who were at ICHM
in the years 2000 to 2009 are working in
five-star hotels in Melbourne. An equal
number are working in smaller hotels,
restaurants, convention centres or outside
the hospitality industry in accounting and
finance, human resources management,
information technology, marketing and
real estate.
The ‘50 five-star group’ are not just
Australians; they come from about 20
different countries on all continents, and
see their positions as career launch pads.
We remain mindful, however, of the shifting
nature of Australia’s migration policy
landscape and thus cannot guarantee that
future graduates who have an overseas
passport will be able to stay in Australia.
Of course, the careers of graduates do not
end in Melbourne. We have highlighted
four (left) who spent a few years in
Melbourne after they graduated and then
headed to ‘bigger and better things’ in
other countries.
As we speak to school leavers today, we
do not need to refer to the strong record
of Swiss Hotel schools as evidence of
potential career outcomes: we can refer to
the success of our own graduates. This is
true of our graduates in Singapore, China,
Dubai and other overseas destinations,
and it is also true as we look at Australia.
Certainly, the ‘brand’ Swiss Hotel
Association remains as strong as ever, but
today the name and reputation of ICHM is
independently as strong.
The fact that so many of our graduates
are employed speaks for itself: industry
has a demand for this calibre of graduate.
Maybe you are an Australian, maybe a
Kiwi, or maybe from one of the other 180
countries around the world.
Like our Melbourne graduates you can
realise your career dreams through ICHM,
as you:
• Study—at a first-class hotel school
• W
ork in Australia—as an intern and,
potentially, a graduate
• M
ove fast into management—
anywhere in the world.
We look forward to telling you more!
7
Graduates
Relaxing Aussie style
YTL-ICHM graduates took time out from their hectic study schedule on the long weekend in June,
for a barbecue at the home of Chief Executive Gerald Lipman and his wife Louise. The group was
in Adelaide for the ICHM degree, under arrangements set up in early 2003 with Malaysia’s YTL
Hotels and Properties Sdn Bhd.
Charmaine
Turner
Class of 1999
A graduate article is featured
in each issue of On Course.
Thanks to Charmaine Turner,
Director, Human Capital and
Development, Pan Pacific
Vancouver for the article
appearing in this issue.
Network, network, network . . . this phrase
still echoes in our subconscious even
though many graduates haven’t heard
those words from Dr Whyte in quite
some time. This mantra has provided
a solid foundation for understanding
the true value of meaningful business
relationships and the willingness to
connect with other professionals in the
industry.
A quality business network provides
great opportunities to share experiences
with colleagues. It allows the exchange
of ideas, best practices, and resolutions
in managing particular business issues.
Furthermore, it is ideal for recruitment
and succession planning for key positions
within your organisation, along with your
own career advancement.
Social media has made professional and
social networking even easier through
LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or the
many other similar sites. With a quick
name search and a simple invitation to
‘connect,’ networking has never been
easier or nearly as instantaneous.
With the fast-paced times and ease of
technology, old-fashioned values like
building trust, respect and maintaining
integrity should not be overlooked.
Written like a true human resources
supporter, I cannot help but revert back
to these traditional values of building
relationships.
What is particularly interesting for
me throughout all of this social media
networking, is the word connect. To
connect is to form a relationship or feel
an affinity with another.
More often than I would like, I will receive
an invitation to ‘connect’ with someone
I don’t know through one of these social
mediums. These invitations are sent
via the standard template and indicate
they are a ‘friend’, but do not include a
personal introduction and why they want
to connect. Naturally, those invitations
are declined.
I urge you to make real connections
in your business circle by taking a few
short minutes to properly introduce
yourself, include the reason for the new
connection and be truthful about the
category of the relationship. Not only will
you increase your chances of having your
invitation accepted, you will also have a
higher chance of communicating with
this fellow professional in the future,
benefiting from each other’s skills and
experience and, potentially, opening up
an avenue for career growth.
Networking is not a numbers game,
although many would have you believe
that the more people you meet and have
listed within your network the better.
Rather, it is really about the quality of
your connections. The next time you
invite someone into your network, take
the time to ‘connect’ like you mean it!
Navneet was photographed at the wine industry’s
2010 Future Leader program, designed to develop
the skills and potential of the next generation
of wine sector leaders. The program, which has
been running since 2006, involves participants
from all facets of the sector—grapegrowing,
winemaking, research, sales and marketing.
Vintage ICHM
Two graduates gained mentioned in
the August 2011 edition of the Australian
& New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker
magazine: Navneet Singh and James Erskine.
James Erskine, who founded his wine label Jauma
in 2009, was included in a feature on ‘natural’
winemaking. James, who is based in the Adelaide
Hills, has worked as a sommelier in Europe and
Australia. He featured in an article on ICHM
graduates turned winemakers in On Course in
2008 (Semester 2), and in 2009 was voted Gourmet
Traveller’s Australian Sommelier of the Year.
A jet-setting job
He’s currently caught up with a World Economic Event event in Dalian, China— the Annual
Meeting of the New Champions. He then flies out to Jordan for the World Economic Forum on
Middle East and North Africa, Dead Sea. After that Davos is on the agenda. In between, he’s at
home base in Switzerland.
There will be more on graduate Patrick Gaugler and his role as Senior Event Operations Manager
for the World Economic Forum in the next issue of On Course.
The World Economic Forum is an independent international organisation committed to
improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders
of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Incorporated as a not-for-profit
foundation in 1971, and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Forum is best known for
its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of
Switzerland.
Graduates with information in
which they think others would
be interested, such as a property,
the market, an occupation,
a country or, indeed, a trend
are invited to submit 300–400
words, with an accompanying
photograph, to the editor:
marie@danverswords.com.au
Network, network,
network!
Henri Arnulphy (left) wasted no time, just
five days after getting his SHA medal he
was in Mauritius with graduates Christophe
Desmarais (2001) and Estelle Kim-Lim(2004)
at the Preskil Beach Resort.
ICHM appreciates being able to publicise graduate
International College of Hotel Management
success stories in On Course. While most graduates
CRICOS Provider Code 02914 G ICHM Pty Ltd
value the profile, others chose to take a more
GPO Box 249 Adelaide South Australia 5001
conservative stand. It is ICHM policy to contact
Freecall Australia 1800 246 875 | Telephone 61 8 8228 3636 | Facsimile 61 8 8228 3684
graduates in the preparation of any item or article,
admissions@ichm.edu.au | www.ichm.edu.au | www.community.ichm.edu.au
and if ‘no publicity’ is your preference please
clearly decline our request.
8
The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au