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OnCourse
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?’
the newsletter of the international college of hotel management Y adelaide, australia Y semester 2, 2011
ICHM Y great job Y global career . . . wow!In this issueMelbourne dispatches
Events> End of Course> Course Commencement> Graduation
Internships
OPTii keeper software
At Oxford Brookes
Chief Executive’s comments
The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au2
Internships: 1 Hyatt Regency Perth 2 Sheraton Mirage, Port Douglas
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.’
Danielle Butler Position: Front Office
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
ICHM: 2006–2008
Park Hyatt
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.’
Jade Gosling Position: Sales & marketing Coordinator Pacific
Country of Origin: New Zealand
ICHM: 2006–2009
Grand Hyatt
Internships: 1 Hilton London Heathrow Airport 2 Park Hyatt, Philadelphia, US
Ambition: to transfer to the US, Canada or Europe within the chain
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.’
Camilla Betts Position: Laundry Manager
Country of origin: Australia
ICHM: 2006–2008
Internships: 1 Crown Melbourne 2 Pennyhill Park, UK 3 French language studies
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.’
Annabelle CoatsPosition: Front Office Team Leader
Country of origin: Australia ICHM: 2006–2009
langham
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 entry-level 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.’
Katherine Cross Position: Meeting, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions Sales Trainee
Country of origin: New Zealand
ICHM: 2007–2010
Hilton South Wharf
Internships: 1 Langham 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.’
Yota Ogura Position: Front Office Manager
Country of origin: Japan
ICHM: 2003–2006
Internships: 1 Holiday Inn, Surfers Paradise, Queensland 2 Language studies in Spain 3 Sheraton Shanghai Pudong, China
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.’
Tim Chatfield Position: Sales Executive—Corporate
Country of origin: New Zealand
ICHM: 2005–2008
Internships: 1 Quay West Suites, Southbank, Melbourne 2 Garden Beach Hotel, Juan-les-Pins, French Riviera
Ambition: to work in the US or Dubai and France down the track
Advice: Really enjoy your time on campus; I did
‘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!’
Sophie Christie Position: Guest Services Officer, Grand Club
Country of origin: Australia
ICHM: 2007–2010
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.
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Internships: 1 RACV Club, Melbourne 2 Aman Resorts, Phuket
Ambition: to set up a food and beverage-related 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.’
Akshay Deosthali Position: In- Room Dining Team Leader
Country of origin: India
ICHM: 2006–2010
Sofitel
Internships: 1 RACV Club, Melbourne 1 Ramada Resort Port Douglas (formerly
Radisson Treetops), Port Douglas, Queensland3 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.’
Ben (Bibin) Karmadi Position: Assistant Concierge/Reception Supervisor
(Masters studies, Monash University)
Country of origin: Indonesia
ICHM: 2005–2008
Westin
Internships: 1 Ramada Resort Port Douglas (formerly
Radisson Treetops), Port Douglas, Queensland2 Language studies in Spain3 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.’
Fiona Winger Position: Night Manager
Country of origin: New Zealand
ICHM: 2005–2009
Novotel on Collins
Internships: 1 Sofitel, Cairns, Queensland 2 Four Seasons Shanghai 3 Hilton on the Park, Melbourne 4 Langham, Melbourne (work-based degree project)
Ambition: to be located in either Shanghai or Singapore
Advice: There are opportunities, but if they don’t come straight away keep your confidence
‘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.’
Jessie Zhang Position: Front Office Shift Leader
Country of origin: China
ICHM: 2004–2008
InterContinental
Internships: 1 Ramada Resort Port Douglas (Formerly
Radisson Treetops), Port Douglas, Queensland2 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.’
Alejandro Mendoza Position: In-Rooms Division Team Leader
Country of origin: Colombia
ICHM: 2004–2009
Holiday Inn on Flinders
Internships: 1 Holiday Inn, Cairns, Queensland 2 & 3 Crowne Plaza, Perth
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.’
Daniel Lawder Position: Night Manager
Country of origin: United Kingdom
ICHM: 2005–2009
Crown Metropole
Internships: 1 Raffles Hotel Singapore 2 Observatory Hotel, Sydney 3 Sofitel Melbourne 4 Como, Melbourne (work-based degree project)
Ambition: a Front Office supervisory role before making a move into Sales
Advice: Really work at building up your experience
‘ 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.’
Kevin Loh Position: Club Lounge Supervisor
Country of origin: Singapore
ICHM: 2004–2008
Crown Towers
Internships: 1 Sheraton Mirage, Port Douglas, Queensland 2&3 Crown Towers
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.’
Monik Liem Position: Front Desk Agent
Country of origin: Indonesia
ICHM: 2004–2007
Crowne Plaza
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.’
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.’
Bronson Linington Position: Front Office
Country of origin: South Africa
ICHM: 2005–2007
Crown Promenade
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
‘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.’
Anthony Mauro Position: Front Desk Agent
Country of origin: Australia
ICHM: 2007–2010
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
Go to www.community.ichm.edu.au for full profiles
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Events
End of Course 1 July 2011Lipman Hall, Regency International House
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.
1 Anna Hurley (inset) Andrew Baggaley
2 SHA Medal recipients3 Degree Medal recipients4> Formalities over
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Course Commencement 29 July 2011Function 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.
1 Nathan Rhodes2 Imalka Maddumapatabendi3 Violet Yoo4 Eun Bi Jun5 Amazing 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 recipients8> At the event
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The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au
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Graduation 3 September 2011The 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.
1 Young Ae Lee2 Graduands enter3 Hon Russell Wortley MLC4 Young Ae Lee & Elly Im5 Graduate Melissa Tracey with ICHM staff (L) Derek
Milligan, Andrew Foster Johnson, Darren Camilleri6> Graduates with partners, friends and families
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Internships July–December 2011INTERNATIONAl
ChinaLe Royal Meridien Shanghai Han, Jason
Hong Kong Langham Place Hotel Chan, Wilmington W Hotel Beerens, Steven
Indonesia Hotel Majapahit Adipradja, Claudia
MalaysiaRitz Carlton Kuala LumpurLoh, Murphy
New ZealandMercure DunedinAllison, Ned Hilton AucklandBuckland, Melanie
Singapore Starwood Asia Pacific
Divisional OfficeBay, Elaine (Zhi Ying)
TaiwanW Hotel Taipei Liao, Emilia
United Arab EmiratesMonte Carlo Beach Club
Saadiyat IslandHasanovic, Mahira
United KingdomLangham LondonGibson, MariaGleneagles Hotel Johnson, Todd Williams, MariaCrieff Hydro Henderson, Vanessa
VietnamVan Chai ResortBowen, Poppy Sofitel Plaza Hanoi Le Ngoc, Minh
AUSTRAlIA
New South WalesFour Points Hotel Sheraton
Darling Harbour Djasni, Billy Ju, Hyeon Seok Park, EunhanTai, BrianYonesato, Sho
Sheraton On The Park Choy, Susan (Yeon Ju)The Westin Sydney Wong, Billy (Chi Chung)Shangri-La Sydney Zhou, Phoenix
QueenslandLizard Island ResortDasan, Marc Daniel Causer, LukePullman Reef Casino
Cairns Choi, Yoomi Phang, StephanyKim, Michelle (Ok Ju)Shangri-La Hotel Cairns Doyle-Walker, Jessica
Mansfield, HannahSheraton Noosa Resort &
Spa Maruti, SmitaNazaahah, Ja’afarSheraton Mirage Port
DouglasCheon, Viviana (Eunji)
Fang, Pin WenGrozema, RochelleHogestien, Anne Iksanto, Conny Lim, Jun (Hyeong Jun) Rudanny, Rudanny Yoon, ElaineSheraton Mirage Resort &
Spa Gold Coast Dwyer, Indya Friemann, Simone White, David Hospitality Marketing
Concepts Yaworsky, Hannah
South AustraliaHilton AdelaideKim, JaneLamichhane, PrakashLo, Sean Ngo, Minh Man Vassiliev, Misha Trong, Quang Ho InterContinental AdelaideChen, Yuli (Yu-Ching)
Stamford Plaza Adelaide Bui, Jenny (Ha GiangKitagawa, SachieWoolfitt, Sarah Adelaide Oval Function
Centre Yeung, Jason Lee, Ju Yeon
VictoriaCrowne Plaza MelbourneHardy, JonathonGrand Hyatt MelbourneDuan, Yaya (Xiaojie) Gac, Adam Magno, Tomas Miguel Yaakoup, JulietHilton On The Park
MelbourneTuttle, FintanMelbourne Convention
Exhibition Centre Hai, Phoebe (Chung
Ching) Hwang, Sungwon
Park Hyatt Melbourne Hoang, HeidiNadila, Nadia RACV Club Shepherd, RhiannonZwart, CariljnSofitel Melbourne on
CollinsVan Dijke, Linda Swanston Hotel, Grand
Mercure Kim, Mike (Soo Hyun)Travelodge DocklandsLam, Thao (Xuan Ngoc
Thao) The Westin Melbourne on
Regent PlaceHill, Sophie Larkin, CatherineLangham Melbourne Shrestha, Srijan Surace, CarlaGrand Chancellor
Melbourne Warren, Jennifer
Western AustraliaDuxton Hotel PerthJohn, Matthew Kai Hyatt Regency Perth Desouza, Sean Pan Pacific Perth B.K, AnilBogati, ShashiKim, Jenny (Jung Eun) Phung, Nick (Duc Thinh) Parmelia Hilton Perth Kaderbhai, Huzefa Pudasaini, Jayaram
lANGUAGE
Italian in Florence ItalyBentley, JoelDe Simoni, Jake Hutchison, Casey
OPTii keeper on campusSoenke 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.
More information about the package can be found at www.optiisolutions.com
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.
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.
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.
Master Class
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
Mr Soenke Weiss with a selection of senior students
The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au
7The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au
Top-Notch Hoteliers
Paul Town Peter Pysk Nicholas Lacey Nawee Wattanasongsuit
Immersion
in different
cultures,
rather just gaining a
holiday snapshot.
The excitement
and intensity.
While I still have
the energy I love the
level of action when
pulling together a
property like this.
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.
Vice President Hotel Operations Galaxy Macau
Assistant Director Food & Beverage Grand Hyatt Taipei
Resident Manager Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok
The belief that the
older you are the more
experience you have
(perception in
Asia is that age =
experience).
Launching a massive
project from nothing.
I could never fully
anticipate
everything.
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.
What not to say
I will try my
best (there is no
commitment to
making it happen).
Best to avoid
statements that
undermine others.
That’s not my job. Gossip.
Yes! Certainly! With
pleasure!
I will assume ultimate
accountability, no
matter what, for
better or worse.
How may I assist? Listen with your mind
engaged and answer
based on facts.
Highs
The first opportunity
to work overseas and
the thrill of living in a
hotel.
The opening of
Galaxy Macau. It is
very rewarding to see
it all working as we
planned.
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.
Lows
Being threatened with
a weapon for refusing
someone entry to the
nightclub.
18 months
straight of
night shift in London.
Every day has highs
and lows. How they
are dealt with will
determine your success.
Taking work too
seriously and
forgetting to enjoy life.
Tips
Never lose
sight of
the bigger
picture, have that
10-year plan and drive
the car (yourself)
towards it. It’s all
worth it!
Hospitality manage-
ment 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 achieve-
ments under your belt.
Never be afraid of
moving outside your
comfort zone.
Never say no to
opportunity; positive
thinking is the key to
success.
The challenge
Perks of the job
The professionals
Executive Assistant ManagerThe Siam Bangkok
What to say
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.
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
• Work in Australia—as an intern and,
potentially, a graduate
• Move fast into management—
anywhere in the world.
We look forward to telling you more!
Chief Executive’s comments
They started in Melbourne
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.
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.
International College of Hotel Management
CRICOS Provider Code 02914 G ICHM Pty Ltd
GPO Box 249 Adelaide South Australia 5001
Freecall Australia 1800 246 875 | Telephone 61 8 8228 3636 | Facsimile 61 8 8228 3684
[email protected] | www.ichm.edu.au | www.community.ichm.edu.au
ICHM appreciates being able to publicise graduate
success stories in On Course. While most graduates
value the profile, others chose to take a more
conservative stand. It is ICHM policy to contact
graduates in the preparation of any item or article,
and if ‘no publicity’ is your preference please
clearly decline our request.
Graduates
8
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!
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: [email protected]
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.
The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au
A jet-setting job
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.
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.
Relaxing Aussie style
Vintage ICHMTwo graduates gained mentioned in
the August 2011 edition of the Australian
& New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker
magazine: Navneet Singh and James Erskine.