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Eunice AW
MMH '07As a Consultant with Horwath HTL, the world’s
largest consulting organization specialized in the hospitality
industry, Eunice Aw conducts market and financial feasibility
studies for hotel projects in Asia. |
| “The MMH program has enriched my
life with unforgettable experiences and has opened the door to
many exciting opportunities,” said Eunice who has an engineering
degree from Singapore and worked as Assistant Airport Manager
with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore before joining
the MMH program. “In a short span of 13 months, I have
traveled
from Singapore to Ithaca, Lijiang, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Along
the way, classmates turned into great friends while professors
became wonderful mentors. I connected with a valuable network of
hospitality professionals particularly in Asia. The program
prepared me for a smooth transition into the hospitality
industry from my previous job as an airport manager.” Back to top |
CNI MMH Alumni |
More Alumni Profiles
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Chew Tiong Heng
MMH '07
Tiong Heng is the Director International Marketing for the
Singapore Tourism Board, responsible for marketing Singapore as
a destination as well as planning strategic marketing
initiatives for Singapore. |
He is responsible for
integrating the activities and products offered by tourism
stakeholders (hotels, travel agencies, airlines, entertainment
venues in Singapore) with the marketing efforts carried out by
STB Regional Offices all over the world.
Tiong Heng said, “I entered the MMH program to gain new
knowledge to further my career and aspirations in the
hospitality arena. I expected to learn from academia and
industry professionals from both the East and West and the MMH
program with six months in Singapore and six months in Ithaca
gave me a wonderful opportunity to do so.” Prior to the MMH
program, Tiong Heng headed one of the Singapore Tourism Board’s
offices in China.
Tiong Heng advises MMH participants to make good friends during
the Program. “The program is intensive and will be a much more
bearable when you have the support of friends around you. I
remember working together with my classmates to meet deadlines
and overcome exam stress and of course all the fun times that
bonded us together. Some of the friends I made in this program,
will last a life time.”, said Tiong Heng adding “I will always
remember Professor Sen, who did not give up on me in the Finance
course…He was very encouraging and empathetic.”
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Kunal Gill
MMH '07Kunal Gill came to Cornell to acquire strategic
management skills that would help leverage his experience in
hotel operations, as an Assistant Manager (Rooms Division) with
Hyatt Hotels in India. |
Kunal chose the MMH program
because of Cornell’s expertise and reputation in the field of
hotel revenue management.
Kunal, a Research Analyst (Pricing & Distribution) with
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Singapore manages the collection,
analysis and interpretation of industry and business environment
data to consult on strategic decisions for global distribution
and revenue management initiatives at Millennium Hotels. “I
chose to pursue the MMH program at the Singapore campus because
of the rapid growth potential and innumerable opportunities
available in Asia today. I was confident that the MMH program
would give me, revenue management conceptual knowledge, and
being part of the Singapore campus would give me access to
alumni and most importantly networking opportunities in Asia,”
says Kunal. “The MMH program met all my expectations. I was able
to take career-focused courses at Cornell, and could network
with key people in revenue management in Asia. The alumni
network was invaluable and I landed an internship as well as my
current position through a helpful alumnus, Jinou Park, who
ended up being a great mentor throughout.”
Kunal thoroughly enjoyed his time at both the Singapore and
Ithaca campuses. “The small class size in Singapore ensured
lively discussions, with everyone sharing their experiences. I
still remember the cold wintry mornings at Sage Hall in Ithaca,
when we gathered together for morning coffee and to exchange
notes. The professors are great, particularly Bill Carroll, the
undisputed ‘guru’ of distribution at Cornell who inspired me to
take up online distribution as a career. He has the knack of
making the subject interesting and very exciting.”
Kunal advises new MMH students to be sure about what they want
from the MMH program and then pursue their goals rigorously. “I
knew that I wanted to pursue Revenue Management. Choose a career
path and specialize in it. Don’t try to be a jack–of-all
trades.” He believes, “Networking is very important and the MMH
program offers many networking opportunities. Always take the
time out to regularly touch base with important contacts that
you meet through the year. They are a valuable source for career
opportunities and sometimes even career advice.”
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Dinh Tuan Dang Michael
MMH '07
Working as an Assistant Vice President with Philips Electronics,
Michael had always wanted to pursue a career in hospitality. “I
chose to pursue the MMH program over a general MBA because the
MMH provided an ideal opportunity for a career switch. |
Also Cornell is the only
ivy-league to offer advanced hospitality education. Winning a
scholarship for the MMH program was a unique opportunity for
me.”, said Michael who has an engineering degree and a graduate
degree in financial management from Singapore.
Michael is currently working as Assistant Vice President-
Operations with the Ascott Group in Singapore, reporting directly to the Group
Senior Vice President / Managing Director of Operations. Michael
chose the MMH program because of the networking opportunities
and superior hospitality knowledge it offered. “The Singapore
MMH program receives strong support from the industry and the
Singapore government. It also provides a great blend of cultures
and allows you to tap into the Asian hospitality network. At the
same time, I could tap into Cornell’s strong alumni network.”
Michael said, “Professors at Cornell are very knowledgeable and
well-respected in the industry. Professor Chekitan Dev and
Professor Robert Kwortnik are fantastic teachers who have had a
strong influence on me.” Michael fondly remembers his days in
Ithaca, “My classmates really appreciated my cooking and my
apartment became a restaurant for everyone. How can I forget the
many nights spent at the Level B Bar with classmates from both
Cornell and Singapore and of course going three nights without
sleep, scrambling to complete projects?”
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Belinda Choi
MMH '07Belinda Choi came to Cornell to challenge
herself and move out of her comfort zone as Project Manager with
the Esplanade, Singapore. She says, “The MMH was an opportunity
to grow beyond what I am, an expansion of my paradigm.” |
Belinda is currently Deputy
Director (Travel & Hospitality Business) for the Singapore
Tourism Board, liaising with potential investors and hotel
management companies to attract more hotel investment into
Singapore. She also monitors policies and regulations for the
hospitality industry in Singapore
Belinda has an undergraduate degree in Art and chose to pursue
the MMH program at the Singapore campus. “The MMH was an entry
to the world of hospitality and tourism. Cornell has a world
class reputation for hospitality education and its partnership
with NTU gave me a special insight into the Asian hospitality
industry.” Belinda says “The Singapore campus gave me a balance
of the best learning, professors and networking opportunities,
in both North America and Asia. Today, the best of both worlds
is at my doorstep.”
“I knew that I was good as a project manager, but I had never
imagined myself moving beyond what I saw as my field of
expertise. But the MMH gave me the self-confidence to change
industries and to believe that I can achieve greater heights in
both my career and personal life. The MMH has done more than
just provide me with a good education; it has literally given me
a new window to life. Belinda said, “The MMH has opened doors to
job opportunities that were beyond my reach in the past. People
actually want to meet and talk to me.”
Belinda has fond memories of the MMH program, “I will always
treasure the friendship and bond with my classmates. Professor
Kimes and Professor Anderson were very encouraging and inspiring
especially for those of us in the Revenue Management track.
Professor Kimes facilitated my internship with the Raffles
Hotels. Professor Tan Joo Seng was also very encouraging in his
communication classes. I enjoyed the class tremendously and
learnt many useful things, which helped ease the transition into
my current managerial position.”
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Ilse Wittens
MMH '07
While working as an Executive Housekeeper with the Westin Tokyo,
Ilse Wittens had the opportunity of being sponsored for the MMH
program, by Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Ilse has a bachelor’s
degree in hotel management from Belgium and chose to pursue the
MMH program at CNI |
|
because she prefers to live and work in
Asia. Ilse is currently working as Project Manager – Operations
Support with Starwood Asia Pacific and is involved in the
pre-opening activities for new hotels.
“I wanted a broader understanding of the different aspects of
the hospitality industry, beyond hotel operations. I had worked
extensively in hotel operations, and my expectation was to gain
in-depth theoretical knowledge, that would help further my
career. The MMH program not only met but exceeded my
expectations; I learned the whys of the industry through the
extensive course work, the expertise of the professors in Ithaca
and interaction with industry professionals in the booming
hospitality environment in Asia.” said Ilse. “I was able to move
from the level of department head in hotel operations to a
managerial position at the Starwood corporate head office for
Asia Pacific.”
Ilse says that she would make the same choice again to leave
work and return to school. “I made great friends and developed a
large network. Professors showed genuine interest in my progress
at school and personal development. My fondest memory is of
living in the student housing in Ithaca, where we had so many
good times together and where I made friends for life!”
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Marcus Dass
MMH '07
While looking for the right post-graduate degree, Marcus
realized that he wanted to work in the hospitality industry. “I
chose the MMH over a normal MBA program. As I explored the MMH
curriculum and program content, |
|
I saw that the program offered an edge which allowed candidates
from non-hospitality backgrounds to ease into the industry. At
the same time, the one year degree shortened the learning
curve," said Marcus who is now the Executive Assistant Manager
for the JW Marriott, Kuala Lumpur.
Marcus has a degree in Statistics from the London School of
Economics and was working with the Singapore Tourism Board before
joining the MMH. “I expected the MMH to give me a combination of
industry specific knowledge as well as general management
skills. The quality of the program and faculty were excellent.
The Cornell brand is a door opener for the hospitality industry.
In my case, I got a full scholarship from a company which I had
never worked for but which nevertheless had faith in me and the
MMH program. ” said Marcus.
“I have fond memories of my classmates, many of whom will be
friends for life. I am particularly grateful to Dr. Nilanjan Sen
and Dr Lisa Pearo, who were instrumental in making me appreciate
and understand their respective fields (Finance and Marketing).
The MMH helped me achieve far more than what I thought I could
achieve.” said Marcus “If the hospitality industry is where you
see yourself in, then this is the program for you!”
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Osman Khawaja
MMH '07
Osman Khawaja chose the MMH over an MBA program, so that he
could stay focused on the hospitality industry and at the same
time gain the general business knowledge and abilities as he
would get from an MBA program. Osman pursued the Human Resources |
Management career track and is presently Assistant Manager –
Corporate Learning and Development with Ascott International
Management. He consults with Ascott properties on training needs
and implementation, conducts training, develops programs and
curriculum.
Osman who also has an undergraduate degree in Hotel
Administration from Cornell University was working with the
Avari Hotel Lahore in Pakistan as Human Resources Manager before
joining the MMH. “I pursued the MMH program at CNI because it
offers a unique opportunity for exposure and networking in the
Asian hospitality industry, along with opportunities for
employment after the program. I wanted to understand all the new
developments in the industry since my undergraduate studies,”
says Osman.
“The MMH program certainly met my expectations. The faculty is
constantly in touch with the current trends and future
developments in the industry and I have benefited greatly from
that. The program also provides many opportunities to interact
with hospitality professionals in Asia.” Osman believes that the
MMH gave him a distinct edge when it came to career
opportunities, “The Cornell name is very well recognized in the
hospitality industry and opens door to interviews easily. The
very well-placed alumni network also helps open doors for
interviews.”
Osman has fond memories of chatting with classmates till the wee
hours of the morning and said, “Professor Robert Kwortnik’s
passion and the enthusiasm he puts into his lectures is
inspiring. He was able to broaden my perspective and inspired me
to dream big.” Osman’s advise to current students, “Take full
advantage of the outstanding faculty and facilities at Cornell
and Nanyang. Use every opportunity to network with classmates,
professors and alumni.”
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Chung Chai Fang,
Christy
MMH '07
Christy Chung, an Accountancy lecturer with the Ngee Ann
Polytechnic, came to Cornell to take advantage of the current
boom in hospitality and service related industries in Asia: “The
MMH at CNI provides the best |
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of
both worlds; experience in Asia and in the United States. This
was an opportunity to study at an Ivy League University in a
field that I was passionate about.” Christy currently teaches
for the Diploma in Tourism & Resort Management program at Ngee
Ann Polytechnic.“ I had hoped to gain hospitality
industry-specific knowledge through the MMH program and of
course an opportunity to tap into the Cornell global hospitality
network,” says Christy who has a first class honors bachelor’s
degree in accountancy from Singapore. “The program certainly met
all my expectations. I achieved far more that what I had
initially set out to achieve. Every class had at least one
industry project component and this made it very relevant. We
were expected to apply the knowledge acquired to solve real-life
industry problems.”
“The MMH would give anyone who wants to build a career in the
hospitality industry a definite edge. There are plenty of
networking opportunities. The Cornell brand and mafia-like
connections in the Cornell alumni network help open doors in
every part of the world,” notes Christy.
“The MMH program has been a memorable experience. The program is
much more than just great academics. I had a baby along the way
and learnt a lot about myself during the half year away from
home. I will always cherish memories of my classmates and
professors and of course the beautiful campus in Ithaca. I have
great respect for Dean Judy Siguaw. She was most supportive and
encouraging throughout my pursuit of a degree and a baby all at
one go.”
Christy’s advice for potential MMH students “Go for it, believe
me, you will never regret this decision!”
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Alumni |
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Vivek Bhalla -
MMH '00Vivek is the Assistant Vice President – Revenue Management for Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels and Resorts and is based out of the Divisional Head Office in Singapore. |
| He oversees Revenue Management, Pricing and Market Segmentation for 94 Starwood hotels across all brands (Sheraton, Westin, W, Four Points, Le Meridien and St.Regis) in the Asia-Pacific region. Vivek believes that the MMH degree was the best decision of his career. "I chose the program for its strategic business focus on the hospitality industry, the international and cultural diversity of the class, exposure to leaders in the professional and academic world. The Cornell name opens doors for you and the alumni network is absolutely phenomenal in assisting you. I had an absolutely amazing time picking and choosing courses, professors and schools within the university. The new one year program makes it even more industry focused with the specialized career tracks." Vivek has a Diploma in Hotel Management and Bachelor of Commerce degree and used to work with Hyatt Regency Delhi, as Market Analyst before coming into the program. "If the hospitality industry is where you want to be, then the Cornell experience is worth its weight in gold. The true benefit of the program may not be obvious immediately after graduation, but after a few years of having built on the learning from the program – that’s when it all comes together for true competitive advantage over others." Back to top |
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Elizabeth Blau -
MMH '97 Maverick foodie Elizabeth Blau graduated from the MMH program and set off to change the culinary landscape of Las Vegas. |
| Working with Steve Wynn, she invited star chefs, such as Todd English of Olive's and Jean Georges Vongerichten, to open and manage restaurants at the Bellagio Hotel, raising the Vegas culinary bar from inexpensive and kitsch all-you-can-eat buffets to temple-like, five-star, haute cuisine restaurants. Today, Blau is executive vice president of restaurant development and marketing for Wynn Las Vegas. She also is founder of Elizabeth Blau & Associates, a strategic consulting firm for restaurants that is run by her husband Kim Canteenwalla, and a co-owner, with chef Kerry Simon, of SIMON Kitchen & Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. An undergraduate government affairs major at Georgetown University who worked in many jobs in the hospitality industry including the position of chief confectioner at Hilliard's Candy Store in West Hartford, Connecticut, before coming to Cornell, Blau learned her business and financial skills in the MMH program. "The program exceeded my expectations," she said. And it "opened many doors and gave me entrée into the invaluable Cornell alumni network." Back to top |
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Michael Cortelletti -
MMH '99 A pizzamaker at heart, Michael Cortelletti had the good fortune to earn a master's degree in social sciences and economics at Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan and a graduate diploma in tourism economics at Bocconi University, also in Milan. |
| These two degrees, plus experience as owner of a restaurant franchise and quality-control analyst for Best-Western Italia, brought him to the Hotel School, where he focused on management, finance, and quantitative analysis, and found himself repeatedly working in multicultural groups. "What do I miss most about my MMH experience?" Cortelletti asks. "Our Wednesday night ritual of a few friends getting together to drink beer and wine, eat homemade meals, sit back, and discuss life, business, and our aspirations. What fun those nights were!" Today, working for Allied Domecq QSR, Berlin, Cortelletti wears two hats: as director of QSR [Quick Service Restaurants] for the U.K. and Europe, he is responsible for expanding the Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins brands in his region; and as director/president/CEO of Dunkin Española, he actually manages the only joint venture of Allied Domecq QSR in Europe, which is developing the Dunkin Donuts brand in Spain. Back to top |
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Salim Damji -
MMH '00 Salim Damji grew up in a family of hoteliers and knew from an early age that his passion was in the hotel industry. |
| After completing a commerce degree in real estate and finance at the University of British Columbia, Damji struck out on his own as a lodging consultant. During this two-year stint, he provided operational expertise to hotel operations in Vancouver. He then weighed returning to school against joining his father to build the family business. Cornell's MMH program tipped the scale for him. "I would do it again in a heartbeat," he said. "While I recognized that I would be sacrificing work experience for more education, the MMH program offered an incredible range of opportunities. I continue to reap the benefits, such as having a broader skill set and a network of close friends and professionals. I continue to be amazed by the achievements of my classmates, who are now scattered around the world, working with key players in the industry." Upon graduating from Cornell, Damji was recruited by Andersen Consulting's hospitality industry team. Two years later he joined Starwood Hotels and Resorts and held positions in acquisitions and development and real estate portfolio management. He is now a senior associate with JP Morgan Chase's gaming and lodging equity research division, where he follows the major hotel companies, providing investment advice to JP Morgan's institutional client base. Back to top |
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Carmel D'Arienzo - M.P.S. '88 |
| After studying liberal arts at Wellesley College - art history, psychology, and Italian studies - Carmel D'Arienzo went to Los Angeles to work the Olympic Games of 1984. The experience was followed by extended visits to Switzerland and Italy where D'Arienzo worked in various hotels, affirming her newfound interest in hospitality. "Deciding to attend the master's program at the Hotel School was one of the wisest decisions I ever made," she said. "It taught me analytical and business skills, and it opened up an enormous world to me. And it led me to discover new talents and passions. I was on a path to join the management team at a high-end hotel group when I discovered an entrepreneurial gene I never knew I had." After graduation, D'Arienzo headed to Florence with a friend, armed with a wooden spoon and a copy of an independent research project, to open Italy's first American bakery. "The entire business was modeled on the procedures and policies that I had learned from my studies at Cornell," D'Arienzo said. Carmel's bakery, since sold, catered to the local market and American students and tourists who craved American comfort food. Today, D'Arienzo is founder and owner of Villa Concierge, a travel and property rental company specializing in Italy. She manages its strategic planning, marketing, financial reporting, and client relations. And she recently completed a professional sommelier course in Rome, with the intent of incorporating wine tourism into her business. "The ability to reinvent myself and be involved in so many different parts of the hospitality field is something I would not have been able to do without the confidence I gained through my Cornell education," she said. Back to top |
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Tony Dellamano - MMH '03 |
| Tony Dellamano, a former baseball player with the Texas Rangers organization, came to the Hotel School to learn the corporate side of the restaurant business. He already knew some of its operations: after earning a managerial economics degree from the University of California, Davis, he had been a server, floor manager, and financial consultant for high-end restaurants in San Diego. At Cornell, he discovered entrepreneurship. He and classmate Mark Kuperman created a fast-food snack that they called Johnny Applestix. They submitted the idea to the Big Red Venture Fund, a campus-wide competition sponsored by the Johnson Graduate School of Management, and they won the first prize of $10,000. With that seed money and valuable contacts made while attending Cornell, they raised the necessary capital to launch the business at three locations in northeast Ohio. Now, the partners are involved in every aspect of the startup, with Dellamano concentrating on building the brand - to make Johnny Applstix the fast food of choice in malls across America. Back to top |
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Max Elson -
MMH '98 As a senior investment consultant for Robert W. Baird & Co., a full-service financial-services firm, Max Elson conducts portfolio management and financial planning for executives and business owners, primarily those in the hospitality industry. |
| "In an ever-changing environment, I believe it is best to specialize. The MMH program provides the core, quantitative curriculum of a traditional M.B.A. program while focusing specifically on hospitality, and that's very important," said Elson, who majored in geography at the University of Florida and worked in a family business before coming to Cornell. "The program exceeded my expectations. The professors who taught core courses were brilliant; they gave you everything they had and expected the same in return. With my classmates, what I learned outside the classroom was equal to what I learned inside. If I had to make the choice again to leave work and return for my MMH degree, I'd return wholeheartedly, particularly now with the redesigned twelve-month program." Back to top |
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Erika J. Gwilt - M.P.S. '94 |
| "I'd absolutely make the same choice to leave work and return to school," says Erika Gwilt, now director of leadership development and ground operations education for Northwest Airlines. She left the exclusive Ayers Rock Resort in central Australia to relocate to Ithaca with her husband and their young son. "In addition to being able to use and leverage knowledge and skills and increase the trajectory of my earnings and career advancement, I also enjoyed stepping back from a focused position in a demanding industry and taking a look at the bigger picture, by asking 'Who is doing the best, cutting-edge things? What is exciting and new in our industry?'" Today, Gwilt is responsible for management training and leadership development at Northwest Airlines, with its 3,500 salaried employees. She also provides regulatory, technical, and skills training for 11,000 ground operations employees. "The MMH program exposed me to great educational concepts and practical learning," she said. "I also felt that there was invaluable exposure to industry leaders, and in terms of my job search, the MMH degree leveraged my candidacy. . . I also enjoy remembering those days in Ithaca: arguing with my classmates about our group projects . . . joining other students with children in an Easter egg hunt (my little boy got the most eggs) . . . putting together the graphs of restaurant meals served at a Florida restaurant and using triple exponential smoothing to predict future business patterns . . . digging a path to my neighbor's door during the snowstorm of April '93, when we got drifts as high as my shoulder, while my neighbor's Peruvian wife filmed from her window . . . teaching a lab section of a freshman management class and timing them making beds at the Statler Hotel." Back to top |
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Shonette Harrison - MMH '01 |
| An internship with Harrah's in Las Vegas led Shonette Harrison to a full-time position as marketing manager for Harrah's Louisiana Downs Casino and Racetrack in Bossier City, Louisiana. Along with supervising the player-loyalty program and day-tripper bus operations, she is a member of the Harrah's corporate team that opens new properties, such as a hotel tower in Atlantic City and the casino at Louisiana Downs. "The MMH gave me the strategic focus that I needed to move up in the corporate world of hospitality," Harrison said. In deciding to come to Cornell, she turned down a big promotion, from conference organizer of a Times Square hotel to manager of another. "Returning to school is a decision I will never regret," she said. "I gained understanding of other aspects of the industry, a network of contacts, and much support and guidance from my professors and industry mentors." Back to top |
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Andrew Harwood - MMH '00 |
| "The world of food and wine will always be my life," says Andrew Harwood, founder of NYC Wine Company, offering classes on fine wines to young professionals. After graduating from the College of William and Mary, Harwood lived in Tokaj, Hungary, making wine and developing a more intuitive understanding of it. He returned to New York City, where he became assistant beverage director at Picholine restaurant before he came to Cornell. He had also spent a summer and semester in France, where he worked at a winery in the Pauillac region, refining his wine-making techniques and knowledge. These experiences and his MMH coursework prepared him to join a winery in Sonoma, California, where his responsibilities ranged from making wine to marketing it. "When I applied to Cornell I wanted to translate my excitement for food and wine into a lasting, creative, and entrepreneurial career," he said. "I wanted the best education possible so I could state loud and clear that another mass producer was not the only way to success." Back to top |
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Wendy Huang -
MMH '97 Wendy Huang is the Area Revenue Manager for Greater China with Starwood Hotels and Resorts. She oversees and supports the revenue management function for |
| all Starwood properties located in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Wendy moved back to China after nearly 10 years in the US, which included a stint with Embassy Suites as Director of Revenue Management based in Richmond, VA. Wendy has a BA from Fudan University, Shanghai, China and was working with the Hanghzou Overseas Tourist Company as sales manager before joining the MMH program. Wendy chose the MMH program simply because it is the best hospitality program in the world. "The MMH program allows you to be a part of a fantastic alumni network which is extremely important when it is time to look for a job. The MMH program gave me the opportunity to study, live and work internationally. The new, joint MMH program from the Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management makes the whole MMH experience even more global and the learning easily transferable. There are a lot of exciting opportunities waiting in Asia, especially in China. Come and join us!" Back to top |
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Sharad Kapur -
MMH '03As the Regional Pricing and Distribution Manager with Hyatt International, Sharad is based out of Dubai and his primary job responsibilities include, strategic marketing and planning, |
| business analysis, and pricing and distribution for Hyatt hotels situated in Dubai. Sharad worked in India with the Taj group of Hotels for several years before joining the MMH program. For Sharad the MMH program was the only choice, "The MMH is the one and only program of its kind in the world and the skills I acquired enabled me to fit a defined niche in the hospitality industry. MMH program is a brand for hospitality graduates. The program is well structured and arms students with strategic tools that can help bring change and progress to the hospitality industry. In particular, the team projects – although a tremendous test of your intellectual abilities and social skills, they teach you to respect different cultures, personalities and help bring out the leadership skills in you. The MMH also provides a rare opportunity to interact and network with experts in the industry." Sharad who has a diploma in Hotel Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree came to the MMH program with the expectation of achieving a thorough understanding of the hospitality industry and the ability to think differently. He believes that the MMH degree was a rare opportunity, "Like academy winners, it brands you as a Cornell graduate - MMH class of 2003, a big name and responsibility to carry on your shoulders." Back to top |
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Sharon Lee - MMH '04 |
| Sharon Lee was interested in restaurants before she came to the Hotel School, and still is; but now instead of food-and-beverage operations, she's doing strategic planning. When she graduated, she accepted a job offer in New York City, as director of bank and institution special projects for Restaurant Associates, a restaurant group with more than 130 restaurants, museum and performing-arts center cafes, and caterers. A native of Hong Kong and a graduate of the University of Massachusetts (with a year in Switzerland at the International College of Hospitality Administration), Lee came to Cornell with experience as operations manager of the dining and catering operation at Harvard Business School and as general manager of Ma Soba, a 120-seat restaurant in Boston. Why return to school? "I had a lot of experience coming in," she said, "but I needed to learn the quantitative skills to build on what I knew.. . . What I found when I got here is that what you learn is more than coursework. It's people, too - the people you meet, the networking you do, the work opportunities that come from being here." When Au Bon Pain, the urban bakery based in Boston, visited the Hotel School, Lee impressed a company executive, and he offered her a position as food-and-beverage consultant to the company while she was still in school. "You don't find a job by sending out a résumé - cold - with a cover letter," Lee said, as she went off to her new job in New York. "Finding an interesting job is all about who you know." Back to top |
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Doug Lord -
M.P.S. '94Who makes sure the buses, monorails, and watercraft of Walt Disney World carry guests around quickly and easily? Doug Lord, WDW's director of transportation, whose responsibilities include overseeing the seventy-five team leaders who motivate 1,600 transportation cast members who shuttle people through the 47-square-mile park. |
| "I landed my first job at Disney based in part on a recommendation from one of my Hotel School professors. When you work for a company that focuses on great guest service, like Disney, the MMH degree is held in high esteem." Lord's first degree, from the University of California at Santa Barbara, was in business economics. He was manager of the Beachside Café, also in Santa Barbara, when he researched conventional M.B.A. programs and selected the MMH instead because it would differentiate him in the marketplace and offer a broad exposure to industry leaders and best practices. "Next to marrying my wife, attending the Hotel School was the best decision I have made in my life. If I had to make the same choice again, I'd make it in a heartbeat. It's an excellent way to jump-start your career or transition into a rewarding one. "And, my memories of the time spent in Ithaca are some of the richest of my life. I especially remember the beauty of the Finger Lakes, golfing on the Cornell course, and fishing. There were small-mouth bass at the base of Ithaca Falls in spring and lake trout at Taughannock State Park in summer. Once, I got very lucky and caught a landlocked salmon in Fall Creek." Back to top |
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Stephane Regnault - MMH '00 |
| As Director of Development Planning for Asia Pacific with the InterContinental Hotels Group, Stephane Regnault evaluates development projects requiring capital commitment from IHG and ensures that capital investment proposals are structured within the firm’s investment criteria. Stephane believes that the MMH degree gave him the right tools and connected him to the right people. "I have always wanted to work in the hotel industry as it is a fascinating combination of people and service culture, design, engineering and real estate. The MMH was the only graduate education option that could simultaneously provide me with all the relevant tools to get a
'360' view of the hospitality business while allowing me to specialize in hospitality real estate finance. The MMH program offers not only top-quality faculty, but the quality of its students and alumni network is first-rate. The continuous interaction between industry stalwarts, professors and students made the courses priceless." says Stephane who has a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Lausanne Hotel School. "It was an MMH alum, who being very familiar with Cornell’s education recognized that I had the skill set to become a consultant, offered me one of my first jobs in Singapore immediately after graduation. It is the Cornell network and that constant drive for research instilled at the Hotel School which make it possible to remain ahead of the game in an increasingly competitive environment… Define your goals and have a clear vision of your objectives before joining the program so that you can get the maximum out of it." Back to top |
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Daniel Skodol - MMH '04 |
| In looking forward to a career, Dan Skodol first thought back to what pleased him before he became an economics major at Yale - family vacations from Great Neck, New York. So he took a job doing financial analysis for Northwest and Mesaba Airlines in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Four years later, he applied to the Hotel School. "The Hotel School curriculum is where my heart is," he said. "If I had known this then, I would have come to hospitality school as an undergraduate. It just took me a while to discover my true interest." In Minnesota, Skodol was a member of Twin Cities Poker Club. At Cornell he participated in a master class sponsored by three Las Vegas hotel casinos. Their business operations, finance, and marketing all fascinated him. In Ithaca, he met a Hotel School alumnus, a vice president of Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, who offered him an internship that led to his writing a thesis on the company's slot operations. Ultimately Borgata offered him a newly created position as director of revenue management. "The Hotel School's faculty and alumni are its strongest assets," Skodol said, acknowledging that it was a combination of the two that led to what was for him a dream job, at a starting salary even higher than he had asked for. Back to top |
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William Spinnenweber - MMH '04 |
| To many Hotelies, Bill Spinnenweber had it made. When he earned his MMH, he could return to a family business, in this case an historic hotel, art theatre, restaurants, and commercial real estate in Mariemont, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. Over the years - since age 14, when he first made beds and folded laundry - he gained plenty of hands-on experience. As an undergraduate at Miami University, an hour away, he worked weekends, with the expectation that he could be general manager of the family's flagship property, the historic hotel built in 1926. But while Spinnenweber knows his situation is enviable, he also appreciates its challenges. "How do I go home with plans to expand the business without people looking at me as just the boss's son?" he asked. "If I'm just the son of my father, I get no respect." To prepare for a post-MMH career, Spinnenweber chose courses to stimulate his thinking, such as real-estate development and spa development. He also sat down with professors who would help him write a succession plan. "At some point, my brother and I will be on our own," Spinnenweber said. "When that time comes, I won't fumble if I already know how to do things." When he went home to Cincinnati, he was made director of hospitality for Spinnenweber Builders Inc. "The Hotel School faculty is absolutely fabulous," he said. "Professors will talk to you about any project of yours, whether for school or not. They treat you as a colleague, and in a few years you will be one. I'll expect them to send people to me for internships or jobs. That's the way it works. It's phenomenal." Back to top |
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Hillary Camille Stewart - MMH '04 |
| "'How can you go back to operations now that you've earned an advanced degree?' some of my classmates asked me, and I told them, 'I know, I know, but I can't help it! You love what you love,' " said Hillary Camille Stewart. A Jamaican, Stewart grew up surrounded by hospitality. She studied tourism at the University of Technology in Kingston and worked at one after another resort restaurants. "For my master's degree I wanted a broader perspective. Cornell was perfect for that," she said. As graduation time drew near, Stewart was selected for the 2004 Banfi Food and Wine Tour, an annual honor that goes to four Hotel School graduates: an expenses-paid, week-long trip to the wine-growing regions of Italy - Piedmont, Palma, and Tuscany. When she returned, she went to work as a restaurant manager for RARE Hospitality's LongHorn Steakhouse Concept, in Morrow, Georgia. "I like to be in the thick of things," Stewart said. "And restaurants are fun. The industry recognizes, the way cruise lines do, that ambience and atmosphere make a complete dining environment. Restaurants are not just about putting food on a plate. Entertainment can make that food taste better," she said. Back to top |
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Stefani Strategos -
MMH '98 As a vice president for project finance with Hilton Hotels, Stefani Strategos concerns herself with development and acquisitions, placing real-estate debt and equity and re-financing existing debt. |
| While she was an MMH student, she concentrated on hospitality finance and real estate, and she credits a couple of professors with shaping her approach to hospitality real-estate finance and statistics. "At the same time, some of my fondest memories of Cornell are of my classmates," she says. "Remembering how we played darts at the Chapter House after hockey games still makes me nostalgic for our discussions and grateful for these friendships." Before coming to Cornell, Strategos worked for Wells Fargo Bank's commercial lending group after receiving an undergraduate business degree from the University of San Diego. Back to top |
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Lynne Sundblad -
MMH '99 When it was time to earn an advanced degree, Lynne Sundblad chose the MMH program instead of a traditional M.B.A. with a focus on production lines and manufacturing. |
| Why? Because this Brandeis University philosophy major knew herself. The food and beverage industry was her passion. She had managed a high-end hotel restaurant, opened three coffee bars, and managed foodservice marketing for Compass Dining; what she needed was a business degree program in hospitality. Currently, Sundblad is a Director of Business Development for ARAMARK. She manages sales and contract negotiations for the East Coast campus market and develops strategies to establish annual objectives for the unit. In looking back on her Cornell days, she advises current students to "spend time with people - professors, classmates, industry leaders. It is these relationships that will stay with you for a lifetime." Back to top |
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Jason Swanson -
MMH '03For Jason Swanson, the MMH program looked like a way to refocus and expand his hospitality industry consulting experience. Just prior to entering the program, the George Mason University finance major had been a real estate consultant with Hotel Consulting International. |
| "Before my first semester, I scheduled an appointment with a professor who is one of the school's experts on tourism. When I entered his office, I noticed a copy of my résumé that had been faxed to him by a member of the class of 1956. I had spoken with this alum seven months before about what I hoped to accomplish in my studies. All the time I was in school, the two of them never let me out of their sights. And they still keep tabs on me." When he graduated, Swanson started a consulting practice, Tourism Development Specialists, Inc., to help governments and communities plan and develop tourism. "In my chosen field - destination management and development - there are very few graduates of the Hotel School. People are quite impressed to learn about my association with the Hotel School. That has been essential for my career." Back to top |
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Jens Thraenhart -
MMH '00 Jens Thraenhart eased into the MMH program after operating a catering company, working in sales at the Kempinski Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Munich, working in the rooms division at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston, managing marketing and sales at a luxury golf hotel in Germany, and consulting for Success Hotels in Europe. |
| With a joint bachelor's degree in hospitality management from University Center 'Cesar Ritz' in Brig, Switzerland and the University of Massachusetts, he sought the only M.B.A.-equivalent program that focuses on hotel management. At Cornell, he and a classmate discovered common interests in marketing and entrepreneurship. So they launched a Web-based tourism service in New York, backed by a Cornell alumnus in investment banking, to provide customized information to upscale leisure travelers. Later, Thraenhart consulted for Ian Schrager Hotels, and then he moved to Toronto to become director of Internet strategy for Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. Most recently, Thraenhart was promoted to head up marketing, strategy, and owner services for Fairmont's new vacation ownership and residences division. He also serves as chairman of the advisory board of a luxury travel e-zine, WOWTraveler. Back to top |
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Ming Tsai -
M.P.S. '89 Ming Tsai, celebrated culinary and lifestyle master, earned his reputation by combining Eastern and Western cuisines, and opening his critically-acclaimed restaurant, Blue Ginger, in the Boston area. In 1998, the prestigious James Beard Foundation named him Best Chef in the Northeast, and both Ming and Blue Ginger have continued to win accolades since then. |
| The restaurant's wild success inspired Ming to develop television programs, first for the Food Network, where he was the 1998 Emmy Award-winning host of "East Meets West with Ming Tsai," and later on public television as the host of Simply Ming. In spring 2005, he also will be a celebrity judge on the new PBS reality series, "Cooking Under Fire." Ming's first cookbook is now in its eighth edition, and he has since written two more. In partnership with Target, he created the "Blue Ginger" product line of cooking equipment and ingredients. After graduating with a mechanical engineering degree from Yale, Ming decided to forego his intended career to pursue his culinary interests. He spent a year abroad, first at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and then as apprentice to master chefs in Europe and Asia, learning as much as he could about cuisine. When he returned, he enrolled at the Hotel School, where he developed the business acumen that has guided him in managing his culinary enterprises. Back to top |
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Jennifer Whelan -
MMH '99 During her undergraduate days as a political science major at the University of California at Santa Barbara, Jennifer Whelan discovered an interest in hospitality. |
| Her last job before coming to Cornell was the general manager and wine program director at Wente Vineyards Restaurant in Livermore, California. A general M.B.A. program offered a full-ride scholarship, but she declined in favor of the MMH program. "I knew that the level of education I would receive, the opportunities, and the strong alumni network at Cornell would be more rewarding for the career I wanted," she said. Coursework in finance, marketing, business analysis, and communication prepared her for the job she has today: corporate senior director of brand management for Marriott Vacation Club, developing programs and standards that enhance the growth and economic viability of the division. Another great benefit of the MMH program were the supportive professors and like-minded classmates who continue to be lifelong friends and collaborators. Back to top |
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