the newsletter of the international college of hotel management Y adelaide, australia Y semester 1, 2011
OnCourse
ICHM – YTL
Events
> End of Course Ceremony
> Course Commencement Ceremony
Internships
> January–July 2011
Seasoned graduates
On Campus
> High-end by design
> Georgina Forwood
Chief Executive
ICHM is delighted to
welcome back Dr Ian
Whyte as Principal. Dr
Whyte was the inaugural
Principal (1992–2000),
leading the team that set
the benchmark for other
hotel schools in Australia
and positioning ICHM to
rank among the best hotel
management schools
in the world. Dr Whyte
reconnected with ICHM
in 2008 when he became
a member of ICHM’s
Academic Board and as
an advisor to the Chief
Executive.
Back to the front
ICHM the next decade
In this interview, Dr Whyte sets the scene
for hotel management as a profession, and
touches on some of the factors that will
drive ICHM over the next decade.
What do you think inspires young people to
study hotel management? Have they changed
since the early 1990s?
Many things are exciting about hotel
management, but perhaps the most
consistently mentioned by students is their
aspiration to excel in an international career.
When ICHM started we had a dual marketing
role: to establish hotel management as a
profession in this part of the world and ICHM
as the hotel management school of choice.
In contrast, hotel management had been in
existence for more than a century in Europe
so it had a long tradition there, and it was
emerging in other countries.
Today in the Asia-Pacific region, hotel
management is on the radar as a profession
not only among students, but also parents.
The stellar careers of ICHM’s alumni have
been exceedingly important in this, and
many graduates, including those in this issue
of On Course, come to mind. And others like
Paul Town, Vice President, Hotel Operations
for Galaxy Resort Macau; Troy Hickox,
Executive Director of the conceptual™
group in Hong Kong; and Caroline Hardman,
Director of Learning & Development at the
Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.
Dr Ian Whyte Principal
‘Hotel Management is now on the radar as
a profession in the Asia-Pacific region’
Since day one ICHM’s strong connection with
the Swiss Hotel Association (SHA) has been
an important factor in attracting a large and
diverse international student base. Is this
long association set to continue?
Without doubt, ICHM’s enduring association
with the SHA remains strong. Our programs
continue to be informed by our mutually
productive relationship founded on
professional understanding and shared
contribution.
Of course, that we are based in Asia Pacific
influences the context for and direction of
our programs. But the SHA model—50% oncampus study and 50% internship—forms the
fundamental structure of the ICHM program.
One of my first priorities back in the role has
been to travel to Switzerland with ICHM’s
Chief Executive Gerald Lipman, to meet with
the SHA’s Chief Executive Officer
Dr Christoph Juen and other academic and
professional colleagues. New directions for
the hospitality management programs was
among topics discussed.
Past Principal Dan Edmonds is a man
on a mission.
> See over
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DR IAN WHYTE
‘Ian Whyte is one of those rare individuals who
combines academic rigour with hospitality market
knowledge. He believes in an industry focused learning
environment that enables young people to step out
of the classroom and succeed in real workplace
situations.’
From Queensland, Dr Whyte holds a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Arts
(Hons) from James Cook University, North Queensland and a PhD from Flinders
University, in South Australia. Before joining ICHM in 1993 as Principal/Director, he
held various management roles with Regency Hotel School. In the 1980s he explored
life as a restaurateur working in some of Adelaide’s better know eateries.
CAREER SNAPSHOT
Gerald Lipman, Chief Executive
You mentioned seven managerial ‘musthaves’ for businesses today—sustainability,
internationalisation, innovation and
development, ethics, corporate social
responsibility, community engagement and
risk management. How do you plan to embed
these into ICHM’s program?
The phenomenon of web-based social
networking, such as email, instant
messaging, Facebook and Twitter, are not
replacing the old concept, just placing it in a
whole new realm. It makes it possible for the
ICHM community to share information and
activities faster and further than ever before.
First and foremost, it is enormously
important that our students have an
understanding of each discipline that goes
way beyond a textbook response so that
they make informed decisions. For example,
dealing with the multiplicity of factors
when a five-star hotel is being swamped
by floodwaters, as has been the recent
experience of numerous general managers
in Queensland.
VET Fee-Help has given more Australian
students the financial capacity to study at
ICHM. Are international students still a
growing market for ICHM?
Another priority for me and approved by
the Academic Board has been to establish
eight Graduate Qualities, which are the
transferable skills, attitude and professional
knowledge that ICHM wishes to develop
in its graduates. They will be embedded
into course and program objectives and
teaching and learning activities, and
their development and acquisition will be
assessed through formal assessment tasks.
The areas of internationalisation,
innovation and development, and ethics
will be embedded into the Graduate
Qualities and each subject, as a way of
thinking, acknowledging information
and approaching problems. The areas of
sustainability, risk management, corporate
social responsibility and community
engagement, which are already part of hotel
operations, are stand-alone subjects.
You were responsible for ICHM’s catchphrase
network, network, network! How are the
new and emerging technologies changing the
way networking occurs?
In January our new principal, Dr Ian Whyte
and I spent a week with our colleagues from
the Swiss Hotel Association (SHA) in Bern, the
Swiss capital.
In discussions, the concept of ‘Swissness’ and
what it represents came up.
Of course,
asEdmonds
with any culture there are things
Dan
that are uniquely and famously Swiss that are
2
2008–2009
Consultant—hospitality education and
training.
2005–2007
International Centre of Excellence in
Water Resources Management (ICE
WaRM)
Manager: Marketing and Business
Development—responsible for setting
the strategic marketing direction and
marketing and communications for this
Australian Government initiative.
Every leader brings to their position different
characteristics that add to an organisation
and its culture. What are yours?
I would put academic rigour at the top of
the list. This has been honed by positions
with the University of South Australia,
in particular, taking the Division of
Business through its third iteration of
the internationally significant EQUIS
accreditation. Perhaps hospitality and hotel
knowledge would come in a close second,
with internationalisation and market
acumen following in third and fourth place.
During my time with ICE WaRM, I worked
with five universities developing programs
and research in China, the Middle East,
India, South-East Asia and Europe.
Program Director: PhD Business and
Management and Doctor of Business
Administration, and Coordinator:
Research Degrees—responsible
primarily for academic leadership and
management of the delivery of doctoral
programs throughout Asia and in Zurich,
Switzerland.
2000–2002
International Academic Director,
Le Cordon Bleu Paris—responsible
for incorporating higher education
programs in hospitality and cuisine
management and for expanding Le
Cordon Bleu’s profile and presence
internationally.
Man on a mission
Past Principal Dan Edmonds has taken up an appointment with
the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) as a consultant. Dan will
be helping to develop the iconic Ayers Rock Resort, now in ILC
ownership, into one of the top 10 destinations in the world, and
create a world-class centre for indigenous culture and educational
and experiential tourism.
The ILC’s task is twofold: reposition the resort (comprising five
hotels and 1000 employees), and develop an Indigenous Training and
Education Centre. The mission: a commitment to 50% indigenous
employment by 2018.
Each of these characteristics will come into
play as we all work to continually improve
the quality of the student experience and,
ultimately, the success of our graduates.
ICHM wishes Dan all the best in this new and challenging role and
expresses gratitude for his outstanding contribution to ICHM over
the past 10 years.
It is interesting to reflect on ‘Swissness’
and how ICHM has adopted its features into
our culture.
Swissness!
Manager: Academic Accreditation &
Director: Division Core—responsible
for managing the development of a
new core of eight subjects in Division of
Business programs.
It is true that VET Fee-Help has enabled
more Australian students to undertake
an international qualification. At the
same time, we will continue to grow our
international student base.
made the butte of jokes—and alpine horns,
yodelling, holes in cheese and cuckoo clocks
come to mind. But on a more serious note,
Switzerland is also famous for its quality and
its hotel management education.
Chief
Executive’s
comments
2009–2010
Division of Business, University of South
Australia
2003–2005
International Graduate School of
Business, University of South Australia
Whether looking at watches or chocolates,
the superior quality of the Swiss is legendary.
We hear stories of tourists from the People’s
Republic of China visiting Zurich or Geneva
and buying an expensive watch. They already
have a replica, but they feel their visit to
Europe should be topped off with a genuine
Rolex or some other brand. Indeed, one brand
of watch claims that ‘you do not really own
your Swiss watch: you are taking care of it for
the next generation’.
Linked in with the ‘quality’ label is the whole
issue of ‘luxury’. It is not just about reliability
and price; it includes the concept that you are
spoiling yourself by indulging in something
that is significantly better than a basic
product. Whether jewellery, clothing, retail
and, of course, hotels, the luxury brand is
evident throughout Switzerland.
Certainly, fluency in a number of languages is
another element of ‘Swissness’, with German,
French, Italian and English widely spoken.
In upmarket hotels, the restaurant and front
office staff would be fluent in at least two
languages.
Punctuality is certainly given a higher priority
in Switzerland than in the Anglo-Saxon world,
not to mention southern Europe! We all know
that we should be punctual, but for many of us
it is ‘somewhat optional’. Obviously the Swiss
railways are famous for being on time. But ‘on
time’ is part of life, regardless of whether your
Swiss contact uses a watch or a mobile phone
to tell the time.
While Asia has a lot of top-quality hotels, staff
pay is relatively low and hotels are in a position
to employ more staff than in Western Europe,
where the wages are higher. But whether we
are talking about hotels, banks or retail shops,
the Swiss are able to manage an enterprise
in a high-cost environment. Maybe the hotel
costs the equivalent of AUS$500 per night, as
opposed to a room in another part of the world
costing half that amount; however, the Swiss
hotelier is able to present a value proposition
that is attractive to the customer. A Swiss
The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 1, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au
holiday is not a ‘cheap and cheerful’ family
holiday, but nonetheless Swiss mountain
resorts and city hotels still do good business.
Since the birth of tourism in the mid-19th
century, Switzerland has been famous for its
tourism industry. English authors like Arthur
Conan Doyle visited St Moritz and wrote
about it. As the railways spread and private
tourism developed, Swiss hotels increased in
popularity. By the 1890s, the SHA had opened
the first hotel school, École hôtelière de
Lausanne, to ensure that this growing industry
had well-qualified staff to grow its future.
There are other elements of ‘Swissness’
that could be discussed . . . a small country
surrounded by large countries like Germany,
France and Italy; and a focus on research and
development, as well as innovation.
Let it be said we are proud of our Swiss
heritage; proud to be offering a SHA Diploma;
and proud that we are the only SHA school
outside Switzerland.
YTL-ICHM graduates studying for the Bachelor
degree in Australia.
Back (L): Victor (Shue-Yu) Chai, Ivy (Szehui) Ng,
Damien Lee, Faris (Idzwan Bin Che Mohd) Zin,
Canasder Sek & Lim Chuang-Yung
Front (L) Huey-Ru Sow, Ethan Chang, Jasandra
(Shu-Yi) Loh, Rachel Fernando & Yen-Aun Leow
Photo taken at the Course Commencement
Ceremony, February 2011.
Set & Match
When ICHM had been up and running for
only a decade, its graduates were already
making inroads around the world as
hospitality leaders of the future. This
was the starting point for the formation
of a joint venture with Malaysia’s YTL
Hotels and Properties Sdn Bhd, owners
and operators of a string of properties,
most of them exclusive. YTL-ICHM in
Kualar Lumpar has subsequently been
described as ‘a match made in heaven’.
In 2002, YTL Hotels and Properties Sdn
Bhd were looking to set up a hotel school
to help them develop staff for properties
such as The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur,
JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur, Pangkor Laut
Resort and Tanjong Jara.
On hearing about ICHM, YTL Chairman
Dato Mark Yeoh visited Adelaide, liked
what he saw and YTL-ICHM is the result.
Set up in early 2003, the Malaysian
college delivers both the Australian
Diploma and the Australian Advanced
Diploma, with ICHM conducting
Maintenance of Standards inspections
to ensure that YTL-ICHM meets ICHM’s
high standards.
YTL has subsequently expanded its hotel
operations with even more up-market
properties in Malaysia, as well as in Bali,
Phuket, Shanghai, Niseko (Japan) and St
Tropez and London in Europe. All of the
YTL-ICHM students spend half their time
studying, and half their time working,
usually in a YTL-owned hotel.
YTL’s Vice President Human Resources,
Learning and Development, Mrs Nancy
Teoh, says: ‘It’s a match made in heaven.
YTL hotels need quality management,
and through the partnership with ICHM
we are training and developing young
people to the highest levels. My staff see
these students working in their hotels for
up to six months every year, and we are
very happy with the results.’
At a recent graduating ceremony in
Kuala Lumpur, more than 50 students
were awarded the Australian Diploma
and 20 the Advanced Diploma. These
YTL-ICHM graduates are eligible for
Bachelor degree studies in Adelaide.
‘It’s a match made in heaven.
YTL hotels need quality
management, and through the
partnership with ICHM we are
training and developing young
people to the highest levels.
My staff see these students
working in their hotels for up to
six months every year, and we
are very happy with the results.’
3
1 Degree medals 2 SHA medals
3 Patrizia Ponti
4 Sergio Arias Campelo
5 SHA graduates
6 Degree graduates
7> Formalities over
Events Ceremonies
End of Course Ceremony
17 December 2010
Held in the Lipman Hall at Regency International House, the End of Course Ceremony is
the occasion at which Swiss Hotel Association medals and ICHM’s Bachelor degree medals
are awarded. Patrizia Ponti was Dux of the Third Year (July–December 2010), winning the
Intercontinental Hotels Group prize. Sergio Arias Campelo gave the farewell address on
behalf of the students.
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Internships January–July 2011
INTERNATIONAL
China
The Westin Beijing Financial
Street
Ross, Melita
Radisson Hotel Shanghai
New World
Kakridas, Anastasia
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong,
Tsim Sha Tsui
Leung, Ellie (Nga Li)
Grand Hyatt Shanghai
Moll Sanchez, Dino
Indonesia
Ritz Carlton Pacific Place
Jakarta
Delip Kumar, Danny Singapore
Starwood Asia Pacific
Divisional Office
Tan, Charlotte (Hong Yan)
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South Korea
W Seoul Walkerhill
Jun, Eun Bi
Grand Hyatt Seoul
Bark, Inn Young
Taiwan
Grand Hyatt Taipei
Lin, Leo
Thailand
The Surin
McKenzie, Cameron
Piva, Nicholas
Sheraton Grande
Sukhumvit
Narula, Ekaphol
Tangdumrongkul, Joe (Nuttapong)
United Kingdom
Cumberland Hotel, London
Ramanantsoa, Nicolas
United States of America
Fairmont Miramar Hotel
Leitner, Sarah
AUSTRALIA
New South Wales
Four Points Hotel Darling
Harbour Sydney
Bark, Jason (Jaesung)
Chan, Michael (Kam Hint)
Ku, David (Chung Hoi)
Le Phuong, Sandy (Thao)
Li, Candace (Ching Ying)
Nguyen, Saland
Shiwa, Ana Milena
Sjurseth, Christoffer
Woo, Young Hoon
Wu, Alisha (Yu-Hsuan)
Sheraton On The Park
Chan, Monica (Wen Shi)
Goedecke, Jenna
Halim, Sylvani
Theniko, Melissa
The Westin Sydney
Chang, Norman (Jen-Ang)
Heo, Ryan (Jae Hyuk)
Shangri-La Hotel Sydney
Hang, Irene
Northern Territory
Voyages Ayers Rock Resort
Maddumapatabendi,
Imalka
Sadarangani, Sagar
Queensland
Pullman Reef Casino Cairns
Hung, Stella (Yi-Hsin)
Nguyen, Bella (Ha Trang)
Nguyen, Jolene (Phuong
Tram)
Park, Tae Sun
Vu, Henry (Do Chi Hieu)
Yoo, Violet (Hee Young)
Sheraton Noosa Resort
& Spa
Balzar, Robert
Dave, Neeyati
Srikureja, Jyoti (Kanokphorn)
Peake, Kirsty
Schagen, Martijn
van Krevelen, Vincent
Sheraton Mirage Port
Douglas
Cameron, James
Jiang, Jerry (Zhou)
John, Nicholas
Holiday Inn Surfers Paradise
Kucherenko, Karina
Sheraton Mirage Resort &
Spa Gold Coast
Wright, Elly
South Australia
Crowne Plaza Adelaide
Loh, Maverick
Hilton Adelaide
Byun, Michelle (A Young)
Chang, Ethan
Nguyen, Christian (Truong
Son)
Phan, Tien (Huy Tien)
Sek, Canasder (Sin Yein)
Kim, Hang Lae
Stamford Plaza Adelaide
Lim, Joe (Jong Jin)
Ra, Bob (Jiwoung)
Southern Ocean Lodge,
Kangaroo Island
Blunden, Alexandra
The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 1, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au
Sunnybrae Function Centre
Lin, Jason
Lee, Sophia
Festival Functions, Findon
Manewa, Emile
Naval Military and Airforce
Club
Jones, Sharna
Victoria
Crown Towers Hotel
Strom, Michael
Crowne Plaza Melbourne
Van Es, Tim
Grand Chancellor Hotel
Melbourne
Choi, Ann (To Young)
Marlina, Margaret (Tiur)
Grand Hyatt Melbourne
Chernysheva, Kate
(Ekaterina)
Floymayr, Georg
Lee, Ron (Myung Kyu)
Li, Kitty (Chi Yan)
Hilton Melbourne Airport
Kociski, Dean (Dejan)
Langham, Melbourne
Adorable, Kristine
Chu, Amity (Tei-Tien)
Rhodes, Nathan
Utomo, Michael
Garupa, Marianne
Lau, Vivian
Quest Knox Apartments
Laaksonen, Barry
RACV Club
Butt, Ashley
Le, Tom (Trung Toan)
Lammers, Fenna
Mercelina, Chantal
Hernandez Ceron, Jessica
Viray, Donna
Swanston Hotel, Grand
Mercure
Wang, Ricky (Zhihong)
Travelodge Docklands
Udompol, Mick (Chongpat)
Sofitel Melbourne on Collins
Jane, Kim (Seul Gi)
Hilton South Wharf
Jeong, Julia (Eun Seo)
Park Hyatt Melbourne
Teck, Mervin
Pablo, Faye Dyan
Holiday Inn on Flinders
Zen Dang
Western Australia
Burswood Resort Casino
Russ, Amy
Duxton Hotel Perth
Torres Murillo, Omar
Holiday Inn Burswood
Chan, Colin (Wei Jun)
Holiday Inn City Centre
Perth
Wagner, Erin
Hyatt Regency Perth
Cheung, Charles
Julinar, Andra
Lee, Hye Lim
Wood, Krystal
Pan Pacific Hotel Perth
Lee, Mancy (Man Chong)
Course Commencement
Ceremony 11 February 2011
Luke James
Exuberance abounds at Course Commencement Ceremonies, and the 2011 event was no
exception. Held at the Holiday Inn Adelaide, these ceremonies give new students a taste of
ICHM hospitality and welcome back second and third years from their internships around the
world. ‘After the formalities are over, it’s the time for networking, networking, networking! You
could be sitting or standing next to your future boss’, said Gerald Lipman in his welcoming
address. And given that Georgina Forward was milling in the crowd (see ‘Students on Notice’
page 7) the statement is no exaggeration.
Anastasia Kyung Min Nam (not in attendance) was awarded Dux of 1st Year, and Dux of 2nd
Year and the Australian Hotels Association prize went to Sarah Leitner, who did back-toback academic semesters and received the award in July 2010. Hyeong Jun Lim won the Uhak
Channel Scholarship (for the top Korean student returning to second year) and Young Ae Lee
the KOSA award (for the top Korean student moving on to the degree).
Tomas Miguel Magno picked up the Food & Beverage Incentive Award, granted each semester by
ICHM graduate Luke James.
Jason Yen gave the welcoming address, making it a ‘special welcome to everyone in this
big family. ICHM puts more of an emphasis on networking than Facebook so you’ll meet a
lot of great friends from many different cultures’, he said. More than 30 nationalities were
represented at the 2011 event.
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Keen to get interns to Abu Dhabi
Previously with Jumeirah Hotels in Dubai, Luke’s
move to Abu Dhabi in January is another example
of networking, networking, networking! in action.
Luke made the move from South Australia to Dubai
some years ago after graduate Caroline Hardman
recommended him for a position with Jumeirah.
Luke’s old boss at Jumeirah (who is now with Kerzner
in Morocco) recommended Luke to SBM Monte Carlo
(owner and operator of casinos, resorts, hotels,
restaurants and bars in Monaco), when they were
looking for someone with local experience to head up
operations for a large beach club project on Saadiyat
Island for the Abu Dhabi Tourism Development
Investment Company. ‘I left Jumeirah on 2 January
and started with SBM the very next day! It was a pity
to leave Jumeirah, but this is an amazing pre-opening
experience in what will soon become a tourism
and culture capital of the world, so it’s good to be
involved from the early stages’, says Luke.
He finished his degree last year (‘finally’), and is keen
to get interns to Abu Dhabi on placements. ‘It would
be a great opportunity’, he says.
1 Hyeong Jun Lim
2 Young Ae Lee
3 Tomas Miguel Magno
4 Jason Yen
5 Mahira Hasanovic 6 Amazing race winners 2011
7> Formalities over
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Seasoned Graduates
Cove and her second was at The Como in
Melbourne, where she was offered a position
after graduating with the ICHM degree. At
The Como, she worked her way up from Night
Porter in 2003 to Reservations Manager within
four years. When she left she was Front Office
Manager of The Sebel Melbourne.
Bodelle Francis-Lee
Tall in the saddle
In November 2010 Bodelle Francis-Lee
became the youngest board member in the
159-year history of the South Australian
Jockey Club (SAJC) and currently the
only woman, after returning home from
Melbourne in 2009 to take over the reins of
the Francis Group.
At just 28, Bodelle is Operations Manager of
the family’s four hotels and a horse-racing
facility. She cut her teeth in hospitality while
still at school, working in all aspects of the
family business, ‘where I learned my basic
hospitality skills and understanding, and
acquired a passion for the industry’.
She enrolled at ICHM in 2002, after a brief
stint studying Interior Design. Her first
internship was at the Hyatt Regency Sanctuary
Bodelle is no stranger to success. She was the
Australian Hotels Association’s Young Hotel
Manager of the Year in 2007, and identified as
one of Mirvac’s Emerging Leaders (in 2005). At
ICHM, among other accolades she was Dux
of 2nd Year in 2003. She returned to campus
in 2005, as part of a program of information
sessions being conducted by Mirvac around
Australia and New Zealand.
With the Francis Group she is responsible
for the day-to-day operations of the venues,
including marketing, human resources and
occupational health and safety. For the SAJC
she’s serving on the committees overseeing
the club’s hospitality operations and business
development. ‘I don’t have a lot of free time.’
Bodelle says ICHM gave her the building blocks
and opened a lot of doors to the industry. ‘I’m a
more valuable commodity now, and my parents
can realise the return on their investment.
The amount I learnt and can now give back is
invaluable.’
Postscipt
Bodelle married ICHM graduate Jonathon Lee who
she met on campus, and the pair worked together in
Melbourne. Jonathon is now at Adelaide University
studying Veterinary Science.
Choi Young Chol, Bang Moon Song & Oh Jae Hoon
A fine blend
Three Korean graduates have gone on to achieve their WINEVISION in Seoul. They
say that ICHM gave them their first thirst for wine, and honed over the years their
combined knowledge has made them a force to be reckoned with at home. They say
they have always remembered the value of networking and the relationships they
built while at ICHM and in their various workplaces, ‘because you never know who
will be able to help you in the future’.
It began in 1998 when Oh Jae Hoon met
Bang Moon Song at ICHM, a relationship
blossomed and they both headed to
London after graduating. Friend Choi
Young Chol did the same. Jae Hoon and
Young Chol met up again at Oxford
Brookes University, bother there studying
for the Masters degree in International
Hotel and Tourism Management.
Jae Hoon went on to work at the Langham
Hotel London as Assistant Financial
Controller, and qualified as a member of
the Chartered Institute Of Management
Accountants.
Moon went on to work with prestigious
wine merchants, and studied at the Wine
and Spirits Education Trust (WSET),
earning a Diploma to qualify as a certified
WSET educator. She is the only WSET
Diploma holder in Korea. She went on to
become an Associate Professor at the Sook
Myung University Business School, and is
pursuing a Masters of Wine qualification.
In 2010 she was invited to be a judge at
the Hong Kong International Wine and
Spirit Competition (where she was joined
by Yeom Man In, another ICHM graduate,
who had been working in Hong Kong).
Young Chol returned to Seoul after
graduating from Oxford Brookes, joining
the Westin Chosun Seoul as Training
Planning Specialist. He redesigned the
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in fulfilling their requests, keeping in
mind that a guest with a butler service has
huge expectations. Ultimately it is very
rewarding.’
Mike Koo
hotel’s training structure, developing
departmental job training and selfdevelopment support systems. He then
moved into Sales & Marketing as Account
Director, responsible for managing key VIP
corporate, government and international
accounts for four years.
Together, Jae Hoon and Moon Song
explored different wine industry avenues
in Europe, such as education, publishing,
events, and consulting and, finally,
returned home with the WSET wine
education program, and launched their
company WINEVISON.
‘Our approach to wine is quite different
to others in Korea. We see wine not just
as an alcoholic drink, but as an important
cultural tool, enhancing quality of life.’
The pair recently launched the
Association of Wine Educators Korea, to
share quality wine education content as
well as proper wine education skills. They
believe that this effort will upgrade wine
educators and, as consequence, benefit
wine lovers in Korea overall.
Young Chol recently joined the pair as
a partner in WINEVISION, returning to
education and developing people’s skills
and knowledge. ‘But now in the wide world
of wine from countries around the world.’
The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 1, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au
Career shift
If Mike Koo had been asked in his early days
at ICHM where he saw his future, Crown
Melbourne would not have made the list.
He transferred to Melbourne from Macau
in the role of Casino Service Manager in
February. But it’s the shift from hotel butler
into VIP service manager he describes as the
highlight of his career so far.
From Hong Kong, Mike graduated from
ICHM with the SHA Diploma and Bachelor
degree, and his career since has had him
rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s
most famous people.
His studies were followed by a position at the
luxurious Venetian Macau, a hotel boasting
3000 suites, as part of the pre-opening team’s
front office operations. This led to another
Macau-based hotel, the Crown Tower at
the new City of Dreams complex, under
the direction of another ICHM graduate,
Paul Town, who is Vice President, Hotel
Operations for Galaxy Resort. Here, Mike
played a pivotal role in setting the standards
for the hotel’s butler service.
Mike said that being a butler is about
providing a guest with personal assistance.
‘When you are assigned to a guest your role
is to meet and exceed their expectations
Paul Town contacted Mike through the
ICHM network three years ago, when he was
looking after the hotel project for City of
Dreams in Macau. He says they immediately
identified Mike as someone who was able to
help with their butler team.
‘His background in premium-level service,
plus some experience in training, was a good
fit to resolve some issues around quality and
communication within the team.
‘His impact was significant, and he went on
to become the lead in the department for
training and quality management. As well
as reworking our operational standards and
publishing them as manuals, Mike trained
the entire team in the revamped standards.
This was evidenced by a significant
improvement in the output of the team.
‘Additionally, he served as the personal
butler to many of our most important VIP
customers, an exposure that has led to his
current career opportunity in Melbourne.
‘Mike has a great hospitality and team spirit
and will certainly be one to watch in the
industry. ‘
Mike says he sees himself working in the
gaming industry for quite some time, as it’s
such a fast-growing industry worldwide. He
says ICHM provided him with a very good
foundation of skills in every field within the
hotel industry. ‘Most important is ICHM’s
reputation and network that has helped me
get to where I am today.’
On Campus
Georgina Forwood & Aida Ashworth , Industry Training & Development Manager
Students on
notice
Winning characteristics for employees
are eagerness to be there and excelling
in the job. This is according to graduate
Georgina Forwood. Students are advised to
take note. Georgina is Human Resources
Manager at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne,
part of the Delawere North Australia
companies, responsible for recruiting
thousands of people a year.
Georgina was on campus to speak to first
and third years in early February, about
the opportunities for interns at not only
the stadium, but also Delaware North
Companies Australia and New Zealand
more broadly. ‘You are just the type of
people we are looking for and we might be
your chance to top up your salary. Work
for us at the stadium for a few seasons and
you’ll be in line for a salaried position in a
field of your choice later on’, she says.
Delaware North Australia operates at more
than 30 locations, including providing
hospitality, food and beverage at Melbourne
& Olympic Parks, home to the Australian
Open, the Grand Slam of the Asia Pacific; the
WACA (Perth); and Vector Arena (Auckland).
It also operates food and beverage outlets in
most Australian and New Zealand airports
and railway stations, and owns and operates
a portfolio of high-end leisure resorts.
‘We needed 1500 staff on site for the
Australian Open in the last two weeks in
January, and have around 750 on the ground
for every football match. It’s massive.’
e
Sam Twelftre
Flashpacker
‘First of all I’m my own boss. I found it
hard to work my way up into positions
within hotels, but when I was thrust right
into a management position everything I
learnt at ICHM came flooding back.’
Sam Twelftree is Owner/Manager of familyowned BackPack Oz and The Guesthouse,
backpacker accommodation in Adelaide for
93 people, usually young, from around the
world. The cost of accommodation ranges
from $20 to $120 per night.
Sam was in ICHM’s second intake in its
inaugural year, 1993, and says he found the
Georgina began recruiting ICHM interns
when she made the shift into Human
Resources in 2004, taking up a position with
the new RACV City Club when it moved into
Bourke Street in Melbourne, and doubled
the number of staff.
This was after she returned to Australia
after a few years studying and working in
the United Kingdom, where she went to
study for her Masters Degree at Oxford
Brookes University.
She joined ICHM in its 11th intake, in January
1998. Her first placement at 18 was at the
Marriott Marble Arch, which she extended.
And to get valuable management experience
before starting her Masters she worked at
the Shore Park Plaza as Breakfast Manager
(rising at 4 am for a 6 am start) and in her
local Village Inn pub, where she helped
introduce a new service model.
‘When I got the job with the RACV I was
the least experienced in Human Resources
of all of the applicants, but they were
looking for someone who really understood
hospitality. There is a huge amount to be
said for hotel experience, and although the
benefits of a degree and/or Masters may not
be immediately apparent, you will reap the
rewards later on.’
ICHM’s relationship with the RACV
established by Georgina continues, with six
interns at the club this semester. She has
also just recruited fellow graduate Linda
Mrstica to run Etihad Stadium’s Premium
Medallion Club.
Georgina says anyone interested in working
with Delaware should go to the jobs board
online, where there are usually around
80 positions up for grabs. She is working
on establishing a structured relationship
with ICHM. ‘I am hugely optimistic about
Delawere looking to Adelaide and this
college for recruits’, she says.
program ‘full on’ as an 18 year old just out of
school. He describes his second internship
at Gagudju Crocodile Hotel in the Jabiru
Kakadu National Park in the Northern
Territory as, ‘one of the greatest experiences
of my life’.
Among many firsts, in 2009 BackPack Oz
(and The Guesthouse) was voted number one
Adelaide hostel by hostelworld.com, and in
January 2010 number three hostel in Australia.
Sam says the backpacker market generates a
huge amount of income for the state.
‘The Ashes Test Cricket series was huge for
us, as is the annual WOMADelaide world
music and dance festival, with guests
booking a year in advance. ‘We’re looking to
expand, and the newly coined flashpacker
market, that is, backpacking with a bigger
budget, interests us’
Joost Heymeijer & James Baillie
High End
by Design
An intern and a graduate prove their worth
Two most important identities at the top
end of the hospitality market spoke to
senior students on campus in late 2010
about the challenges and opportunities
involved in establishing luxury lodges in
wilderness destinations.
The pair agrees that today’s modern
international traveller wants great design,
with sustainability locked in. To work in
such establishments can be life changing.
James Baillie, along with his wife Hayley,
is owner and operator of Baillie Lodges—a
collection of luxury lodges of which the
multi-award winning Southern Ocean
Lodge, Kangaroo Island is the most recent.
James describes Southern Ocean Lodge as
a six-star base from which guests immerse
themselves in diverse wildlife and natural
beauty, including a spectacular coastline.
The 21-suite property has a leading-edge
wellness spa, and treads lightly on the
landscape, generating its own power and
harvesting most of its water requirements.
Joost Heymeijer, on campus for the
second time, is General Manager of the
Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa
in the Blue Mountains, a three-hour drive
from Sydney. Set within a private 4000acre conservation and wildlife reserve,
this multi-award winning high-end
property has locked sustainability into
its design and operating practices. The
resort is the first hotel in the world to
achieve carbon-neutral certification.
‘First and foremost Wolgan Valley is
about the guest, from its quintessential
location in a natural environment
through to a service ethos that is second
to none’, says Joost.
ICHM graduate Emily Hosking is Front
Office Manager at Wogan Valley, so is in
the front line of this service ethos. ‘She is
an employee on whom I can always trust
and rely’, says Joost.
www.wolganvalley.com
www.southernoceanlodge.com.au
‘The idea is to leave guests with an
experience delivered with soul and
integrity.
‘Interns here learn very quickly and benefit
enormously from the multi-skilling and
exposure to multi-disciplines that come from
working in a boutique property’, he says.
First-year intern Alex Blunden concurs,
saying she goes wherever she’s needed, and
is proving a dab hand at everything—to
housekeeping, to food and beverage,
to window washing. ‘I love it here, and
have made lifelong friends with other
staff. Imagine, I wake up every day to a
magnificent blue-water view in the midst of
extraordinary bushland.’
Sam says that even a decade down the track
he could apply what he learnt at ICHM when
responsibility came. ‘You can take those
skills anywhere.’
7
News
This is followed by a role play, where
candidates have to think on their feet to
identify guests’ needs and match them
with the highest standard of customer
care and professionalism.
In 2011, national finalists represented
Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic,
Dubai, Estonia, France, Germany,
Indonesia, Italy, New Zealand,
Singapore, Spain, Switzerland and the
United Kingdom.
Amanda Roberts & Kerstin Oelckers
1st runner up
International Hotel Receptionist of
the Year
After taking out the 2010 New Zealand
Hotel Receptionist of the Year title,
graduate Amanda Roberts went on to
come in second place in a field of 14
national finalists in the world titles.
Each year, the Amicale Internationale des
Sous-Directeurs et Chefs de Réception
des Grands Hôtels (AICR) awards the Best
Young International Receptionist of the
Year through the David Campbell Trophy.
Candidates undergo a gruelling panel
interview that tests their knowledge of
costs, profits, revenue management, staffing
levels, structure and promotional ideas.
ICHM worked with the AICR
International Committee to establish
the rules for and format of the
competition for its launch in 1995.
It continues to have representation
through lecturer Kerstin Oelckers as
Chief Judge.
Amanda is at the Museum Hotel, a
luxury boutique hotel in Wellington.
She is the third ICHM graduate to make
it into the international finals of this
prestigious international award. Others
were Mia Visser in 2009 and Cheryl
Swanston in 2007, who was also first
runner up.
‘I want to acknowledge and thank ICHM
as I doubt I would have come so far in
this award without the training/learning
I received during my time there.’
Amanda Roberts
l
Douglas Purcel
This article, sent to the college by
graduate Douglas Purcell, has set a
trend: to publish an article by a graduate
in each issue of On Course. Douglas, who
was in ICHM’s inaugural student intake,
is now owner and Strata Titles Manager
of the Body Corporate Specialists in
Darwin, the Northern Territory.
When I was at ICHM back in 1993–1995, we
did a case study in Marketing on McDonald’s
and, in particular, founder Ray Kroc.
According to the case study, Kroc was asked
by a university to give a presentation to
students studying business.
At the presentation he asked the students
what they thought McDonald’s business was.
Replies came thick and fast: hospitality, food
and beverage, entertainment, restaurant. To
each reply he shook his head, saying ‘no, no!’
The replies dwindled; all avenues exhausted.
He looked at the students and said, ‘our
business is real estate; we purchase prime
land and set up franchises’.
Hospitality is no different; see, you are going
to be asset managers whether you like it or
not. For a hotel to exist as a hotel you will be
involved in refurbishments, and you will be
involved in maintaining the building for the
owner/hotel chain to which it belongs.
In order to manage this correctly you will
need to know how land works as an asset.
Land appreciates in value and more so when
there is inflation. Buildings on the other hand
are capital intensive and depreciate in value.
To minimise this depreciation you will need
to have preventative maintenance schedules
updated and effectively managed. You will
need to repaint the buildings once every 8–10
years, and have regular inspections of plant
and equipment.
Scholarships 2011
To date, ICHM has awarded scholarships worth in excess
of $2.5 million. In 2011, of the five scholarships awarded
four went to Australians (South Australia, Victoria and
Queensland) and the other to a New Zealander (Auckland).
Julia Sanders
Rhiannon Shepherd
School: Glenunga International High,
South Australia
School: Whitsunday Anglican School
‘The scholarship reinforced my belief in my
potential for the hospitality industry.’
Brooke Pascoe
School: Pembroke, South Australia
‘I find the potential that the scholarship
and hence ICHM offers to work and travel
internationally really exciting.’
‘I set my heart on studying at ICHM, and the
scholarship adds an exciting ingredient.
I recently went to Bali and the hotel I was
booked into was a luxury property.
I saw the maintenance people removing
several air conditioners and replacing them.
I was told they only work for two years. This
intrigued me as I also live in the tropics and
in my experience air conditioners that have
been maintained last around 5–10 years. I
lifted the cover and was amazed at the black
mould and other growth on the filters. Air
conditioners that have their filters washed
every quarter function more efficiently and
require less energy to operate.
I informed the maintenance manager only
to be told, ‘that is the way we do things
here’. You all have the potential to become
professionals in hospitality. You are going to
need to develop a multi-functional approach
to management and it is imperative to
employ a maintenance engineer who will
assist you with maintaining the building.
A few years ago I had a general manager who
had the goal to collect a green environmental
award by cutting energy used by around
30%. To do this he decided to switch off all air
conditioners in the rooms when they weren’t
being used. The hotel’s engineer warned
that such a measure wouldn’t work as the
property had been built in 1973 before the
environment had become the issue it is today.
The air conditioners had been designed to
run 24/7 at a constant temperature. The
engineer advised that to switch them off
when not in use would require that windows
be double-glazed and insulation installed
between the floors and roof.
We won the award, but at what cost? We
had many unhappy guests who refused
to stay in the top three levels—it was too
hot and uncomfortable. And, when the air
conditioners were switched on they could
not cope with the extra demand and soon
required replacement. The end cost to the
hotel, the building and business can’t be
totally measured; however, the general
manager was transferred soon after, most
likely because the owners of the hotel were
not happy with the rates of return.
Graduates with information about 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
Watch this space!
The establishment of an ICHM Graduates in Industry International Advisory Committee
(GIIAC) is under way, as a more formal mechanism to help in the continuous improvement of
courses. ‘The GIIAC will be invaluable as a means of some of our high achievers sharing their
current Industry knowledge and ideas’, says Dr Whyte.
Members of the GIIAC Committee will be included in the next issue of On Course.
Melanie Buckland
School: Alfriston College, Auckland, New
Zealand
‘The scholarship gave me a great sense of
personal satisfaction.’
Kathryn Lee
He only graduated in 2008, and is already in his second
pre-opening team.
When the W Taipei opened in February, Matti Pyyvarra was on the ground as Assistant
Welcome Desk Manager. He was previously in the pre-opening team for Le Meridien Chongqing
China. The W Taipei coincides with the opening of another in this Starwood brand—
the 40th W hotel globally.
School: Firbank Grammar, Victoria
‘ICHM will be my biggest adventure to date.’
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 1, 2011 Y www.ichm.edu.au