network career newsUnwto in BrigcrUising off italy!corporate sUccess www.ritz.edU

February 2011 | No. 13

editoRial

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Dear Reader,

How do you like our new design? We’ve implemented a whole new communication concept and you’ll find the new design applied to all our magazines, brochures, website and other communication tools.

In this edition, we’ve got a lot of inte­resting stories. It’s been a busy second half of 2010 and on page three you can read about the many industry visitors we’ve had, the projects that we’ve par­ticipated in and some of the special guest lecturers we’ve welcomed. Some of the highlights you can read about were the Tedqual Conference (page three), the Career Development Conference (page four) and for the Cruise Class, the trip on the Mediterranean with MSC Splendida (page five).

You’ll find fascinating stories on pages eight and nine about some of our alumni, their current positions and career paths to date: Folker Heim from Germany; Kok Kin Chen from Malaysia; and Renat Zhanarbayev from Kazakhstan.

Our students do internships all around the world and on pages 10 and 11 you’ll find interviews and stories from internships in China, Abu Dhabi, Portugal and Malaysia. In Switzerland, a popular city in which to do an internship is Geneva. Have a look on pages 12 and 13 to find out what some of our students have found them­selves doing in this wonderful city.

Revenue Management is a popular sub­ject and an interesting career path for many of our students. On page 14, read what Revenue Management lecturer Brad Andrews is doing to help students get some real experience in this field. And on the same page, we have a post­card from Ian Chinn who is currently a Revenue Manager in his home country of Malaysia.

I hope you like what you see and read.

Warm regards,

trude KonradCareer Service Manager

The editors take every care in presenting the correct details at the time of printing but take no responsibility for contribu­tions from third parties.

“Network” is prepared for you by:César Ritz Colleges Switzerland1897 Le BouveretSwitzerlandTel: + 41 24 482 82 82Fax: + 41 24 482 88 99career@ritz.eduwww.ritz.edu

editorial management, productionand graphic design:Paul English/Heather DittmarEnglish Communications Pty Ltd4387 InglewoodQueenslandAustraliainfo@englishcommunications.com

Printing by: Imprimerie Saint­Paul – Fribourg – Switzerland

dear alumni, please let us know your career moves and changes of address that can be updated online under www.alumninews.ch – User login – Update Your Profile. don’t forget to check our website regularly. this edi-tion and further news about César Ritz Colleges are published on our website: www.ritz.edu

Cover photo: Michaela Stocker (Swit­zerland), Kitchen Trainee, and Gloriangel Alvarez Garcia (Nicaragua), Service Trainee, Le Mirador Kempinski, Mont­PèlerinPhotographer: Christine Schroeter.

We would like to thank everybody who has contributed to this magazine, including our industry contacts, staff, students and graduates. We’re looking forward to your future participation. the next “Network” is scheduled for august 2011.

editorial 2

Career events 3–5 Visits 3 CDC 2010 4–5 Cruising off Italy 5

Photo Gallery 6–7

alumni Profiles 8–9 Chan Kok Kin 8 Renat Zhanarbayev 8 Folker Heim 9

Student internships 10–13 Abroad 10–11 Switzerland 12–13

industry News 14 EasyRMS 14 Postcard from Malaysia 14

Career advice 15 How to work the web 15 Did you know? 15 Who to ask 15

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CaReeR eveNtS

linked to the worldBetween July and december 2010, César Ritz Colleges hosted and participated in a number of events.

first eUropean ‘tedQUal’ conference in Brig

apart from the Career development Conference (CdC), we were also visited by:

Whitelodging Services, USA•Starwood Hotels and Resort, Vita •Futura ProgrammeSwissôtel Hotels & Resorts Worldwide•Kempinski Luxury Hotels Worldwide.•

Guest lecturers included: Tobi Kuhlang, César Ritz Alumnus and •Vice President of Revenue Development, Accor Malcolm Wright, a casino manage­•ment expert.

Participating projects: The Leadership Programme in Brig •continued with students working on helping hotels in Zermatt and Iceland with their marketing; a new project in Bulgaria has been launched (together with an alumnus); and a further project in India is in the planning stage.

other events: Washington State University hosted •The Consortium of Undergraduate

International Business Education (CUIBE) Steering Committee meeting at the University Centre César RitzHong Kong Hospitality and Alumni •EventThe Cruise class went for an educa­•tional cruise on the Mediterranean (see page five)The Higher Institute of Cyprus (with •which we provide mentoring on behalf of the UNWTO), came to visit Tedqual (see below).•

the Culinary arts academy students went to visit:

Villars Chocolate Factory in Fribourg•Gastronomia Restaurant Industry Fair•The local food market in Lausanne•Gruyère Cheese Factory•Nestlé Alimentarium Food Muesum •in Vevey Vinea 2010 Wine Fair in Sierre (students •prepared a dinner served in the vineyard, hosted by Albert Mathier & Fils SA, with 30 international journalists as guests).

the United Nations World tourism organization (UNWto) chose César Ritz Colleges in Switzerland for their first annual european ‘tedQual’ (tourism education Quality) conference. Held from 11 to 13 october 2010, the conference was under the direction of the academic director Professor John Swarbrooke.

In total, 13 different European universities accepted the invitation to join the conference based around the theme “The Role of Education in the Development of Future Lead­ers of the International Hotel Industry”. Eighteen professors representing the UNWTO.TedQual­certified participating universities covered a variety of topics relating to hotel and tourism management. The Swiss state of Valais was represented by the Director for the Foundation for Sustainable Development of Mountainous Regions, Mr Eric Nanchen, who spoke about the importance of sustainable tourism.

Well done Sacha!Several César Ritz students had the opportunity to present different, interesting projects developed during their studies. One such was Sacha Guillermin from Switzerland who received an award for the best presentation of his e­portfolio project. The prize included the possibility to complete an internship with the UNWTO.TedQual organization and the opportunity to implement the ‘e­portfolio’ project in different educational insti­tutions around the world.

Network career news | February 2011 | No. 13 | 3

Visit from Kempinski Luxury Hotels Worldwide

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career development conference 2010 the annual Career development Conference (CdC) is an important event that brings our students directly in front of representatives from the hospitality industry. as such, it can help facilitate a good start to the students’ careers. the CdC 2010 took place from 8 to 10 october and was a great success. twenty-seven recruiters representing 13 companies from around the world gave short presentations and interviewed potential students.

Happy recruiters During the event, the 13 companies pre­sented their properties and company values in order to attract students that could match their philosophy. After a pre­selection, 295 interviews were con­ducted for various positions in different areas within the industry.

Some of the aspects that recruiters were looking for in the students were: moti­vation, positive attitude, good personal presentation, grooming, career orienta­tion, good communication and people skills. Passion for the industry and being a caring person was also mentioned as important.

The recruiters highlighted the major strengths of César Ritz students and mentioned specific factors such as having a strong academic background, possess­ing good manners and positive attitudes, being open minded and having good cul­tural awareness due to the cultural expo­sure that the school provides.

… and happy studentsFor the students, the CDC is not only a great opportunity to learn more about different participating companies but also a fantastic opportunity to network with industry leaders, to apply for avail­able positions and to get a good start to their career.

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CaReeR eveNtS | CDC 2010

“This Career Development Conference met all my expecta-tions. It also proved the high level that our University has in the hospitality industry!” Marina Davydova (Russia), BIB student

Network career news | February 2011 | No. 13 | 5

CaReeR eveNtS

career development conference 2010

the companies attending the CdC 2010:

Seabourn Cruise Line•The Rezidor Hotel Group•Accor Hotels and Resorts•Rocco Forte Collection•Amanresorts, USA•West Paces Hotel Group c/o •The Cambrian, Adelboden25hours Hotels, Frankfurt & Hamburg•Vienna International Hotelmanagment •AG, Vienna AustriaRitz Carlton Hotel Arts Barcelona / •Powerscourt IrelandMarina Bay Sands Singapore•Shangri­La International Hotels•Hyatt Hotels – North America, USA•Hilton Fort Lauderdale, USA•

1. Antonella Miglionico from Italy and Alistair Peckham from the UK with their eyes on working for The Rezidor Hotel Group

2. Rafn Thorisson and Sveinn Jensson from Iceland hoping for opportunities with Shangri­La International Hotels

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crUising off italyStudents from the elective course, tourism and the Cruise industry, embarked on 11 November aboard the MSC Splendida for a three-day familiarization cruise from Messina in Sicily to Civitavecchia and then Genoa where they disembarked. Students were assigned deluxe balcony cabins amidships at the top of the elegant atrium lobby.

Following a short bus trip from Domodossola to Milan Malpensa, the group boarded their evening flight to Catania, where Caterina Valentino hosted all at her highly rated Hotel Palladio. After enjoying a dinner in a typical Sicilian restaurant, the transfer to the ship the next morning included a tour of the city of Taormina. One of the highlights of the trip was sailing out of the port with a stunning sunset and great views of the straits of Messina and the tip of mainland Italy. Other highlights included the presentation by the F&B Director and a tour of an exclusive part of the ship called the ‘Yacht Club’.

Lecturer, Brad Andrews, a veteran of the luxury cruise industry, was very pleased to work with the Swiss sales office in Basel, which provided excellent service in helping us prepare for the cruise.

1. Ilse Riebel is enjoying the view from her cabin balcony

2. The Cruise class in Rome 1

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CaReeR eveNtS | PHOTO GALLERY

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1. The Cruise Class in Italy

2. Service intern Montserrat Virgen Cuevas (Mexico) with Human Resource Coordinator Ms Mulenet at the Hotel Intercontinental in Geneva

3. Mrs Murillo and Mr Crettaz from Starwood Hotels & Resorts World­ wide with Daniel Gutzwiller, Christine Schroeter and Katharina Eyer from César Ritz Colleges

4. Service trainee Gulzat Altynova (Kazakhstan) at Hotel Du Lac in Interlaken with Christine Schroeter

5. Students doing their internships at the Golf Hotel René Capt in Montreux

6. Night Auditor Zhiyin XU (China), Service trainee Anjida Karnasuta (Thailand) and Service trainee Leann Lim (Malaysia) at the Hotel Alpha Palmiers in Lausanne

7. Students at Career Conference 2010

8. Service trainee Edwin Ortega (Panama), Housekeeping trainee Warinton Khrua­ On (Thailand) with Human Resource Manager Ms Dodat and Food and Beverage Manager Mr Rangon at the Hotel Bristol in Geneva

9. Service trainees Ksenia Rusetskaya (Russia) and Man Ho Cheung (Hong Kong) with F&B Manager Mr Chaieb at the Hotel Starling, Lausanne/Saint­Sulpice

10. Service trainee Jaquelin Guevara (Panama) with the owner of the Restaurant Le Palais Oriental in Montreux, Mr Gharibi

11. Reception trainee Natalia Jaramillo Duran (Colombia) and her colleague Gloria with Front Office Manager Mr Chanal at the Hotel Drake Longchamp in Geneva

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At the Renaissance Hotel, Renat had the chance to rotate through different departments of the Rooms Division, a valuable experience that enabled him to get a good overall knowledge of the operational side of hotels.

Renat was part of the opening team of the Rixos Hotel in Almaty and, to date, that is one of his most memorable work experiences. Renat started out working as Assistant Front Desk Man­ager and soon after was promoted to the position of Night Manager. He was then offered the job of Front Office Manager which he took and this led to his current job as the Duty Mana­ger, for the hotel. As the Duty Mana­ger he is responsible for maintaining the quality of the services and products provided to the guests and ensuring guest satisfaction, which includes re­

solving guest problems and complaints. Renat’s favourite aspect ofhis position is the challenge that he faces every day to resolve these issues.

Prior to moving to the United States, Renat gained valuable experience as part of his studies in Switzerland. He completed his paid internship at the prestigious Hotel Bristol in Geneva where he worked in the Food and Beverage department. Renat’s work experience combined with the edu­cation he received at César Ritz Colleges, helped his career move ahead very quickly and get him to where he is now.

valuable adviceRenat’s advice to all César Ritz College’s students: “Don’t stress as you have the ability to resolve any situation! You have the education, knowledge and work ex­perience. Use it!”

Renat Zhanarbayev (Kazakhstan)BIB 2007Duty Manager, Rixos Hotel, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Renat Zhanarbayev, with fellow César Ritz alumni Nataliya Pak, Spa Intern and Zhanna Meirembayev, Sales Manager

renat on dUtyRenat Zhanarbayev is currently working as the duty Manager at the Rixos almaty Hotel in Kazakhstan. Shortly after graduation, Renat moved to the United States to work at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel for one year, an opportunity he received through the Career development Conference 2007.

cUlinary innovationoriginally from Malaysia, Kok Kin Chan is currently working for Unilever in Germany. Unilever is one of the largest food production companies in the world and Kok is working in their research and development (R&d) department.

tell us about your current position“I began my career with Unilever as an R&D Chef in Malaysia. Without having any technical background in food, I was nevertheless working very closely with the technologists to design new recipes and improve current ones. When it was time to move on, I decided to come back to Europe but this time to Germany. I am currently taking on a new challenge at Unilever in Dry Foods where I have more than 10 products that I designed in the markets in Holland, Canada, Germany and Poland. Being the only Asian Chef, I am also the first point of contact when it comes to designs with an Asian profile. What I like the most about my current position is the constant learning where each day there is something to learn either by yourself or with colleagues”.

What has César Ritz meant to your career?“The effort and time put in by the César

Ritz faculty – their experience, passion and knowledge – were outstanding. I use essential skills and values that I learnt in school including organization, self­disci­pline and professionalism. The education that I received from César Ritz Colleges helped me climb the career ladder”.

What advice would you give to our current students? “A hotel diploma does not restrict you in your career, you have so many opportu­nities and everyday you learn something new. In addition to your education, you also need to be passionate about your job and have a strong determination to succeed”.

Chan Kok Kin (Malaysia)HD 1987Innovation Chef, Unilever Deutschland GmbH, Heilbronn, Germany

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PRoFileS | ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES

sUccess on a corporate levelSince 2009, alumnus Folker Heim has been the director of loyalty Marketing with the Global Hotel alliance (GHa), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands based in Geneva. GHa encompasses over 260 upscale and luxury hotels with over 60,000 rooms in 47 different countries and includes brands such as anantara, doyle Collection, First, Kempinski, leela, Marco Polo, Mirvac, omni, Pan Pacific, Park Royal and tivoli. Folker tells us that he truly enjoys working in a dynamic and innovative environment.

Marga Cretton interviewed Folker and found out that his success story is based on his philosophy to enjoy whatever he is doing. In line with this, his motivation rests around trying to be the best in what he is doing and always on top of new developments and trends. Folker’s most important achievement was being the project manager for the successful launch of GHA Discovery, an innovative loyalty programme for 12 international hotel chains.

How did you get started and why hospitality? “After finishing high school, I decided to go travelling around the world. While working in various jobs in bars and hotels on different continents, I started to focus on becoming a general manager one

day. So I started with an apprenticeship in Germany and then later topped my education with the César Ritz Diploma. During my 12­year career with Kempinski Hotels that followed, I specialized in CRM and marketing and then received the offer to join GHA in my current position.”

How did César Ritz contribute to your career?“I still think about some elements of my César Ritz courses on a daily basis (‘big things first’) such as with managing projects or when addressing an audience during presentations. Having learnt the important aspects of finance have also contributed to my work today, but the César Ritz network has been the most beneficial.” (n.b. Folker created our first alumni chapter in Germany, the Bavarian

chapter, launched in l998)

What is your advice to our current students eager to work at a corporate level? “First gain experience in different depart­ ments of hotels and understand the processes and dynamics of hotel mana­gement in practise. Later on, this will give you more credibility when you communicate to the field. And be aware of the fact that when working on a corporate level, you will not have direct customer contact every day.”

Folker Heim (Germany)HD 1996Director of Loyalty MarketingGlobal Hotel Alliance, Geneva, Switzerland

Network career news | February 2011 | No. 13 | 9

a taste of asiaSandra Chatzakis from Germany is doing her second internship at the Sheraton, langkawi in Malaysia. Sandra sent us the following report.

challenging chinaNicole from Sweden/Mexico and Sebastian from Slovenia wanted to use and develop the skills they had learnt in school and at the same time experience another culture. they decided to do an internship in China and, so far, it seems it has been a challenging and interesting experience.

Give a short description of your posi-tion and dutiesSebastian: I am leading the team of bar­men, waitresses and hostesses, and deal­ing with day­to­day activities, events and service duties. I am also currently involved with the opening of the new coffee shop at the hotel.

Nicole: I rotate within the hotel that includes: Guest Relations, Concierge, Business Centre, Front Desk and Duty Manager. I also handle guest complaints, VIP arrivals and room inspections.

How are you using what you have learnt in school?We have applied much of the knowledge and skills that we learnt in school, for ex­ample, when handling guest complaints, delegating tasks, overcoming cultural dif­ferences, using our service and leadership skills and applying marketing strategies. Subjects that have been very useful were Strategic Marketing, Food and Beverage,

Service and Organizational Behaviour.

What has been the most challenging?The biggest challenge has been to over­come the cultural difference and be able to communicate and express our ideas. It has also been difficult to adapt to such a different way of thinking and understand the Chinese culture.

in general how would you describe your training so far?We really enjoy our experience here! Coming to China was a good choice. We have good positions in the hotel despite our young age and lack of experience. We have been given a lot of responsibilities and have been able to apply our know­ledge and take decisions.

Sebastian Postogna (Slovenia) Nicole lundberg (Mexico/Sweden) BIB studentsManagement traineesInterContinental Puxi Shanghai, China

“Working at the Sheraton, Langkawi has certainly been like life in fast­forward mode. Here I get to experience what working in a hotel really means and see that you need to be an expert in every field, and there is always something new to learn!

As a receptionist I need to be able to handle a bit of everything, for example, catching a monkey is just one of the many skills I have developed here! Given the natural environment we have, I don’t only do the normal check­in of guests but also give them a little biology lesson about the unique and rare animal species they might encounter. Also, in terms of food suggestions, I only know what I have tried myself and can then recommend it. I also make sure the adventurer can experi­ence the authentic local cuisine and offer those with a rather delicate tongue an adequate alternative.

Probably the most important aspect of my experiences here has been experiencing a different culture. Here I hear jungle sounds

instead of cars and I am living a completely different lifestyle. I also observe an island where tourism is still developing. I see a population torn between the excitement of fast progress and thousands of year’s worth of old traditions as well as the influences of religions that couldn’t be more apart.

In fact, everything that I have learnt has been beyond any job description and defi­

nitely nothing I had expected but I would never have wanted to miss any of it! Every day brings so many opportunities to learn something new and create ever­lasting impressions!”

Sandra Chatzakis (Germany) BIB studentHR TraineeSheraton, Langkawi, Malaysia

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StUdeNt iNteRNSHiPS | ABROAD

sUn and fUn in portUgalafter doing her first internship in Switzerland, diane laing-Meason wanted to experience another country and so went for her training at the Penha longa Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort in Portugal that is managed by Ritz Carlton. When we caught up with her, diane was really enjoying her time.

Give a short description of your position and duties.I am currently working in the Reception where I mainly deal with guests, checking them in and out, and answering questions and concerns. The training also includes working once a week in Banquets. This was challenging at first because I had never done banqueting before but now it is going smoothly.

How did you get the training?The Ritz Carlton Company came to our campus to recruit. I applied and was invited for an interview that went well and then I was offered a position. in general, how would you describe your training?Penha Longa and The Ritz Carlton give all their employees the op­portunity to learn and show their best. We are empowered to solve problems when they arise. We are also encouraged to be curious, to ask to work in other departments when it is possible and to learn different things. It’s a learning experience everyone should have.

What’s it like to do an internship in Portugal?I think that, at first, Portugal is not a country that attracts many

people! It’s still a bit unknown but I love it here! People are very friendly wherever you go and you get to meet other trainees, not only from Switzerland but also from Portugal. And of course, you have the weather, the beaches and the parties.

diane laing-Meason (el Salvador, France, USa) BIB studentFront Office Trainee, Penha Longa Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, Sintra, Portugal

in shangri-laChikako abe from Japan and Han Peng and Candy Chen from China wanted to experience another part of the world. they participated in the Career development trip to the Uae in april/May 2010 and were offered internships at the Shangri la in abu dhabi. We asked them how they were doing.

Give a short description of your position and dutiesHan and Candy: We are doing a cross training in the Food and Beverage outlets and Food and Beverage administration. We learn the daily operations, different service styles, file documents, attend the manager’s briefings and work in different positions such as a hostess, in service and as a bartender.Chikako: I have spent time in both the HR office and the training office helping out screening CVs, doing phone interviews, filing documents, writing letters and preparing trainings and workshops. are you using what you have learnt in school?Han: Yes, definitely! The knowledge we gained can be applied to real operations. It also helps me to identify issues and find solutions. Actually, I found something useful from every subject taken in my two years of studies! Candy: For me, the service class has especially been useful as well as product knowledge (e.g. the wine tasting club in Le Bouveret). When I start to work in a new outlet, it is very easy for me because of the knowledge I have.Chikako: I found Inter­Cultural Studies, Organizational Behaviour

and Entrepreneurship very useful but I have used knowledge from all my subjects.

What has been your best learning experience?Han: Preparation for an Food and Beverage audit in administration, manager briefings, and the session in the ‘all day’ dining restaurant.Candy: I was in the ‘all day’ dining restaurant during Ramadan. Each day our restaurant was empty for breakfast and lunch but after sunset around 400 people came at the same time. That was the first time I experienced such a situation and it taught me a lot about the local culture and beliefs.Chikako: Working with different nationalities in a completely different culture from my country.

Han Peng (China) and Yingfei (Candy) Chen (China), BIB students, F&B Trainees, Chikako abe (Japan) HD student, Human Resources Trainee,Shangri­La, Qayat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Diane with colleague and César Ritz alumnus Filipe Ishihama, LIVE Trainee at the Ritz Carlton Penha Longa Hotel

Network career news | February 2011 | No. 13 | 11

the geneva experienceGeneva is the second most populous city in Switzerland and one of the most international cities in europe with over 40 percent of its residents coming from outside Switzerland. Several international organizations have their Headquarter in Geneva i.e. World Health organization, the international Red Cross and the european Headquarters of the United Nations. in other words, Geneva is a very nice place for our students to do an internship and as you can see below, they are doing it in different kinds of establishments.

Sarsawat Wongmanasuk (thailand), Service, and iris Castanada (Panama), Service, Golf Club de Genève, GenevaExcept for the kitchen, Sarsawat and Iris have experienced every part of the restaurant and have appreciated the opportunity to use the skills learnt in school and adapt these skills to a real world situation.

Betzander arango (Panama), Kitchen, and desislava Nikolova (Bulgaria), Reception Hotel President Wilson, GenevaFor Desislava, the most challenging part was to learn the opera­ting system and make sure that she handled the guest requests correctly. She says it was a very good learning experience.

Michael Joel Jaen Joseph (Panama), Reception, Hotel de la Paix, GenevaMichael has been at the Front Desk, has done Night Audit and during that also helped out in Room Service. He says that the Rooms Management and Food & Beverage classes have been the most useful so far (besides the French, of course). Michael told us that overall it was “an excellent experience, my colleagues were great and the job environment fabulous”.

Ching Chee (Malaysia), Service, Yao Wang (China), Kit-chen, and Mani Solani (Panama), Service, Restaurant Société Nautique de Genève, GenevaThe internship was a great experience for Yao. Her supervisor gave her a lot of responsibility and that is something, Yao said, that moti vates her to do a good job: “I go to work happy everyday”.

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1. Sarsawat and Iris with Mr Ouvrard, Director of Food & Beverage

2. Michael with Mr Caltagirone, Front Office Manager and Ms Contino, Director of HR

3. Betzander and Desislava with Ms Langlais, HR Assistant

4. Ching, Yao and Mani with Mr Sailer, Director

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StUdeNt iNteRNSHiPS | SWITZERLAND

Clinique La Prairie offers a wide array of medical and paramedical anti­aging treatments and services to its international patients. Nestled on the shores of Lake Geneva, Clinique La Prairie provides its discerning guests with sumptuous, natural surroundings in an exquisite blend of both classic and contemporary architecture. Ioana Viky Bourou has a once­in­a­lifetime opportunity to work as a member of the kitchen brigade at this exclusive Swiss clinic. The quality of services and meals offered at Clinique La Prairie ex­

ceed those provided by many of the world’s leading luxury hotels. Ioana Viky has the challenge of working to meet those standards on a daily basis.

ioana viky Bourou (Greece) Culinary Arts Academy studentKitchen TraineeClinique La Prairie, Montreux

Ruth Henriquez and Nadia Akhmisse

event management! My name is Ruth Henriquez and i am from el Salvador. i started my César Ritz journey four years ago in January 2007. When i started, i didn’t know what to expect because i was the first Salvadorian to start at César Ritz Colleges. during those four years, i finished my Bache-lor degree and completed two internships, the first at the Grand Hotel du lac vevey and the second at the Ritz Carlton St. thomas, USa.

While waiting for graduation (June 2011), I decided to do a third internship in Swit­zerland and so am now assisting Nadia Akhmisse (César Ritz alumnus) at the Inter­national Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). I know it may not sound like part of the hos­pitality industry but it has a lot to do with it.

IOF is a not­for­profit, non­governmental organization dedicated to the fight against osteoporosis. The IOF organizes congres­ses, regional meetings and training courses around the World. Right now I am working on eight events that will be taking place in Singapore, Geneva, Valencia, Bahrain, Australia, Dubai, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.

In short, I help organize each meeting inc luding doing the following: site inspec­

tion; programme; invitations; registrations; and general meeting logistics (planning, rooms, catering, shipping, signage and a whole lot more). After many months of hard work, I will be helping at the meet­ing venue and putting all in place.

This job demands a lot of concentration, hard work, multi­tasking, perfectionism, passion and a good eye for detail. I love working for the IOF, not only because I have normal office hours and weekends off, but also because it is a great work ex­perience. I have learnt a lot by seeing the other side of the coin and realizing what a customer really needs, as well through seeing all the hard work behind every event that, in the end for the hospitality industry, is X room, U shape, 200 seats, water, conference pens and paper.

cUlinary at the cliniQUe

Network career news | February 2011 | No. 13 | 13

revenUe and yield management at césar ritz colleges in a new initiative, the global provider of SaaS Revenue and Yield Management Solutions, easyRMS, is giving online demonstrations and educational sessions on ezRMS™ to César Ritz students. Participating students will benefit from a more practical approach to revenue management with the assistance of a leader in the field.

postcard from malaysia Greetings from langkawi, Malaysia’s best-known holiday destination!

Here I hold the position as a Rev­enue Manager at the Meritus Pe­langi Beach Resort & Spa. As a Revenue Manager I work as an in­house consultant to the General Manager and corporate office to optimise total revenue for the re­sort. I also assist in optimizing in­house systems to improve overall efficiency in various departments.

At César Ritz Colleges Switzerland I gained a lot of wisdom, both for my professional career and in my personal development. I believe the academic programme and learning environment at César Ritz Colleg­es, with its mix of both theoretical and practical knowledge, allowed me to get the best education pos­sible. The high academic quality, exposure to real work environ­ments and the life skill develop­ment prepared me to take on the world of hospitality and tourism at a managerial level.

After my graduation, César Ritz Colleges assisted my placement in an amazing revenue management­training pro­gramme with the Hilton Fort Lauder­dale Beach Resort in Florida. Within a year there, my Director of Revenue groomed me into an Assistant Revenue Manager at the Meritus Pelangi Beach

EzRMS™ helps hotels to sell the right product to the right customer at the right time for the right price. Currently, it is used by more than 600 properties worldwide, including Accor, NH Hotels and Best Western. The outcomes of the sessions will allow students to: relate more to a revenue manager’s tasks and challenges; understand how a RMS can help make the best decisions for optimiz­ing the hotel’s total revenues; and see the impact their actions could have on

the business of the hotel.

According to Brad Andrews, lecturer in Revenue and Yield Management, students like the fact that they can talk directly to in­dustry experts during the interactive Q&A.

Resort & Spa in Langkawi. Despite my young age, I was then privileged to take on the greater responsibility as Revenue Manager after just six months.

I learnt many life lessons while at César Ritz Colleges and the melting pot of cul­

Mr Andrews sees the EasyRMS involve­ment as “a major step in giving students a real­life view of a RMS”, and hopes that the programme may even be able to advance to where a demo version of EzRMS™ is used in a classroom environment.

The concept of enabling students to get to know more about revenue manage­ment and be comfortable with it, forms part of the César Ritz’s strategy for train­ing revenue managers of the future.

tures opened my eyes and made me re­alise that the world is much bigger than it seems.

Kind regards,ian Chinn (Malaysia)BIB 2008

14 | Network career news | February 2011 | No. 13

iNdUStRY NeWS

did yoU know...

top ten tips working the weB

who to ask?

daniel Gutzwiller, director of University Centre César Ritz, Brig, has now also the responsibility and coordination of the depart­ment ‘Alumni, Industry Relations and Career Services’. The main aim of this department is to look after the careers of our students.

Christine Schroeter, Placement Manager, University Centre César Ritz, Brig, places students in hospitality establishments in Switzerland and the rest of the world. She organizes interviews and contracts, and assists the students during their training period. She also organizes the annual Career Development Conference.

eric Bélanger, Career development and internship Coordina-tor, Professional Centre César Ritz, le Bouveret, places students in hospitality establishments in Switzerland. He prepares the stu­dents, organizes interviews and contracts, and coaches them before, during and after their training period.

Katharina eyer, Career Service and alumni Manager, César Ritz Colleges Switzerland, Brig, prepares and assists current students in the planning of their international careers. She is also in charge of alumni chapters and activities around the world.

trude Konrad, Career Service Manager, César Ritz Colleges Switzerland, le Bouveret, assists students in career planning, is constantly looking for new opportunities for the graduating students and is the editor of the Network magazine.

…that globally, the economic recovery •has been faster than expected, mainly because of an increase in international travel?1

…that the World Travel and Tourism •Council (WTTC) forecasts that globally, travel and tourism will grow by 4.3% per year over the next ten years?1

…that this will help create an addi­•tional 66 million jobs by 2020 and of these, 50 million will be in Asia?1

…that the Petronas Towers in Kuala •Lumpur are the tallest twin towers in the world?2

…that there are 78 elevators in •The Petronas Towers?2

…that the drink Singapore Sling was •created around 1915 in the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel in Singapore?

…that the Marina Bay Sands Sky Park •is located 200 meters over the ground, that it can host up to 3,900 people and includes a 150­meter infinity swimming pool. The world’s largest outdoor pool at that height3

1 World Travel and Tourism Council2 www.petronastwintowers.com.my3 www.marinabaysands.com

4 Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can be less formal online

4 Some sites give you an email link and an online form to fill, others will steer you to the recruiter’s own website where you will be able to apply

4 Applications are frequently discarded because people fail to fill in all their details

4 Get one up on fellow candidates by filling in all fields, not just the ones

that are compulsory 4 If you are sending a covering letter

and CV on spec, make sure you pro­vide ALL your details, qualifications and contact information

4 Again, if applying on spec, ring the company to check the name and email address of the person who han­dles job applications before pressing the send button.

Network career news | February 2011 | No. 13 | 15

CaReeR adviCe

“César Ritz students are just lovely, open minded, have diversity of culture, are proactive and they just want to eat up the world!”Madhubi Willmotte, HR Manager, Ritz Carlton, Hotel Arts Barcelona, Spain

“Always a pleasure to come to César Ritz and meet with vibrant and dynamic young hoteliers of the future.”Jan Spooren, Director of People Development, The Rezidor Hotel Group

“César Ritz students are very well groomed, well mannered and passionate about hospitality.” Eugenia Png, HR Manager, Marina Bay Sands Singapore

“César Ritz Colleges provides a diverse base of candidates with a combination of theoretical and practical experience along with a good appreciation of cultural diversity.”Joseph Cancilliere, Director of HR, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, USA

César Ritz Colleges SwitzerlandAdmissions Office1897 Le Bouveret, SwitzerlandTel. +41 24 482 82 82Fax +41 24 482 88 99admissions@ritz.eduwww.ritz.edu