SUMMER EDITION 2007 - Faculty of Business and Law - Victoria ...

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SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY, TOURISM & MARKETING Legendary performers On Sunday 14 June this year more than two hundred guests gathered at Victoria University’s City Flinders campus to congratulate the ‘90 Legends’ of VU’s Faculty of Business and Law. The ‘Legends’ awards, which formally acknowledge the contributions of former students, academics and industry partners of the Faculty, were part of VU’s 90th birthday celebrations. The week-long celebration highlighted the establishment of Footscray Technical School (FIT) in 1916 and the journey that has led Victoria University to become what it is today. The awards coincided appropriately with the School of Hospitality, Tourism & Marketing’s win of another Victorian Tourism Award for its tourism education programs. John Pandazopoulos, Victorian Minister for Gaming, Racing and Tourism, and a staunch supporter of tourism education at VU was a ‘Legends’ recipient, as were Lois Appleby, retired CEO of Tourism Victoria; Robert Cannell, Director, The Legends of the Faculty of Business and Law with Prof Colin Clark, Executive Dean, Faculty of Business and Law Robert Cannell and Associates; Geoffrey Conaghan, General Manager, International Routes, Melbourne Airport; Mary Maddock, Director, Mary Maddock Consulting; Jeff Sharp, Director of Autopia Tours; Dean Minett, Area General Manager, Victoria, Ascott International; and Paula Ntalianis, Training Consultant, Crown Towers and Crown Promenade Hotels. Close-up on Three VU Legends Teck Boon Chua (BBus, Catering & Hotel Mgmt, 2000) became the first overseas student to serve on the VU Student Union. ‘I really appreciated being able to study business and specialise in catering and hotel management at the same time,’ said Chua. He also found the Co-operative Education Year invaluable. ‘It makes you ready for the market, and adds value to the degree, which is very attractive to employers.’ While in Melbourne, Chua became interested in the city’s coffee culture, and has worked in the industry since he returned home to Malaysia. Today he is Marketing Manager at Sai Kee Coffee, but maintains his close links with VU. He a current member of the VU Alumni Advisory Group and president of the VU Malaysian Alumni Chapter, and works closely with VU and Sunway College to promote the University in Malaysia. Growing up in Melbourne, Patrick Imbardelli (BBus Hotel & Catering Mgmt) helped out at his father’s restaurant, but his dream was to work in international hotels. So in 1978 he embarked on a BBus in Hotel Management at FIT. As it happened, he found himself working for Hilton International in Melbourne before he completed his course. ‘But I eventually did graduate from VU with the help of credits from studies I undertook in the USA at Cornell University.’ Patrick’s work has seen him live in many different places around the world, and it was his work in setting up the Saigon Floating Hotel in what was once known as Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) that he again came in touch with VU. ‘At the time, Prof Stephanie Fahey from the Faculty of Arts was establishing a strong relationship with Vietnam and I was pleased to give practical support to both Stephanie and her faculty.’ He has also helped establish the Fred Hollows Foundation and the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, and is an active supporter of the Variety Club in Australia and New Zealand. Today he is Chief Executive for the InterContinental Hotels Group Asia-Pacific. Zhi Lin (John) Zhang (Postgrad Dip Hosp & Tourism, 1987) was the first Chinese student to gain a postgraduate qualification in his field at FIT. ‘I believe the knowledge and skills I acquired equipped me well for my career in the tourism industry, and provided me with a strong foundation for my expansion into trading and real estate development,’ he said. A specialist in tourism development and international business, John migrated to Australia in 1989 and opened Victoria’s first travel agency with backing from mainland China. His company is now Victoria’s largest tour operator to China. John retains strong links with VU, employing graduates and students in his office, and sponsoring VU students to study Chinese language through the Faculty of Arts. He is actively involved in school exchanges between VU and universities in China, and has helped a dozen students, three of whom now operate their own travel agencies in Melbourne, to study at VU. ‘I remember my years at VU with much pleasure,’ John said. ‘I came to Australia with US$50, and I worked hard. But I know I could not have done anything without the help I received from my sponsor and my Australian friends. In particular, I shall always be grateful to Sing let Kho, Brian Wise, Ken Burbridge and Brian King for their kindness and support. They were wonderful role models for a student alone in a foreign country, and I hope that my achievements helping other young Chinese students to study in Australia will, in some way, honour their contributions to my life.’ 12 VICTORIA UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY, TOURISM & MARKETING people are his inspiration ‘I’d decided I wanted to be in the hospitality industry, and when I started out the only choices here in Melbourne were William Angliss, where I’d get a technical-based diploma, or Footscray Institute of Technology (an early version of Victoria University). That’s what I wanted, so that’s where I went,’ explained Geoffrey York (BBus Catering & Hotel Mgmt, 1980). Today Geoff is General Manager of Sofitel Brisbane, where he manages a team of 400. ‘It’s Brisbane’s largest hotel conference space. We get celebrities staying with us, such as Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue and recently the English cricket team!’ The hotel turns over $45 million a year, and Geoff says that the challenge is to deliver financial returns while focussing on developing a luxury culture within the hotel. ‘All activities are supporting the Sofitel brand’s upscale positioning.’ Geoff’s career has taken him to some interesting places, even before graduating. ‘I’d spent my Co-operative Education Year in South Africa at Southern Sun Hotels, where I’d had some great experiences. A week after I finished at VU, I applied for a Duty Manager’s role at a 220 room hotel in Melbourne, and my resume must have looked pretty good because after a quick interview I was offered a job on the spot.’ He stayed for nearly three years learning a lot and making, he says, ‘the usual mistakes’ but by the time he was ready to move on he was the General Manager. Since then Geoff has worked in Australia and around Asia. ‘I spent 15 years with Southern Pacific Hotels in Australia and Kuala Lumpur. Next came Singapore with Hilton International.’ In all, Geoff has had close to seven years working across north and south Asia. ‘My values and beliefs in running successful hotels are drawn from several people in particular with whom l’ve worked over my career. Fresh out of hotel school my first GM taught me the power of delegation and empowerment to front line employees (many years before that became a buzz word). Several years later the ability to extract maximum value from a business was instilled by a wealthy property developer.’ But every day Geoff’s greatest inspiration is garnered from the people around him in the business. ‘They tirelessly try to wow our guests and are not motivated by the expectation of a gratuity. They are what really make the business such a joy to be in.’ With his wife Elizabeth and their three boys, the family has travelled and lived around the Asia Pacific region for 12 years. ‘The boys are all involved in various sports, and I’m an avid spectator at their events: t-ball, baseball, swimming, basketball, soccer, rugby union and cricket!’ For Geoff, the challenge is always to achieve some type of balance between work and family commitments. To contact Geoff York email him at Sofitel Brisbane on H5992-GM01@ accor.com vu tafe has a new Culinary Winner ‘It was an incredibly intimidating experience and I didn’t expect to win, but it was well worth it,’ an excited but tired Ester Penaflorida said. Ester, pictured right, won the gold medal in the Third Year Apprentice category at the Melbourne Culinary Challenge at this year’s Fine Food Australia. Ester is a student at Victoria University TAFE and is currently undertaking the Certificate III in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery). The competition, held over four days, saw 60 apprentices putting their culinary skills to the test in a heated mass cook-off. Nic Beredimas, Head of TAFE Hospitality and Tourism Department at VU said, ’This is a sign that we are definitely doing something right by competing against some of the best apprentices in the state. This is an excellent result in a very high pressured contest.’ For more information about VU’s hospitality courses email janet. taylor@vu.edu.au Together with a local radio station, Geoff (centre, and the only one in a tie!) and his team raised over $5,000 for the local RSPCA VICTORIA UNIVERSITY 13
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SUMMER EDITION 2007 - Faculty of Business and Law - Victoria ...

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