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

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