1

OnCourse

It’s boomtime in Singapore, Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economy. Tourism is surging ahead, and ICHM’s graduates are at the heart of the action in top jobs in exclusive properties.

Singapore dispatchesDifferent Paths > In a class of his own

Events > End of Course Ceremony > Course Commencement Ceremony > Graduation Ceremony

Internships A motivational must read > By ICHM’s founder Rex J Lipman

Tourism award Chief Executive’s comments

Singapore from India, where he was Assistant

Manager Front Office at the Mumbai Hyatt. He

was lured to the Mumbai property by graduate

Jaime Svensson (nee Footner), when she came to

the campus to speak to and recruit students. In

turn, Dharmik was on the interview panel when

Paavan Patel joined the Grand Hyatt Singapore.

‘Work hard’, is Nicholas Lacey’s advice to

aspiring hoteliers. Invest your time early—it’s

the last internship when you should be really

looking to set things up. That’s when your career

really starts.’

Marian Quek, now Assistant Housekeeper at

the Four Seasons, took Nicholas’ words to a

whole new level. She went to the property for

her first internship, and was headhunted on her

return to Singapore after graduation. She went

to ICHM on the recommendation of David Picard,

now Operations Analyst at Pan Pacific Serviced

Suites Singapore.

And so it goes . . .

The call is out from at least three of

ICHM’s graduates in Singapore. ‘We’re very

interested in recruiting graduates and

interns’, says Lili Goh, Concierge at the Ritz

Carlton. And it’s a call repeated by Dharmik

Kumar, now Assistant Director of Rooms at

the Grand Hyatt.

‘Singapore is a tiny dot in the world; however,

from a learning perspective it offers the

world. The lessons learnt here are for a

lifetime and is definitely a launch pad for

further growth’, says Dharmik.

Zhenghan (Han) Chia, a Staffing

Coordinator at the gargantuan Marina Bay

Sands integrated resort, says the property

would also be keen to look at ICHM interns

and graduates.

Dharmik, for example, describes fellow ICHM

graduate Nicholas Lacey, Executive Assistant

Manager — Rooms at the Grand Hyatt, as

his coach and mentor. Dharmik arrived in

Spotlight on Singapore

the newsletter of the international college of hotel management Y adelaide, australia Y semester 2, 2010

Photos of ICHM graduates in Singapore are shown here and they and others are profiled in this issue of On Course (see inside spread). More about them and other graduates in Singapore can be found on the website:http://www.ichm.edu.au/about-ichm/ graduate-testimonials/ spotlight-on-singapore

Dharmik Kumar

Nicholas Lacey

Paavan Patel

The success of graduates in this city of ‘bling and bustle’ with an economy accelerating at more than 18 per cent is evidence of ICHM’s

network, network, network! catchphrase in action.

Grand Hyatt

Grand it is

The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2010 Y www.ichm.edu.au2

Year of ‘94 Nicholas Lacey

Executive Assistant Manager—Rooms

Grand Hyatt Singapore

‘ICHM provides the foundation and the rest is up to you.’

Educated in Adelaide, South Australia

Nicholas started with the Hyatt on his last

internship when he won a position at the

Hyatt Regency Osaka, Japan. He moved

up the ranks with a number of Hyatt’s

properties in Australia, and accepted the

position as Director of Rooms at the Park

Hyatt, Seoul, Korea when that property

opened in 2005. The move to Singapore

occurred later in 2005.

At 33, as Executive Assistant Manager—

Rooms at the Grand Hyatt Singapore, he

is responsible for the areas of Front Office,

Housekeeping, Spa and Laundry. He hopes

to achieve the role of General Manager in

the near future.

‘There’s going to be a lot of opportunity

in tourism over the next few years, with

massive growth predicted in India, China

and South America especially’, he says.

Year of 2000

Dharmik Kumar

Assistant Director of Rooms Grand Hyatt

Singapore

‘If you perform it’s pretty easy to move up the ladder.’

Indian-born Dharmik’s career with the

Hyatt began while he was still at ICHM

(see cover). His love of cricket tipped

the balance to study at ICHM; it meant

studying in Adelaide and playing cricket at

the home ground of cricketing legend Sir

Donald Bradman.

Dharmik’s internships were at the

Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas, the Novotel

Century Hong Kong and the Shangri-La

Hotel Cairns. He was the first graduate to

be sponsored for a graduate management

program with Pacific International Suites

in Adelaide. The Hyatt Regency Mumbai

came next, followed 18 months later

by Singapore.

‘ICHM shaped me as a person. You grow up

in an environment of living independently

on campus with others from around the

world and going out on internships. What

we learned on campus and in practice

helps a lot.’

He says the Hyatt is a fantastic company

to be associated with. ‘I look forward to

hearing from ICHM’s upcoming hoteliers!’

Year of ‘02

Paavan Patel Assistant Manager—Grand Club

Grand Hyatt Singapore

‘I’ve seen graduates from other colleges working with us. There’s no comparison.’

Paavan Patel is a hospitality ‘natural’—

he loves travel and people.

Indian-born and educated, Paavan’s

parents wanted him to study engineering

or medicine, but on consideration his

father said: ‘Look at the future and the

service industry’.

Paavan fast-tracked into second year

because of industry experience. His

first internship was at the Adelaide

Convention Centre and his second

was at the All Seasons in Katherine, in

Australia’s outback. He worked part time

at the Hyatt in Adelaide while finishing

his degree and spent a year at the Crieff

Hydro, Scotland. He came to the Grand

Hyatt Singapore in a Front Desk role,

moving up to Assistant Manager of the

Grand Club in December 2009.

He looks to stay with the chain, and

expects to move to different properties

and potentially to other countries to gain

bigger roles.

ICHM graduates have a very strong

theoretical and practical base and can

step into any job’, Paavan says.

Singapore dispatches

Shalini Sunder is one of five graduates at

the Grand Hyatt Singapore—along with

Nicholas Lacey, Dharmik Kumar and

Paavan Patel (profiled on this page). It’s

her first job after graduating and she says

she’s loving it.

‘We recruit from all over the world’, says

Grand Hyatt Singapore’s Training Manager

Ai Phen Peh.

‘ICHM graduates are realistic in their

expectations and understand they need

to move around to experience the different

areas before being promoted. That being

said, the college’s internship program

preempts a lot of ground-level exposure

and graduates are promoted faster than

local recruits’, she says.

Shalini’s doing well and can expect to be

fast-tracked to Assistant Manager level

(if not in Singapore, then Hong Kong,

China or Dubai) after doing a year as

part of the Hyatt’s corporate leadership

training. Academically, a degree is the

Grand Hyatt’s minimum criteria for rapid

promotion.

‘Our ICHM interns and graduates have

worked out very well so far. Attitude is the

main thing combined with passion for the

industry. It’s about service from the heart’,

says Ai Phen.

At ICHM from 2006–2010, Singaporean

Shalini says of ICHM from the time you

start to when you finish you’re a different

person. ’You quickly learn to think for

yourself and be more independent’.

Shalini’s industry placements were at the

Duxton Hotel Perth, Western Australia;

the Sofitel Queenstown, New Zealand;

and the Cairns Sofitel Reef Resort (now

Pullman Reef Casino Cairns) in Far North

Queensland, Australia.

After finishing high school in Singapore,

Shalini did a bridging course at Eynesbury

College. Her parents opted for ICHM and

Australia, rather than a Swiss Hotel School

in Switzerland, because of proximity and

familiarity. With her father in the military,

Shalini says the family moved around

a lot when she was young, including to

Rockhampton in country Australia.

Shalini says she has made lifelong friends

at ICHM from the bonds that come from a

strong sense of a purpose and experiences

shared with students from so many

different countries.

Now in Front Office at the Grand Hyatt

Singapore, she says the property,

‘empowers you to do what you want,

and I’ll see where it takes me’.

Shalini Sunder Ai Phen Peh

3

The gargantuan Marina Bay Sands is Singapore’s largest hotel with more than 2500 rooms and suites housed in three towers soaring 55 levels above the bay. The towers are topped by a roof garden— at 200 metres high it dominates the Singapore skyline. The property, which has around 10,000 employees, incorporates a 600-table casino and convention facilities that alone cater for more than 45,000 people. ICHM graduates Han Chia and fellow Singaporean Johnathan Ong were part of the pre-opening team.

Marina Bay Sands

ICHM’s Manager Industry Training & Development Darren Camilleri was in Singapore for a brief stopover in early in 2010. He said he was delighted to see so many graduates not only back in Singapore, but also doing extremely well—in hotels and outside them. ‘To see so many in management roles at quite a young age is a credit to them and how hard they have worked. In addition, there is a very good Singapore alumni group that stays in touch often and networks, which is great to see. As this issue of On Course shows, Singapore is going through massive growth opening up opportunities for students and graduates’, he says.

More about these graduates in Singapore (including David Picard, who has been profiled previously in On Course) can be found on the website:http://www.ichm.edu.au/about-ichm/graduate-testimonials/spotlight-on-singapore

Ritz-CarltonYear of ‘07

Lili Goh Internship: Sheraton Ningbo, China.

Position: Concierge, The Ritz-Carlton Millenia

Singapore

‘The things I learnt at ICHM I apply a lot. Looking back, ICHM gave me the scope of the whole hotel operations picture.’

Age 23, Singaporean Lili is very pleased with

her career progression. After nine months

in the job—her first after graduating—she’s

in a supervisory position. She says she is

working toward a Guest Services or Front

Office Manager role at the Ritz Carlton (or the

merged Marriott chain) within five years and

the United Nations in the distant future.

She heard about ICHM from a family friend,

and says it took her a couple of months to

settle in, but it was very interesting living on

campus with students from around the world.

Lili had worked at the Suntec Convention

Centre part time for more than three years

when she was at school, for which ICHM gave

her credit.

‘The ICHM degree has been very beneficial to

my career progression.’

Mandarin OrientalYear of ‘06 Andrew Tristan Baker Internships: Grand Hyatt Melbourne, Australia;

Pan Pacific Marina, Singapore

Position: Bar Lounge Manager

‘ICHM helped me to become self-sufficient.’

Andrew came to ICHM after finishing a

diploma in business at Singapore Polytechnic.

After a work placement at the Four Seasons,

which gave him a real taste for the industry,

he started looking around for hotel schools

globally to better his qualification.

He says the basic drawcard for ICHM was the

connection with the Swiss Hotel Association.

‘I got in touch after going online and was

given a lot of information. I also went to visit

and was given a personal tour—my parents

were very impressed with that,’ he says.

Andrew applied for the position at the

Mandarin Oriental while he was still on

campus. His plan is now to stay in Singapore

in the short term, and possibly go back to

Australia or to Europe to a boutique hotel or

independent restaurant.

‘The campus accommodation is very well

managed. While there I made some really

good friends and we stay in touch.’

Year of ‘07 Han Chia

Internships: Conrad Centennial Singapore;

Medina Perth Australia.

Position: Staffing Coordinator

‘If you really think you’d like the hospitality lifestyle, then ICHM is the place to go.’

Han went from a major property (in Food

& Beverage operations) to a smaller one,

where he said he did a lot of everything,

‘which was pretty interesting’.

A relation knew someone at the Marina

Bay Sands, and he secured an interview

from his curriculum vitae. He is in a four-

to-five member team in a Sourcing Unit—

a first point of contact for new employees.

‘Being part of the pre-opening team for

this property was very exciting’, he says.

Han is ultimately looking for a career in

Marketing within the hotel operation,

and says ICHM has set him up for that.

‘One of the best things about studying

overseas is it makes you independent.’

Year of ‘07 Johnathan Ong

Internships: Le Baroque, Singapore; Sheraton

Mirage Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia

Position: Meeting Services Supervisor

‘I was interested in getting a degree, but wanted one that was worth it; that I could apply.’

Johnathan joined the Marina Bay Sands

as Meeting Services Attendant and was

rapidly promoted to his current position.

He believes he can make Assistant

Manager of a department within three

years. He says if he hadn’t gone to ICHM he

would not have been promoted so quickly.

‘There is lot of sweat and tears in being

part of a pre-opening team. It’s supposed

to be an eight-hour shift, but when it’s

busy you just don’t go home, which is

typical of this industry. I love it.’

ICHM offered in-depth management as

well as covering the operational side of

things, which was much better than I had

been led to expect.

Four SeasonsYear of ‘06Marian QuekInternships: Four Seasons Singapore, Sea

Temple Resort, Port Douglas, Queensland,

Australia

Position: Assistant Housekeeper

‘My closest friends now are from ICHM. We did everything together so it just seems natural to keep the friendships going.’ Marian Quek says if anyone should ask her

about going to ICHM, she would first tell

them about the hours and the industry—

‘you have to be passionate about it. If that’s

what you decide to do, you should go to

ICHM because you’re given everything you

need to succeed in the real working world.’

Marian went to the Four Seasons on her

first internship. When she had finished her

studies she returned to Singapore to take

a break, but received a call from what was

her Learning Manager at the Four Seasons

(and now Human Resources Manager). She

started as Guest Services Officer at The Club,

and was promoted to a supervisory role

within a year.

StarwoodYear of ‘07

Cindy Cai Internships: RACV, Melbourne; Fullerton Hotel,

Singapore; Corporate Office, Starwood Singapore

Position: Talent Management and

Organisational Development Trainee—Starwood

Asia Pacific

‘I learnt a lot, including valuable life skills crossing paths with students from so many different cultures.’

Cindy holds a diploma in engineering from

Singapore Polytechnic, but decided after

three years it wasn’t for her. She considered

teaching, but opted for hotel management and

enrolled at ICHM after considerable research.

She is so new to her position with Starwood

Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, she hasn’t been

given a formal title as yet. Fundamentally,

she’s ‘over the moon’, being offered the

opportunity to introduce the group’s luxury

‘W’ brand to Singapore.

Cindy’s is another network, network, network!

story in action; her position arising from her

work-based ICHM degree project. ‘My boss

has been absolutely amazing in creating

opportunities for me to further my career

within Starwood, knowing that I was open to

most positions’, she says.

Different Paths

Graduate Troy Hickox was on campus in

late July—as a guest speaker, to conduct

a Masterclass and attend the Course

Commencement Ceremony.

He started as a busboy at Hong Kong’s The

Peninsula at 15, and today runs his own

Hong Kong-based consulting business

the conceptual:™group. He has taken on

managing the pre-opening of some of the

world’s hippest properties. Most recently

The Mira in Hong Kong and before that the

Venetian Macao Resort in Macao China

(2006–2008).

At ICHM at 17, Troy graduated in 1997 and

has since enjoyed a stellar rise in the industry.

He’s had a hand in the pre-openings of

numerous new hotels and the refurbishment

and rebranding of as many others.

‘Hospitality is not a job; it’s a lifestyle. You

have to take opportunities, which are only as

good as you make them. Go round asking for

responsibilities if you need to.’

According to Troy, the Swiss Hotel Association

was one of the drawcards for ICHM, helping

it stand out against other hotel schools. ‘I

remember how intense it was. In hindsight, it

was a great setup for learning how to handle

a lot of things at the same time and under

pressure’, he says.

He and fellow graduate Paul Town were both

in Macau at the same time—Troy for the

preopening of the $US2.4 billion Venetian and

Paul Town as Vice President Hotel Operations

for the US$2.1 billion City of Dreams.

‘The Venetian, which is big enough to hold

90 Boeing 747 Jumbo jets, was a once-in-a-

lifetime opportunity’, says Troy.

The conceptual:™group, for which he is

Executive Director, is an exclusive and private

collection of synergised business ventures with

diverse interests in the design, development

and management of brands, products and

services. The group aims to grow through

leveraging its resources and expertise from

hotels and spas, to bars and restaurants; travel

and technology; design and development;

media and publishing; marketing and events;

fashion and entertainment; talent and

management consulting.

Troy’s father is industry identity Fraser Hickox

(originally from Adelaide), who works with

him in the business.

Profile in brief Current • Hotel Manager/(Acting General Manager

The Mira Hong Kong• Founder Hospitality Analytics

Executive Director conceptual:hotels/conceptual:group

Past • Director Hotel Operations, Front of House

Operations and Paiza Hotel Operations, The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel

• Assistant Director of Rooms, Four Seasons Hong Kong at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

• Revenue and Front Office Manager at Le Meridien Cyberport

Education • Michigan State University—The Eli Broad

Graduate School of Management• Oxford Brookes University Business School• Swiss Hotel Association International

College of Hotel Management

Troy Hickox (right) with Darren Camilleri

Stepping up

‘I’m not interested in the next step. I want to know the next step after the next step.’

The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2010 Y www.ichm.edu.au4

‘Going to ICHM and getting a degree doesn’t mean you’re destined for a hotel. ICHM gives you the keys and opens up lots of doors; the rest depends on you’, says David Picard. Many ICHM graduates are proving themselves in many different fields, as these two quite recent graduates below demonstrate. In the class of ’95, Troy Hickox is in a class of his own.

Degree year of ‘08 Yan Wan Phang Internship: Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole,

Wyoming, USA

Position: Sales & Marketing Management

Trainee, Appco Group, Singapore

Yan Wan came to ICHM for the degree year

after finishing a three-year hospitality and

tourism diploma at Temasek Polytechnic in

Singapore. ICHM gives recognition to holders

of Temasek’s hospitality diploma, and a

12-month degree program is the standard.

There are similar pathways from the

Singapore International Hotel and Tourism

College (SHATEC) and other hospitality

programs worldwide.

‘For my degree I thought about going to a

university in Queensland, but chose ICHM for

its focus on hotel management and internship.

I’ve never regretted it’, she says.

A high-performing student, Yan Wan says she

got through ICHM with mainly credits and

distinctions. ‘The course had a strong focus

on strategic management and was delivered

by lecturers who really knew the industry.

They were also very approachable.’

Having just won the sales and marketing

management traineeship with Appco, Yan

Wan says she is excited by the potential of

the role. ‘It’s huge, and I’m loving it’, Appco

is a Southeast Asian sales and promotional

group, which counts among its clients some

of Singapore’s biggest organisations, such as

Singtel and the Singapore Cancer Society.

‘Everything I learnt in my degree year is

coming into play in my new sales and

marketing role. I’m stoked!’

Year of ‘02

Isabelle Lind Internships: Club & Winery, Perth, Western

Australia; Marriott Bangkok

Position: Business Development & Sales, Open

Link, Singapore

Even though she’s not 100% on her goal to one

day own her own boutique property, Isabelle

Lind says ICHM can take you anywhere.

Now in a Business Development and Sales

role with software solutions business Open

Link, Isabelle has travelled extensively. Her

father is based in Singapore and her mother

in Johannesburg, South Africa. The 26 year-old

Australian moves effortlessly between the

two countries.

After studying Spanish in New Zealand,

Isabelle went to Spain, and helped run a cigar

bar before returning to ICHM and third year,

which she describes as her best year. ‘It was

so nice to catch up with everyone’. On her

return to Singapore she worked variously in

marketing, events and communications. She

has been with Open Link for a year and says

she’s really settling into the job.

‘ICHM is quite an investment, but without a

doubt it has paid off. I’ve taken what I learnt

and used components, and I dream to one

day bring it all together in my own boutique

property in Montenegro’, she says.

5

Internships July–December 2010

INTERNATIONAL

Canada Sidney Pier Hotel & SpaKrysa, Leo

ChinaLe Royal Meridien ShanghaiErnst, PaulYin, Anita Parkyard Hotel Shanghai Zhang, Maddy (Di)Pullman Beijing South Delfos, Heath Kwak, Chiara (Kyung Ha) Lee, Young Ae Li, Mandy (Meng Qing) Lo Ting Lan, Loic (Jean Alain

Loic)Zhang, Wish (Weishi)Radisson Hotel Shanghai

New WorldHurley, AnnaSheraton Hongqiao.

ShanghaiChou, Jennifer (Jun Ju)Sofitel Shanghai Jin Jiang

Oriental Pudong Arnulphy, Henri The Puli Hotel and Spa

Shanghai Hua, Catherine (Zhian)

DubaiJumeirah Beach HotelMcMurtrie, Stacey

Hong KongNovotel Century Hong KongChan, Wilmington Leung, Andric Magno, Tomas Miguel Wong, Billy

New ZealandHyatt Regency Auckland Duykers, AlenaSebel Trinity Wharf

TaurangaHenderson, VanessaSpencer on ByronWhite, DavidNovotel Christchurch

Cathedral Square Allison, Ned

SingaporeGrand Hyatt SingaporeBay, Elaine (Zhi Ying) South KoreaJW Marriott SeoulLee, SeungminMillennium Hilton SeoulJung, Ryan (Shingwang)W Seoul Walkerhill Kwon, June (Ji Yun)Grand Hyatt Seoul Kim, Su YoungLee, Ju YeonLim, Soo Min

ThailandRembrandt Hotel, BangkokChaisilwattana, RaviThe Westin Grand

SukhumvitGulati, KaranSamed Villa Resort Ottiger, Evelyn

AUSTRALIA New South WalesFour Points Hotel SheratonKuo, Allen (Cheng-Hua) Li, Josephine Phang, Stephany Rudanny, Rudanny Tokimoto, Shun (Shunsuke)Wu, Alisha (Yu-Hsuan) IBIS Sydney Airport Lee, AmyMrema, MichelleDibyono, RirihKim, SangJinThe Menzies Hotel SydneyLo, SeanSheraton On The Park Bang, David (Yo Sub)The Westin Sydney Cheng, Gavin (Kai Leung)Choi, Yoomi Nam, Ji HoonWaffy Choccy Café, SydneyYoon, Phillip

Northern TerritoryCrowne Plaza DarwinWarren, JenniferVoyages Ayers Rock ResortKitagawa, Sachie

QueenslandSofitel BrisbaneHong, Tae Young Truong, JennaPullman Reef Casino CairnsChong, Lay (Hyong Rye) Jung, Jay (A Young) Kim, Jacqueline (Ji Hye) Min, Karl (Sungki)Sheraton Mirage Noosa Tuttle, Fintan Hoang, HeidiLammers, Fenna Kim, So YoungMercelina, ChantalSteinembohner, MarcusSea Temple Resort & Spa

Port Douglas Cuk, DanielleSheraton Mirage Port

Douglas Artusso Bonomi, MariaBains, Ganeev Desouza, Sean Gibson, Maria Kaderbhai, HuzeifaLoucheva, AntoninaShapurkar, Ari Jonah Shing, OliviaSheraton Mirage Resort and

Spa Gold Coast Jeong, SujeongLee, James Hamilton Island Resort Skewes, Josaia

South AustraliaCrowne Plaza AdelaideBalan, Darren DineshHilton Adelaide Chang, Evan (Yi-Fan) Ho, Trong Quang Hwang, Sungwon Le, Ashley Nam, Kyung Min Phung, Nick Sinclair, Natalie Tian, Kevin Tran, Truc ThanhIntercontinental Adelaide De Simoni, Jake Mhlakane, Mihle Stamford Plaza Adelaide Gomez, Nataly Rosenberg, Angelica-Hazel

VictoriaThe Como HotelWard, Cherree Citigate Melbourne Tong Pena, Luis Grand Chancellor Hotel

MelbourneAswani, Kiran Griffin, Sarah Grand Hyatt Melbourne Vu, Thu Khuyen Ng, Gary (Xing Yuen)Hilton On The Park

Melbourne Hai, Phoebe (Chung Ching)Xu, James (Yan) Le Ngoc, MinhIntercontinental MelbourneTooth, AlistairLangham, Melbourne Hasanovic, Mahira

Hutchison, Casey Lim, Jun (Hyeong Jun) Syropoulo, Max Melbourne Convention

Exhibition Centre Djomel AguinaldoDuan, Yaya Lim, Jong Shin Lee, Jennifer (So Cheong) Novotel on Collins Sangedha, Gavin (Gavinder)Park Hyatt MelbourneByrne, Jack Kim, Su Jin RACV Club Hardie, Adrian Hung, Ken (Tsung-Hsien)Krevelen, VincentPascha, Kiki (Paularin)Seo, Justin (Jiwan)Sun, Sulia (Lingwen)Schagen, Martijn Sofitel MelbourneDasan, Marc Daniel Swanston Hotel, Grand

Mercure Kang, Woo Sung Lee, Myoung JaeTravelodge Docklands Jagus, Jamsheed The Westin Melbourne On

Regent Place Bentley, Joel Cole, RachelKraft, Jeremy Maulina, Asti (Dwi)Vibe Savoy MelbournePaik, Chris

Western AustraliaPinctada Resort & Spa Cable

BeachBowen, PoppyThe Kimberley Grande

KununurraCauser, LukeDuxton Hotel PerthLoh, MurphyHyatt Regency PerthKato, Yuki Lee, Hye LimNaik, Suraj Wong, Joyin (Chung Yin) Wu, Yi-Ting Novotel Perth Langley Kim, Jenny (Jung Eun)Sheraton Perth Hotel Mok, Derek (Wai Kwan)Yin, Blair

LANGUAGES

Butt, Ashley Spanish in SpainHinchcliffe, JarredHill, Sophie Juliet Yaakoup Spanish in Buenos Aires Yaworksy, Hannah Swedish in SwedenWilliams, Maria Spanish in MexicoBilegdemberel, Nasan

Korean in Korea

Students join ‘big guns’ at Great Chefs LunchAustralia’s nationally renowned celebrity

chef, Simon Bryant, this year led a team of

Adelaide’s top chefs at the annual Great Chefs

of Adelaide Lunch on Sunday 15 August at

the Adelaide Town Hall. And they were again

ably supported—back and front of house—by

ICHM students ‘choreographed’ by lecturers

Richard Hunter and Declan Kenny.

Around 380 (largely corporate) guests

attended the Anglicare SA fundraising event,

which was also supported by leading wineries,

food producers and service providers. In

this its 15th year, the lunch raised a record

$114,000 (net) in support of a pioneering

program aimed at tackling intergenerational

unemployment and welfare dependency.

‘It’s a great opportunity for our students to

test themselves in a demanding environment

at a prestigious occasion. It will lead to

memories that will last a lifetime, and the

expressions of appreciation on the day are

a boost to the students’ confidence as they

embark on their studies’, said Principal

Dan Edmonds.

The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2010 Y www.ichm.edu.au6

Events Ceremonies

3 4

1 Stacey McMurtrie2 ICHM third years together for the last time3 Degree students4 Kiran Aswani

1

End Of Course 2 July Held in Regency International House, the End of Course Ceremony is the occasion for awarding

Swiss Hotel Association gold, silver and bronze medals for academic achievement and ICHM’s

Bachelor Degree medals (ahead of the formal Graduation Ceremony in September).

Congratulations to Stacey McMurtrie as Dux of Third Year (January–June 2010), making it

the third consecutive year she has picked up this highest achievement award. Stacey will be

right at home at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai where she is an intern—the property was

recently voted Conde Nast Traveler’s Top Hotel in the Middle East. Kiran Aswani made the

farewell speech on behalf of all of the students.

Course Commencement 30 July Held in the Function Room of the Grand Chancellor Hotel in the city, the Course Commencement

Ceremony is the occasion for celebrating the academic achievements of returning students. It

is also the event at which new students are welcomed on to campus and second and third years

‘home’ from their internships.

2

3 4

1 Imalka Maddumapatabendi Dux of 1st Year Winner of the Cameron Sykes Memorial Scholarship and the Luke James’ Food & Beverage Incentive Award

2 Samantha Howard Dux of 2nd Year (January–June 2009) Winner Australian Hotels Association (AHA) Award (top student returning to 3rd Year)

3 Sarah Leitner Dux of 2nd Year (January–June 2010) Winner AHA Award

4 Young Hoon Woo Uhak Channel Scholarship (top Korean student returning to 2nd Year)

5 Liz Soo Yeon Kim KOSA Award (top Korean student moving to degree studies)

6 (From left) Ekaphol Narula, Nick John, Tien Phan & James Cameron Amazing Race winners, as part of Induction Week

7 Left: Sachi Fletcher & Sana Pattaramalai gave the welcoming address to new students

8 Left: Marianne Garupa, Lea Laurente, Dyan Faye Pablo & Donna May Viray All four have studied at ICHM’s sister school, Southville Foreign University, in Manila, the Philippines, and have come to ICHM to complete their bachelor degree in one year.

9-14 Formalities over

1

2 53 4

6 7 8

11 12 139 10 14

1

7

8

3 4

ICHM & SHA up close and personal

Graduation 4 September Chief Executive Officer of the Swiss Hotel

Association (SHA), Dr Christoph Juen, and

Mrs Juen were special guests at this year’s

Graduation Ceremony at the Hilton Adelaide.

The Hon. Jack Snelling, Minister of Further

Education, also joined graduands and their

families to celebrate the culmination of

years of academic endeavour. As a special

acknowledgement to Dr and Mrs Juen, the

sounds of alpenhorns (traditionally used

by herders in the Swiss Alps to call cows

to pasture) welcomed the SHA Diploma

graduands, much to the entertainment

of the guests. Dr Juen addressed students

on campus earlier in the week, where

he reaffirmed the SHA’s commitment to

quality. ‘ICHM has fulfilled perfectly the

SHA Diploma Standard since its inception

in 1992’, he said. ICHM was again delighted

to welcome Peter Lehmann Wines to the

table, and representative Paul Turale, Global

Marketing Manager for the company, who

spoke of synergies between the organisations.

Congratulations to Natalia Rodrigues as Dux

of the Degree.

1 Dr Christoph Juen2 Natalia Rodrigues 3 Hon. Jack Snelling MP4 Paul Turale5 Alpenhorns6-10 Formalities over

Megan Kalil Varsity College, Sandton South Africa

‘I’d like to stay in Australia for a while and gain

more experience, and hopefully take back what I

learn to Johannesburg.’

In Adelaide for just three weeks, Megan won

a scholarship (covering tuition, airfares and

accommodation) for ICHM degree studies. ‘I worked

hard, and I’m a good networker. I want to grow in this

industry.’

She says ICHM is a community on campus; like

being at home. ‘I’m really comfortable and like the

way we’re set to work in study groups.’

Photographed here at the Course Commencement

Ceremony, the 21 year old will complete her degree

in December.

76

9 10

21

5

Right on targetICHM Finance Officer Wendy Moylan participated in the 2010

Open National Archery Tournament in sunny Queensland, as

part of the South Australian Senior State Team. The weather

was perfect and Wendy shot well and qualified to claim a

Masters World Ranking.

International College of Hotel Management

CRICOS Provider Code 02914 G ICHM Pty Ltd

GPO Box 249 Adelaide South Australia 5001

Freecall Australia 1800 246 875 | Telephone 61 8 8228 3636 | Facsimile 61 8 8228 3684

admissions@ichm.edu.au | www.ichm.edu.au | www.community.ichm.edu.au

ICHM appreciates being able to publicise graduate

success stories in On Course. While most graduates

value the profile, others chose to take a more

conservative stand. It is ICHM policy to contact

graduates in the preparation of any item or article,

and if ‘no publicity’ is your preference please

clearly decline our request.

News

8 The newsletter of the International College of Hotel Management, Semester 2, 2010 Y www.ichm.edu.au

MOU with Indonesia’s STPPHIn May, ICHM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sekolah Tinggi

Pariwisata Pelita Hrapan (STPPH), a division of Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH), to enable

students from STPPH to study at ICHM to obtain both the Advanced Diploma of Hospitality

and the ICHM Bachelor Degree. These students can then return to Jakarta, continue their

studies at STPPH and obtain the Diploma IV, giving them a double Bachelor degree.

Graduate SurveyAs in 2009, ICHM surveyed its Degree

graduates in 2010—in the two-month period

between end of study in July and Graduation

Day. The aim of the survey is to determine the

proportion of graduates working, where they

are working and their employers. More than

60% completed the survey.

Findings

•  67% were working

•   6% were studying for a Masters degree, 

6% were holidaying

•   more than 90% of the December 2009 

graduates were employed or studying,

and 78% of the July 2010 graduates were

employed or studying

•   91% were working in the hospitality 

industry, 78% in hotels

•   57% found a position in Australia, and 

China ranked #2

•   Starwood was the largest employer, 

followed by Hyatt and Toga Hospitality.

A copy of this survey is on the community

website www.community.ichm.edu.au

When the Swiss Hotel Association and

ICHM started planning to create a hotel

school in Adelaide about 20 years ago, we

called ICHM, ‘The Swiss Hotel Association

in the Asia Pacific Basin’. Then, there were

a few visionary optimists who predicted

that the tourism and hotel management

industry would boom in the years ahead.

But not even they could have projected

the growth that has been achieved. We

anticipated that it would lead to hotel

industry jobs for our graduates; however,

none of us really anticipated the growth

that followed.

Today we see China as the second biggest

destination for our graduates, second only

to Australia (see Internships page 5). We

see Singapore (feature story), Dubai, Hong

Kong and many other countries seeking

our graduates. This is not just nationals

getting their bachelor degree qualification

and going home: it is Swiss going to China;

Koreans going to Hong Kong; Indonesians

going to Dubai; and Australians and Kiwis

going everywhere. The opportunities

are not restricted by nationality or

destination.

Most students are starting their career

with one of the big chains (such as

Accor, Starwood and Hyatt), but there

are opportunities with smaller chains,

in boutique properties and outside the

hotel sector as well. ICHM is instrumental

in assisting students get their jobs. As

the Graduate Survey demonstrates,

help from our Industry Training and

Development team is the leading source

of that important first job. Students also

find positions while they are on their last

placement. Additionally there is contact

from one student to another . . . network, network, network! is not our catchphrase

for nothing.

We heard from graduate Troy Hickox

earlier this semester that when he and

graduate Paul Town were both opening

hotels in Macau they employed more

Chief Executive’s comments

than 15 ICHM graduates between them.

A pretty good way to launch careers!

All the global chains are aggressively

growing their Asian networks, and while

there is no shortage of buildings, there

is a shortage of well-trained English-

speaking graduates, and this is providing

great opportunities for ICHM alumni.

We see graduates move from China to

Taiwan, from the USA to Oman, from

New Zealand to Indonesia, and from

Singapore to Bahrain, and so on. There

is no question that our program with

50:50 mix of industry placement and

academic program gives our students a

big advantage. Of course, the 100-year old

reputation of Swiss Hotel Association is a

major plus. And more and more the name

of ICHM makes the difference.

A generation (or two!) earlier young

hospitality graduates sought positions

in Europe or the US. But change is

happening fast, and as our founding

fathers anticipated, Asia is looking pretty

good. I asked our Asian ‘guru’ Mark Keith,

Managing Director of HVS Executive

Search, based in Hong Kong, for his

description of the situation. He said, ‘The

Asian region, especially India and China,

is transforming in a bigger, faster, and far

more impactful manner than the 30 years

of modernising America from the 1890s, or

the earlier Industrial Revolution in Europe.

Every age has a golden time and place, and

this is the time to be in Asia; a time to be all

you want to be as Asia becomes all it can be.’

About 150 years ago the catchcry in the

USA was, ‘Go west, young man’, and it

proved to be correct, as California boomed.

Probably the accurate slogan for the

current age is, ‘Stay East, ICHM graduate’.

There are certainly a lot of career

opportunities in Asia!

ICHM picks up National Tourism AwardAt a gala dinner held in conjunction with the

Tourism Training National Conference in

Sydney in June, ICHM was awarded a National

Tourism Training Award, ‘for outstanding

support and leadership to tourism and

hospitality in Australia’.

The former Chief Justice of the High Court,

Sir Lawrence Street, presented the award

to Principal Dan Edmonds, who accepted

on behalf of all ICHM staff and students.

Sir Lawrence is a long time advocate and

supporter of the tourism and hospitality

industry.

‘Congratulations to all concerned for

their contribution to keeping ICHM at

the forefront of the industry’, said Gerald

Lipman. Well done to all!

Having achieved great successes over 70

years not only as ICHM’s founder and inaugural

chief executive, but also as a soldier, dental

surgeon, merchant banker, racehorse breeder

and trainer, travel manager, vigneron and author,

Rex Lipman ao is well qualified to write about

success.

He has drawn on these experiences, the qualities

and attributes of dozens of the world’s great

achievers and extensive research to produce The

Human Machine Operator’s Manual, a handbook for

people of all ages who aim to be more successful

in achieving their goals.

He’s narrowed the recipe for success and

happiness to five essential ingredients:

•  an inspired and focused vision

•  constant zest and enthusiasm

•    physical and mental ruggedness of 

a high order

•  a positive attitude towards all criticism

•   constant and conscientious monitoring.

The Human Machine Operator’s Manual is Dr

Lipman’s sixth publication, and all profits

from the sale of the book are going to promote

neuroscience education at both the secondary

and tertiary level of education.

Copies of the publication are available at

www.anjoupublications.com. Cost $35

(including postage).

The Human Machine Operator’s Manual Rex J. Lipman

Daljit appointed to Education Adelaide Board ICHM’s Director of Marketing/Operations

Daljit Rao has been appointed to the Board

of Education Adelaide, to help strengthen

the Board with new members with wide

international experience. Established in

1998, Education Adelaide is charged with

developing and expanding South Australia’s

share of the national education export

market. At the end of 2009, there were close

to 34,000 international students studying and

living in Adelaide.

Daljit’s is one of three new appointments

to the Board, with the move among a raft

of initiatives by the South Australian

Government to ensure that Adelaide

continues to be seen as a supportive and

welcoming place for international students.

Daljit Rao