Hyatt Student Prize: On-Site with Hyatt in Zurich

By Claire Plessier, MBA in Hospitality Management, France & USA, 2012-2014 2nd Year

As the first runner up of the 2013 Hyatt Student Prize, I was rewarded with a week of cross-exposure at the Hyatt International EMEA SWA division and at the Park Hyatt in Zurich, Switzerland. I followed a detailed agenda, with the first three days dedicated to exposure to the corporate world of Hyatt and the last two days experiencing the operational side of a five star luxury business hotel in downtown Zurich.

My first meeting was with the VP of HR, Katrin Muelle, who was so kind and organized my first three days so I could meet separately with all the different heads of departments including Frank Lavey, Senior Vice President - Operations, Tom Hawley, Vice President Development, Eric Brun, Vice President Brand and Tony Morales, Vice President Finance. Even though I know each of them must have had a very busy schedule while I was there, each and every one of them took the time to sit down with me, answer all my questions and explain their different roles in detail. I had the opportunity to see some of the current development projects they were working on and find out where all the upcoming Hyatt properties were being built.

With Jacques Morand,
GM of Park Hyatt Zurich

The following two days were spent on the property level with all the Operations executives of the Park Hyatt Zurich including HR, Rooms and F&B. Since my background was mainly in Food & Beverage, it was extremely beneficial for me to learn about the Rooms side of the hotel. On my last day, I had the opportunity to spend the morning with the front office, guest relations and concierge team and welcome top VIP guests. I also spoke over coffee with the General Manager, Jacques Morand who went over his daily tasks and weekly meetings with me. Mr. Morand also shared his career path and explained his current double role in Hyatt, as an Area Director for Hyatt and a GM.

What struck me with each and every person I met was not only the passion they had for their respective roles, but the commitment and admiration they had for Hyatt. Hyatt was more than just a company and a culture, it was a true family. Almost all of them had been working with the company for over 20 years.

Of course, the icing on the cake of this trip was to be able to stay at the Park Hyatt in Zurich and to truly experience hospitality at its finest.

Even if I was already convinced that I had found the right industry to work for, this experience has further solidified my passion and motivation to become a future leader in the hospitality industry.

Representing ESSEC in the 2013 Hyatt Student Prize

By Claire Plessier, MBA in Hospitality Management, France & USA, 2012-2014 2nd Year

Claire has been selected to represent the ESSEC MBA in Hospitality Management for the 2013 Hyatt Student Prize.  She is one of eight finalists, selected based on student files and videos; the winner will be selected on December 5th following individual interviews with the jury.

About the Hyat Student Prize:

The Hyatt Student Prize is a prestigious award that was launched by Hyatt Hotels & Resorts in 2008. The goal is to reward the most talented student in the hospitality industry, to provide this person with an opportunity to meet Hyatt executives and to discover the management style Hyatt puts into practice. This is an excellent chance to encourage students to discover the world of luxury hotels.

A total of 19 International Schools specializing in Hospitality Management have been selected to join the competition. Each school is represented by the student that it has identified as being its most talented. The nomination process is based on specific criteria set by Hyatt Hotels & Resorts.

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As a graduating MBA student, the Hyatt Student Prize contest is a wonderful opportunity to meet professionals and future leaders from international and luxury hospitality backgrounds. Being recognized by industry professionals, as well as leaders in domains of art and luxury, would be an unbelievable culmination of my studies and would certainly set the stage for my future endeavors in the industry.
  
My multicultural background with different languages and traditions has been a tremendous asset in my luxury hotel experience so far, allowing me to understand and adapt to different cultural identities with ease.  This is crucial in the hospitality industry, where it is fundamental to be motivated to carefully evaluate our interactions with people from different cultural backgrounds in order to give personalized and authentic service.

Since my first management job at the age of 21, I have never looked back and knew I wanted to dedicate my life to the luxury hotel industry. For the eight years preceding my MBA I worked in the F&B department and, although it has been an exciting experience, I would now like to gain further knowledge in hotel sales & marketing and ultimately one day become a General Manager of a Luxury hotel where my experience and education would help me maintain excellent standards and optimal profits. This path would offer me the opportunity to apply all principles I have also learned through my academic background (Bachelor and MBA degrees) and strengthen my operational training.

This event is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am very proud to represent the MBA in Hospitality Management (IMHI).

Watch Claire's video for the first round of the competition!
 
 

Update: Claire won second place in the Hyatt Student Prize!  As a reward, she will travel to Zurich, where Hyatt's division for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East is located.  Congratulations, Claire!  Here are some photos from the big night: