leading off - hospitality net

I am gratified to see another edition of the Cornell Hotel School Magazine in print so soon after the last. I congratulate Bill Summers, who has guided this issue to completion, and David Strong, associate dean for business affairs, who has been dividing his time between his own office and External Affairs on an interim basis. Both are committed to having this magazine published four times during the coming year; please make sure to get your material in on time.

I am pleased to announce that we are in the final stages of finding the latest technology in alumni communications and connectedness. At HEC in April we put together a team with David Strong; Tim Durnford, who heads up IT for the school, supported by Michael Fraker; and James Cho, the campus chapter president for CHS. There were others, but especially important was Monica Gelinas ’99, who is the chapter president in New York City. She and I started this effort in New York early in the spring; she has been so helpful as a “young alum” in translating what people not in my generation are looking for in electronic connectedness. Our efforts were presented at the Leadership Summit here in Washington, D.C., in August.

The third CHS Leadership Summit took place at the Gaylord National Hotel and Resort. Almost every one of the 60 chapters sent their president, an officer or another representative to examine the best practices of chapter management. We learned many things, but key among them was that the energy and motivation of Hotelies to stay connected with each other, the industry and the world remains unsurpassed. Our grateful thanks go out to all the volunteers and leaders who worked tirelessly to make this happen. A special heartfelt thanks goes to Rocco Angelo ’58 and his assistants Bill Quain ’74 and Raj Chandnani ’95 for their great work on the summit.

You may not have heard yet about the Million-Dollar Challenge issued by the Cornell Hotel Society Foundation and CHS during last spring’s Hotel Ezra Cornell. The Foundation and CHS have pledged to provide up to $100,000 in the form of a one-dollar match for every three dollars raised for scholarships over the remaining course of Far Above … the Campaign for Cornell. The initiative is already a success, with nearly $500,000 raised in new scholarship funds. We are delighted that the Washington/Baltimore chapter was the first to accept the challenge to create a new scholarship. Joe Lavin ’75 and Walker Lunn ’03 will hold a large fundraising event at Washington’s Kennedy Center on October 15 to support that effort.

We look forward to many events that are being planned around the world. Among them, the CHS Asia/Pacific Regional Meeting will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 9–12, 2008. For more information, please contact Carla Petzold-Beck ’95 at [email protected]. Next April 23–26, the CHS Europe/Middle East/Africa Regional Meeting will be held in Berlin, Germany. For more information, please contact Michael Cortelletti ’99 at [email protected]. For more information and details, check out www.chscornell.com for these and other events near you!

Jay Treadwell ,61, [email protected]

Jay TreadwellPresident, Cornell Hotel Society

Michael JohnsonDean and E. M. Statler Professor, Cornell School of Hotel Administration

Leading Off

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Dear Alumni and Friends,Greetings from Ithaca, where Statler Hall is bustling as we move into a new academic year.

I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Jon Denison as associate dean for external affairs, effective Sept. 1. Jon, an advancement professional with a career that spans nearly 30 years in higher education, will provide strategic leadership and direction for the Hotel School’s alumni affairs, development, corporate affairs and communications functions. We have included him among the Newsmakers on page 19. Our December issue will feature Jon and all the members of his team, several of whom have joined us recently.

This issue of your magazine reports on the progress the school is making on many fronts. Our cover story describes a new scholarship program formed in honor of senior lecturer Giuseppe Pezzotti. Scholarships like this one are becoming an increasingly important source of support. Your generous contributions enable many of our students to gain a first-class education and leave school unencumbered by financial burdens.

I thank everyone who has helped put one or more of our students through the School. On a broader note, I thank each of you who have helped us move closer to our goals in the Campaign for Cornell.

In other news, we continue to forge new ground with the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship. Under the lead of managing director Tom Ward, we held a successful first meeting of our Innovation Network in New York this June. Nearly 100 industry leaders gathered for the event, which featured presentations from three leading innovators. For more details, please see the story on page 4.

The summer also marked the second event in our Dean’s Leadership Series, a panel discussion on sustainability held in Washington, D.C. This forum is proving to be an effective way to bring academic and industry leaders together to debate critical issues. For more about the event, please see page 10.

Last spring, we had the pleasure of recognizing some of our top graduating students with the Joseph Drown Special Prize. In all, we celebrated the achievements of five exceptional seniors for their leadership in the classroom and in the community. You can read more about these leaders in the story on page 5.

As we move through autumn, be sure to keep up with your fellow alumni at the many events sponsored by the Cornell Hotel Society chapters. For a full schedule, please see www.chscornell.com.

I hope to see you soon, whether on campus, at a school event or at an industry gathering. As always, feel free to contact me anytime.

Sincerely,

Michael D. Johnson [email protected]

2 Cornell Hotel School

Sara Jane McLaury ’11 and her father, Douglas, visit with Pezzotti and Sameer Nair ’11 at a recent new-student reception.

Pezzotti and Dale Winham ’06 discuss the Statler Leadership Development Program.

Pezzotti and Chef Michel Roux of the Waterside Inn in London.

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Cornell Hotel School 3

Four students have been selected to receive a new scholarship in honor of senior lecturer Giuseppe Pezzotti ’84 MPS ’96. The Giuseppe Pezzotti Scholarship was established by alumni

and friends to recognize this educator for his extraordinary contri-butions over 24 years at the School.

Those students are Antoine Wilson ’09, Valeska Toro ’09, Daly Guillermo ’10 and Vanessa Deleon ’10.

“What matters most about this scholarship is that it will help students get an education,” Pezzotti says. “I thank all of my friends and former students, whose kindness and generosity will make a difference in so many lives.”

During his time at Cornell, Pezzotti has taught thousands of students in his courses on restaurant operations and manage-ment. For many students, the first day in his class made a lasting impression.

“Giuseppe recited everyone’s names and hometowns without ever having met us,” recalls Sabato Sagaria ’97. “Since that day, his service philosophies have been ingrained in my head. Now that I have worked in several five-star hotels and restaurants, I can truly appreciate the art of service as it was so effortlessly demonstrated by Giuseppe.”

For all his talents in the classroom, Pezzotti’s true hallmark is his interest in his students as people. Over the last quarter-century he has served as a valued mentor to many students, both during their time at Cornell and throughout their careers.

Deniz Omurgonulsen ’00 got to know Pezzotti during her freshman year in 1996. One day that spring, he asked her how she felt about being a board assistant for HEC and a student volunteer for the collegiate chapter of CHS. When Omurgonulsen said she enjoyed both roles, Pezzotti told her that one day she could run both organizations.

Omurgonulsen remembers laughing out loud. Pezzotti then took out a piece of paper and had her write on it, “1. Be president of the CHS, CC and 2. Act as managing director of HEC.” He then folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

Four years later, Pezzotti called Omurgonulsen into his office. He closed the door, took the same slip of paper from his pocket and unfolded it.

“Giuseppe reminded me of what I had dreamed of achieving as a freshman and how unattainable it felt at the time, but how it was actually possible,” Omurgonulsen recalls. “He believed in me more than I believed in myself. He is not just a teacher – he is a philoso-pher and a dreamer. He dreams with his students and gives them the tools to achieve those dreams.”

Reflecting further on her mentor, Omurgonulsen says that he embodies one of her favorite quotes, from Kahlil Gibran: “The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.”

Richy Petrina ’01 was 15 years old when he met Pezzotti. Petrina’s older brother Peter ’94 was a teaching assistant in Pezzotti’s restaurant operations class. Pezzotti told Peter to bring his brother along for the next prep session. After one hour at Pezzotti’s side, Petrina was taken in. At Pezzotti’s invitation he continued to help out throughout his high school years, even after his brother had graduated. After his experiences in Statler Hall, Petrina knew he wanted to attend the Hotel School.

“Giuseppe has a beautiful spirit,” Petrina says. “Like he did for me, he goes out of his way to help people he might never meet again. He has inspired me to do the same for others. I think that is his greatest contribution – instilling in others the selflessness that he so naturally practices.”

Pezzotti’s formal hospitality education began at the Italian Hotel School in Florence, where he was awarded first prize. Later he held positions with various cruise line companies and at several hotels and restaurants in Europe and in the United States. He went on to earn his undergraduate degree at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration in 1984 and his master's degree in 1996.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Pezzotti has led numerous executive education seminars worldwide. More than anything, this humble leader enjoys sharing knowledge.

“There is an old Latin saying, ‘Discendo docebis docendo disces,’ which means ‘I learn so I can teach, I teach so I can learn,’” Pezzotti says. “In life, we are all teachers. You share a few things, you can make a difference in a life. Giving is a beautiful thing.”

For more information on the Giuseppe Pezzotti Scholarship, please contact Meg Keilbach at 607.255.9542.

By Bill Summers

Honoring an InstitutionNew Scholarship Named for Giuseppe Pezzotti


How do you capture liquor inventory to the last drop? Create the healthiest environment in your guest rooms? Interpret data to optimize revenue?

Some 100 hospitality industry leaders got the answers this summer at the launch meeting of the Innovation Network, a membership group that aims to advance innovation across the industry.

The Innovation Network is brought to the industry by the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Through roundtables, seminars and other events and resources, members gain insight into the latest thinking of experts in innovation, strategy and leadership. They also interact with innovators, educators and one another.

“The Innovation Network supports the school’s commit-ment to accelerate the study and practice of entrepreneur-ship in the hospitality industry,” says Lee Pillsbury ’69, co-chair, Thayer Lodging Group. “The network gives mem-bers firsthand insight into how the best minds are propelling the industry forward. Our goal is to help members better understand the innovation process and use that knowledge to stimulate innovation and profitable growth in their organizations.”

Pillsbury Institute leaders evaluated more than 100 inno-vative success stories before choosing three to highlight at the inaugural meeting of the Innovation Network. Attendees heard presentations from the leaders of these companies, who explained how they conceived and implemented break-throughs in different facets of the industry.

Scott Martiny, CEO of Capton, described how his company developed technology that helps companies manage liquor inventory. The Beverage Tracker embeds wireless, RFID tech-nology into free-pour liquor spouts, giving bar operations managers an accurate measure of how much liquor is poured in every drink and how that drink is recorded. Capton launched the product to help companies account for what Martiny calls “the $7.5 billion in annual missing liquor in the industry.” Customers include Host Hotels and Resorts, MGM Mirage, Starwood and Hyatt.

Brian Brault, founder and CEO of PURE Solutions, outlined how his company has developed a process to create the healthiest and most allergy-friendly environments in the world. The process treats the air and every surface in rooms to remove mold, bacteria, viruses and other irritants. PURE rooms are currently installed in over 50 hotels and five conference centers, providing relief to the more than 70 million Americans with allergies to airborne allergens.

Attendees also learned about an innovative approach to revenue management pioneered by Revenue Analytics CEO Robert Cross and Executive Vice President Dax Cross. Robert

Cross explained how his team developed a unique model that hotel managers use to analyze demand, competitive activity and customer input. The firm works closely with clients to interpret data and create solutions in pricing and revenue management. The firm’s principals have served more than 100 clients, uncovering more than $10 billion in addi-tional revenue.

Each presentation was followed by an engaging question-and-answer session and a reception that enabled attendees to interact personally with the featured innovators and one another.

“We are very pleased with the strong turnout and lively interaction at the Innovation Network launch meeting,” says Tom Ward, managing director of the Pillsbury Institute. “This event reaffirms our commitment to build an exclusive network of senior leaders who can reap significant value through ongoing interaction with the most innovative minds in hospitality and beyond.”

Upcoming Innovation Network events are scheduled for September 3–4, 2008, in Ithaca, N.Y.; January 25–26, 2009, in San Diego; and June 2, 2009, in New York City.

For more information about the Innovation Network, please contact Tom Ward at [email protected].

About the Innovation NetworkThe Innovation Network, or IN@Cornell, is a peer network with the mission of advancing strategic innovation in hospital-ity to improve human experiences. The network has three main components:

Knowledge Sharing – Through a steady stream of innova-tion insights to our members, and through forums, round-tables and events, members will be exposed to the thinking of foremost experts in innovation, strategy and leadership. Through our website, members will have access to a knowledge base of innovation content, trends and insights.

Networking – Through a variety of roundtables and events, members will interact with experts, innovators, educators and industry peers.

Innovating – Members will be exposed to a stream of the latest in hospitality industry innovations. Sourced by the Pillsbury Institute, these innovations will be the latest “new, new things” capable of generating positive bottom-line impact for member companies.

Eye on Innovation

Lee Pillsbury ’69 addresses the crowd at the first Innovation Network meeting, held in New York this past spring.

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Christi

Christi Lockwood Named Drown Prize Winner Christi Lockwood ’08 received the 2008 Joseph Drown Special Prize this spring, the highest honor bestowed upon a Hotel School student. The prize is awarded to a graduating senior who has demonstrated academic excellence, extracurricular leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, social responsibility and well-conceived career goals and aspirations. The prize is funded through the generosity of the late Joseph Waterford Drown, a dedicated entrepreneur who established a foundation to further the betterment of deserving individuals. Lockwood received a $15,000 award, and four finalists each received awards of $1,000. They are Geoff Gray, Justin Sun, Rohan Thakkar and Mark Thompson, all Class of 2008. Brief biographies follow on each winner.

Christi Lockwood and her mother were in a public library when they decided to check on her early-decision application to Cornell. When a message appeared congratulating her on her acceptance, she and her mother screamed. Today, Lockwood thanks her mom and dad for their support and encouragement to dream big – and to achieve the goals she set for herself.

At Cornell, Lockwood has excelled in her work, her academics and her service. For two years she worked as the director of human

resources at CHC Hospitality Consultants, overseeing recruiting and hiring, training, staffing and compensation for this consulting practice comprised of Cornell students. Lockwood also worked as a server at the Plum Tree restaurant for nearly two years, where she trained new members of the team.

For the past two years, Lockwood has been a member of the Ye Hosts Honorary Society, the Hotel School’s honors club. In that capacity, she takes part in curriculum reviews and provides career advice to younger students. She is also a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Golden Key Honor Society. A native of Waterbury, Conn., Lockwood is also a member of Hotelies Serving Society, through which she took part in various service projects such as Relay for Life and working in a local soup kitchen.

Among her academic highlights, Lockwood spent her winter break working as an extern with Expedia in Costa Rica, where she produced a report on best practices in sustainable tourism. “I am convinced that Christi will excel as a leader and an innovator in the hospitality industry,” says Marvin Seas, her supervisor on the project.

Lockwood is now a human capital consultant with Towers Perrin. Eventually she would like to pursue a career in sustainable tourism, which would enable her to combine her desire to improve society with her interests in hospitality and business.

Honoring Exceptional Students

Drown Prize winner Christi Lockwood and finalists, from left, Geoff Gray, Justin Sun, Rohan Thakkar and Mark Thompson. Dean Johnson, right, honored each student at a ceremony this spring.

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Rohan

Justin

GeoffDrown Prize Finalists

Geoff Gray made history this year when he became the first-ever student general manager of the Statler Hotel. That achievement capped Gray’s four-year run in the Statler Leadership Development Program, which included roles as a bellman, front office manager and director of operations. As student GM, he logged between 20 and 30 hours a week in the hotel. He hired staff, managed the budgeting process, developed a new rooms-pricing strategy and helped plan the room-renovation project.

Gray also served as managing director of HEC 83, a commitment that required strong leadership and about 25 hours a week over the past year. This marked Gray’s fourth year on the HEC team and his third year on its board of directors.

A San Diego native, Gray is also a Cornell Tradition Fellow, an honor he earned through his excellence in work, academics and community outreach. He also has served for three years on the board of directors for Hotelies Serving Society, which helps to orga-nize and run charitable events in the Cornell community.

Says Hotel School professor Bruce Tracey, “Even with his many accomplishments, Geoff remains a very humble and gracious ‘servant leader.’ His involvement in the leadership development program is a model for others who seek a career in operations, and he will be a very tough act to follow.”

Gray is quick to recognize others, primarily his mentor Rick Adie ’75, general manager of the Statler Hotel. Commenting on his time as student GM at the Statler, he says, “I have had the amazing joy to learn from Mr. Adie on a daily basis. He has given me the opportunity to develop myself as a leader.”

Gray is continuing to hone his skills at the Statler Hotel. He was recently named winner of the Weisz Family Scholarship Award, which recognizes an exceptional Statler Leadership Development Program Fellow. Gray received a cash prize of $10,000 and is serving as rooms director in the hotel.

Justin Sun grew up working in his parents’ restaurant in Seattle. Among his defining experiences at Cornell was his work as human resources director for HEC 82, the annual weekend-long hospitality conference. In that role, Sun oversaw the recruitment and training of over 300 student volunteers.

Last summer, Sun worked as an intern in human resources for the Westin–New York. Many of the associates he trained had been in the country only a short time and spoke little English. Sun took great satisfaction in helping these associates acclimate themselves to new jobs in a foreign environment.

Through his internship and his HEC experience, Sun saw how the human resources function is vital to any business. As for his career aspirations, he plans to work in every facet of hotel operations before moving into a career in human resources management. Longer term, he aims to start a nonprofit organization that supports minorities in starting their own businesses.

During his senior year, Sun served as president of the Cornell Hotel Society’s Collegiate Chapter. In that capacity, he worked with the New York City chapter to raise $10,000 to support student life at the Hotel School.

Sun also was a volunteer at the Cornell Public Service Center, where he helped to renovate a garden at a local elementary school and make improvements at the Cayuga Nature Center. Back in Seattle, he volunteers for World Vision, which sends food and cloth-ing to troops overseas.

A superb writer, Sun also worked as a writing consultant in the school’s communication center. Says center leader and senior lecturer Craig Snow, “Justin has taken good advantage of the leader-ship opportunities available at the Hotel School. In so doing, he has earned the respect of his professors and his peers. And although he is a very talented young man, he demonstrates wonderful and authentic humility.”

Sun says that his personal and professional growth is due to a work ethic he learned from his parents. He plans to help his parents build even greater efficiency into their 500-seat restaurant, called China Harbor. That would bring him full circle, for it was the joy he felt in pleasing restaurant guests that led him to pursue his degree at Cornell.

When Rohan Thakkar transferred from Boston University during his freshman year, he arrived at Cornell with impaired vision and a learning disability that had just been discovered. Unable to see the whiteboard or read his textbook, he worried about his future.

In the summer after his freshman year, Thakkar’s parents arranged for surgery. After the operation, when he opened his eyes and told his parents he could see, he watched the tears form in their eyes. “I learned that life is not about getting the best grade or making the most money, but about realizing who you are inside and that life can change in a heartbeat,” he says.

Thakkar has been exemplary in his service to others. An active member of the Hotel School ambassadors program, he recruited new ambassadors and publicized the program across the Hotel School community. He was also chairman of the New-Student Orientation Program at Cornell, where he doubled the number of volunteers to over 800 and introduced a number of exciting new events. He delivered a speech at the New-Student Convocation to 8,000 new students and their families. That experience, he says, still brings a smile to his face.

Through a similar leadership role in Hospitality Financial Advisors, Thakkar helped freshmen and sophomores learn about opportunities in the financial industry. He worked as education function manager at HEC 81, he works part time for Cornell Hospitality Consultants, Inc., and he also has served as a teaching assistant in two classes.

Thakkar has also earned many honors. He is a member of the Quill and Dagger Senior Honor Society, and he is a Meinig Family Cornell National Scholar, an award bestowed upon less than two percent of the Cornell student body.


Mark


Alter HonoredLast summer, Thakkar completed an internship in Costa Rica with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Drawing on his analytical ability, teamwork and people skills, he realized that consulting was his best path forward. He has joined Ernst and Young, where he aims to learn the industry through his consulting work.

Looking ahead, Thakkar plans to be active in his family’s real estate business, and hopes someday to expand that business to include hotels and restaurants. Longer term, he envisions launch-ing a series of medical resorts worldwide, to serve those who must undergo treatment for serious illnesses.

Mark Thompson is committed to leaving his imprint around the world. His global ambitions grew out of a semester abroad his junior year, when he served as an intern with investment bank Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong. Thompson made the most of his time in Asia, traveling to China, Thailand, Japan and Singapore and building a truly global perspective.

In each of the past two summers, Thompson worked as an analyst at Goldman Sachs’s headquarters in New York. Through those experiences and his time with Goldman Sachs overseas, Thompson decided to pursue a career in international finance, on the firm’s foreign exchange desk in New York. Longer term, he aims to relocate to Asia and explore entrepreneurial avenues.

A native of Jamaica, Thompson is committed to service. For two years he served as a resident advisor, part of a staff responsible for supervising five residence halls of 300 upperclass students. He is a career preparation program fellow for Management Leadership for Tomorrow.

Deborah Pawlikowski, his supervisor when he was a resident advisor, describes Thompson this way: “Mark leads by example – choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience and truth over popularity. He is extremely respected and well liked by fellow staff and students alike, and is a role model for all.”

Raised in Vineland, N. J., Thompson is a member of the Mortar Board National Honor Society. He won the 2006 Goldman Sachs Scholarship for Excellence Award and earned a Cornell Tradition Fellowship. A defensive lineman on the Cornell football team for three seasons, he won the Sigma Phi Epsilon “Balanced Man” schol-arship for athleticism, leadership, service and scholarship.

Thompson thanks Professor Craig Snow for his guidance both in and out of the classroom. He says Snow has had the greatest influ-ence on his personal and professional life – by introducing him to the idea of structure both in communication and in life.

Entrepreneur extraordinaire Bob Alter ’72 was presented with the School’s 2008 Hospitality Innovator Award at an alumni reception in New York City in June. The annual award honors entrepreneurs who have created and built distinctly successful ventures in the hospitality field, and is sponsored by the School’s Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship.

“Tonight we recognize an extraordinary innovator – a Hotel School graduate who has built and run thriving investment enterprises for over three decades,” said Dean Michael Johnson in presenting Alter the award before 300-plus alumni. “He is also an inspiration to our alumni and students, many of whom harbor entrepreneurial ambi-tions themselves.”

Alter is chairman of Sunstone Hotel Investors, a real estate invest-ment trust based in Southern California. Sunstone oversees 46 upscale properties operated under brands such as Marriott, Hilton, InterContinental, Hyatt, Starwood and Fairmont.

Under Alter’s leadership, Sunstone has increased its total enterprise value from $75 million in 1995 to $3.2 billion today and increased sales from $30 million to over $1 billion in 2007. Among its recently acquired properties are the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Marriott Boston Long Wharf, Hilton Times Square, DC Renaissance and the Fairmont Newport Beach.

Bob Alter ’72 receives the Hospitality Innovator Award from Dean Michael Johnson.

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8 Cornell Hotel School8 Cornell Hotel School

(Editor’s Note: When Statler Hotel leaders sought a distinctive Tuscan theme for their new restaurant, they knew right where to turn. Acting on a tip from John Mariani, general manager Rick Adie ’75 and his team reached out to Christophe Bergen ’76, who had assisted Mariani’s team in developing Il Borgo, the Tuscan luxury rooms and suites at Castello Banfi in Italy. Working from his base on Lake Garda in Italy, Bergen partnered with design group CMMI and the Statler leadership team to create Taverna Banfi, which opened in February 2007. We recently caught up with Bergen to explore his fascinating career spent developing exquisite properties on both sides of the Atlantic.)

Q. What were you hoping to accomplish with Taverna Banfi?

A. Our goal was to bring an element of fun and Tuscan charac-ter to a rather formal fine-dining experience. Rick Adie put together a very strong team between the students working here, the faculty, the technical team at the Statler and the designers from Atlanta. We incorporated a lot of color and texture into the spaces, using special fabrics, Tuscan-style lighting fixtures and printed photos from Banfi cellars on canvas to give restaurant guests some of the character of the famous Tuscan wine cellar. We also tried to be sure we had all the technical elements to make the guest experience pleasurable. From what I see today, I think we have done very well.

Q. Tell us about your experience growing up in France and your first exposure to the hospitality field.

A. I grew up on the French side of Lake Geneva. I was bilingual from the start and spoke four languages by the time I came to Cornell. That helped me in my decision to work in the interna-tional hotel business. When I was young, my grandmother took us to Geneva every two weeks and we would go to different grand hotels to have tea in the afternoon. We would sit down in these enormous palaces and have tea as if we were in somebody’s living room. I thought, how do you make a huge place like this become like a house? The great hoteliers of the early 1900s made

it possible. They had the charisma, flair and organizational skills and style to give you that feeling that, even though you are in a huge hotel, you are the only guests. That is the magic of a true hotelier. Nobody exists except you, and that is the kind of experi-ence that I love to create for guests. After finishing school in France, the Hotel School at Cornell became my goal.

Q. When you reflect on your education, which professors stand out?

A. I had several professors who inspired me. My law professor, John Sherry, Sr., was an outstanding educator with a sharp and witty mind. He could hold the attention of the class in such a way that you felt you were at a special event. Another course that influenced me in a strong way was Peter Rainsford’s chemistry class. He would be proud to know that he left a mark on many thousands of Cornell hotel students who will never want to look at chemistry again, and will remember him for that reason fondly. And Fran Herman in communication was terrific.

Q. Like many entrepreneurs, you started in a corporate envi-ronment. How was that experience?

A. After graduation, I entered a management training program with ITT Sheraton. I went to Toronto for what I thought would be an international experience. I worked at a 1,500-room hotel that was a joint venture with Four Seasons and Sheraton. After about six months, however, I knew corporate life was not for me and I left to go into the private hotel world. My next job was to work for the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont. I managed the restaurant at the lodge for about a year and a half and I knew this was the kind of hotel-keeping I wanted to do.

Q. How did you end up back in Europe?

A. I got a call from Peter Wirth ’77 to work on a project in Holland. From there it was from private hotel to private hotel all the way. The more I got involved with private owners and their properties, the more I was involved in not only managing but

Bergen Brings Tuscan Touch to Taverna Banfi


Cornell Hotel School 9 Cornell Hotel School 9

also in defining concepts, in defining design. Every two or three years I would get a call from someone who had enjoyed the work that I had done with one property, asking if I would like to help develop their project. So for about 20 years I moved back and forth between Europe and the United States.

Q. What properties did you work on in the States?

A. I helped develop two properties in the States, one in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, Blantyre, a 24-room property that became one of the first “Relais and Châteaux” properties in the United States. That started a phase of my work where I brought European aspects into American properties, giving them the sense of something special. My next opportunity came after a woman from Texas bought the Maidstone Arms on Main Street in East Hampton, New York. I spent four years developing that property, opening it up, managing the hotel and launching it onto the Hamptons scene. Then I went back to Europe.

Q. Over your career you have developed skills as both a designer and a project manager. Describe that evolution.

A. As I worked with architects and designers, I started to learn more about the technical side of the process. What did they need to do to create the right product? That started me on the path to project management. The most recent project we had was on Lake Garda in northern Italy with Bob Burns (Hon.), the famous founder of the Regent International Hotel. It was a beauti-ful villa on the shore of the lake that he turned into a 21-room luxury hotel. He really showed me that this project was just as much about operations and guests as about project management. You can work with architects who love form but don’t always understand function, and guide them through the process so they can see what the eventual guests are going to experience. My role was to bridge two very important parts of the end product – the vision of the guest experience and the technical side.

Q. Tell us about your work at the Castello Banfi estate.

A. That project came as a result of our work at Villa Feltrinelli. The Mariani family had been to the villa several times and knew the work we had done there. They had started with a project that would have been a destination offering guests a B&B experience on their wine estate. As the project went on, however, they saw the market was changing and moving in the direction of luxury. So we spent two years working with their team to redirect the property into a luxury Tuscan destination. We worked a lot with the charm of the Tuscan character, the existing stone over very rugged buildings. We opened in March 2007, 14 rooms and suites in the old borgo. All the rooms have beautiful views over the vine-yards: Tuscany at its best. We gave the guests their own entrance into the Castello and turned part of a large courtyard portico into a reading room with a huge fireplace. That was important to give guests the feeling that they had “experienced” Castello Banfi. Of course, it ties in very well with the two restaurants there, both the gourmet restaurant and the taverna. The style of the taverna, informal and elegant, inspired the Taverna Banfi at Cornell.

Q. You are playing an increasingly active role in the Cornell Hotel Society in Europe. What do you and your colleagues hope to accomplish?

A. I am happy to be part of the founding of a new chapter of the society in Europe. The AlpAdria Chapter groups together graduates from six countries. We are slowly building a group that will help support the efforts of the European Regional Chapter in promoting the interests of the Hotel School. My wife, Verena, and I have moved from Lake Garda to Vienna to work on an extraor-dinary project, Palais Schwarzenberg. From here, we are only a few hours from all the countries in the chapter. We are working on a scholarship program that will help European students and young professionals in this area to come to Cornell, especially those interested in PDP programs. Our next meeting is in Croatia this November.

Christophe Bergen ’76 put the Tuscan touch on Taverna Banfi.


Jason Koski, University Photography


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More than 150 hospitality leaders from industry, academia and the

trade media gathered this past summer to hear experts address

the need to further develop sustainable business practices.Hilton Hotels executive and panel member Christopher

Corpuel framed the discussion by presenting his definition of sustainability: “It is addressing your needs today without negatively impacting your needs for tomorrow,” said Corpuel, vice president of global sustainability for Hilton.

“As we question why we do what we do, we must always ask, ‘Is there a better way?’” said David Stipanuk, associate profes-sor at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration and a panel member.

David Jerome, senior vice president of global corporate social responsibility at InterContinental Hotels Group, advised

Sizing Up Sustainabilitythat sustainability must become part of a company’s genetic code. “This goes way beyond towels on the rack,” Jerome said. “Sustainability should be treated with the same business acumen as everything else.”

Karen Lewis, co-founder of the Lapa Rios Ecolodge in Costa Rica, described how her team partnered with the community to build a property in harmony with social and ecological consciousness. Today local natives make up nearly all of the property’s staff.

“We asked residents if they would learn with us how to run a hospitality business,” says Lewis, who built on 1,100 acres of tropical rainforest on the Osa Peninsula in 1990. “Sustain-ability to me is about sustaining a community. It’s about a better life for our employees’ children and grandchildren.”

The panel also debated the merits of sustainability certifica-tion. Mark Milstein, director of the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise for the Johnson School at Cornell Univer-sity, opines that some executives think certification will put them at a competitive disadvantage.

“That’s not so bad,” countered Gary Mendell ’79, chair-man and CEO of HEI Hotels and Resorts. “I think we would give up competitive advantage in favor of some type of unilateral certification.”

The event, moderated by Cornell Hotel School dean Michael D. Johnson, was held at the Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C. A forerunner in sustainability, the Willard last fall became the first urban luxury hotel in the nation’s capital to be powered entirely by wind energy.

“This series is one of the many ways in which the School promotes interaction among hospitality executives, our faculty, our alumni and the news media,” said Johnson. “We look forward to continuing this conversation at the next panel, to be held this November during the International Hotel/Motel and Restaurant Show in New York City.”

An attendee poses a question during the dean’s leadership event on sustainability.

Dean's Leadership Series

Lapa Rios Ecolodge in Costa Rica.

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The Washington Inn, one of the finest landmarks of Cape May, N. J., was the elegant setting June 20 for an intimate ceremony honoring Robert Fite ’50 and his wife, Betsy, as Foremost Benefactors and Builders of Cornell. The gathering was held in the inn’s outstanding wine cellar, where the guests enjoyed the superb hospitality and cuisine of proprietor and Hotel School alumnus Michael Craig ’85.

As two of the Hotel School’s staunchest and most generous bene-factors, the Fites endowed the Ray and Elizabeth Fite Family Schol-arship – named for Bob Fite’s parents – and made a gift to the Beck Center that resulted in the naming of the “Be of Good Cheer” room in the Statler Hotel. They have also generously supported men’s and women’s track and field at Cornell.

Hotel School dean Michael Johnson shared the podium with Andy Noel, director of Cornell Athletics, who recognized the Fites as Foremost Benefactors. Johnson’s remarks reflected on the legacy that Ray and Elizabeth Fite created with their 1929 acquisition and subsequent restoration of Cape May’s dilapidated Colonial Hotel, a depression-era leap of faith that inaugurated a 60-year tradition of great hospitality and entrepreneurship. Their courage in that venture also allowed Bob and Betsy Fite’s paths to cross and inter-

Fites Celebrated at Cape May Ceremony

Bob Fite ’50 and his wife, Betsy, have been extraordinary supporters of Cornell.

twine: Betsy and her mother stayed in the Colonial Hotel in 1959, Bob introduced himself, and they married that year. From then until now, Bob and Betsy Fite have been devoted to each other, to Cape May and to Cornell.

Freshman and sophomore students have recognized Daphne Jameson, Amy Newman and Preston Clark for their outstanding contributions as transition advisors.

Academic Advisement: A Renewed Focus Faculty members have formalized their commitment to the student

advising practice, unanimously endorsing a vision statement that recog-

nizes the importance of this crucial function. Under this new approach,

every faculty member will advise at least one student at all times. “We are

committed to building long-term relationships with all of our students

and to developing a common set of knowledge, experiences and beliefs,”

says Judi Brownell, dean of students. Several faculty members were

honored for their extraordinary commitment to advising at an awards

ceremony this spring. The School’s renewed focus on advisement will be

the topic of an article in the next issue.

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12 Cornell Hotel School12 Cornell Hotel School

To honor seven faculty members who have made an especially profound impact on his life, Ted Teng ’79 has established a fund in each faculty member’s name, providing for an annual award for each of the next five years.

Teng is honoring Robert M. Chase, James J. Eyster, A. Neal Geller, Ray Goodman, Stephen A. Mutkoski, Richard H. Penner and Michael H. Redlin.

“We are most grateful to Ted for his generous gift,” says Dean Michael Johnson. “This will help us immensely in our ongoing efforts to recruit and retain an accomplished, diverse faculty that delivers a distinctive education for our students.”

Teng’s remarkably successful career has taken him around the globe. He currently is principal and CEO of Prime Opus Partners, LP. Earlier, he served as president and COO of Wyndham Interna-tional, Inc., the fourth-largest lodging company in the United States. Before joining Wyndham, Teng spent seven years in Asia, serving as president of the Asia Pacific region for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. During that time he opened the first St. Regis luxury hotel in Asia.

“It gives me great pleasure to recognize these seven educators, all of whom had such a positive influence on me,” Teng said at a cele-bratory luncheon held in Ithaca last spring. “I am also pleased to play a small role in helping the school continue to strengthen what is already an outstanding faculty. My hope is that this gift might inspire other alumni to honor the professors who have made a difference in their lives.”

Professor Emeritus Robert M. Chase ’59 BME ’61 MBA has been associated with the Hotel School since 1962. His teaching ranges across property management, information systems, accounting, finance and business strategy. Chase is a proponent of discovery learning and is famous for developing “management games,” which are being used in colleges and corporations across the globe.

James J. Eyster, the HVS International Professor Emeritus of Hotel Finance and Real Estate at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, earned his PhD at Cornell and holds additional

degrees from Dickinson College and the University of Pennsylva-nia. Before joining the Cornell faculty, he was a consultant with Laventhol and Horwath. Eyster has developed and teaches academic courses and executive education seminars in real estate finance, management contracts, operational analysis, hospitality financial management, and housing and feeding the homeless.

A. Neal Geller ’64, ’74 MBA recently retired as the Robert A. Beck Professor of Hospitality Financial Management at the School of Hotel Administration. He taught the required capstone financial management course, Hospitality Financial Management, as well as an elective course in Internal Control. In addition to his BS and MBA, Geller obtained a PhD in accounting from the School of Management at Syracuse University in 1977.

Raymond Goodman is CEO and chair of the board of directors for the Mayflower Communities, Inc. He is also professor and chair of the Department of Hospitality Management at the Whittemore School of Business of the University of New Hampshire. Earlier, he served as a teaching fellow at the Hotel School and as an assistant professor at the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Manage-ment, University of Houston. He has also provided consulting services to numerous retirement and long-term care organizations, and received many awards for his contributions to the field.

Stephen A. Mutkoski ’67, ’76 PhD is the Banfi Vintners Endowed Chair of Wine Education and Management at the School of Hotel Administration, where he has taught since 1972. He received his BS from Cornell University in 1967 and his PhD in 1976. A former food and beverage manager and restaurant owner, Mutkoski has been able to combine his professional career with his love of food and wine. He teaches several food and beverage management courses in both the academic programs and the executive education program at Cornell.

Richard H. Penner ’68 B.Arch., ’72 MS has been a member of the Cornell Hotel School faculty since 1970 and is currently the Richard J. and Monene P. Bradley Director of Graduate Studies. Penner teaches courses in hotel planning, development and interior design. He graduated from Cornell with bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture and is the author of three books. At Cornell Penner has helped lead the design and operation of campus facilities, serving as chair of several university committees.

Michael H. Redlin ’67 BS MechE, ’74 PhD, professor emeritus, taught at the Hotel School from 1973 to 2005. Over this time he focused on the important and central role that facilities play in successful businesses in the hospitality industry. His primary areas of expertise were property development, renovations, energy and water conservation, and food-service facilities design.

Ted Teng ’79 Honors His Mentors

Ted Teng ’79 (fourth from right) is providing a gift to the School in honor of seven faculty members. From left are Stephen Mutkoski, James Eyster, Michael Redlin, Dean Michael Johnson, Richard Penner, Neal Geller and Robert Chase. Teng’s gift also recognizes Raymond Goodman, who was unable to attend the luncheon.

Robert Barker, University Photography


On June 9, 2008, the School welcomed 66 hotel general managers and directors to the Ithaca campus for the General Managers Program (GMP), the premier executive education program for hotel general managers and their seconds-in-command.

The 10-day program focused on property-level issues such as strategic leadership, finance, revenue management, ethics, human resources, marketing, asset management, distribution and operations. Through lectures, classroom and small group discussions, case studies and computer simulations, partici-pants were able to explore, develop and apply new ideas. Many said they valued the freedom to explore new ideas and look at their properties with new eyes.

“GMP is a combination of theory, book practices and learn-ing about new trends in the industry – a real tool not to be missed by any hotel leaders,” says participant Simone Bories, director of Emirate Towers Offices and Boulevard.

GMP participants valued their networking opportunities as much as the in-class learning, developing a sense of camarade-rie through open discussion with others. Cheng-Hsiun Lee, general manager of the Japan Prince Hotel in Taiwan, says, “GMP has afforded me the unique chance and fantastic learn-ing experience for lifting my personal career goals. GMP also helped me to build a network of global colleagues.”

Program administrators appreciated the high level of engagement and aptitude they saw in the participants.

“Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration has been hosting the General Managers Program for 25 years, and

every session impresses me with the level of participants and their eagerness to learn and to grow professionally and personally,” comments Thomas Kline, executive director of the Office of Executive Education. “GMP is an important step for managers to develop from decision-makers to stra-tegic thinkers. We take pride in facilitating that transfor-mation for hotel general managers.”

After 10 days of intensive, interactive learning, the program concluded with a banquet and ceremony in which participants received a certificate of completion and were welcomed into the Cornell Hotel Society as affiliate members. Participants left the event and the program ener-gized to apply their Cornell experience to enhancing their business and personal success.

The next General Managers Program to be held in Ithaca will begin January 12, 2009. Applications for the program may be submitted online or by e-mail, fax or mail. Deposits received by November 12 will be discounted by $250. Participants are generally full-service hotel general manag-ers or their immediate reports, who should have at least two years’ experience in their current positions.

Complete information about the program can be found on the Office of Executive Education website: www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/industry/executive/gmp/.

– By Amy Boardman

Some 66 hotel leaders celebrate completion of the General Managers Program in Ithaca this summer.

The General Managers Program at 25: Getting Better with Age

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The Statler Hotel has selected Benjamin West as purchasing agent for a comprehensive renovation project at this historic property on the Cornell University campus.

“We are very pleased to have Benjamin West join our team on this exciting endeavor,” says Rick Adie ’75, general manager of the Statler Hotel, an operating unit of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. “As the hospitality industry’s leading furniture, fixtures and equipment purchasing firm, Benjamin West will play a key role in helping us create an exquisite blend of service and amenities. This is another important step forward as we work to deliver a distinctive experience for our guests from around the world.”

Adie, his team and School faculty have been working in partner-ship with leading hospitality design firm WATG to lay the blueprint for what will be the most sweeping refurbishment in 20 years. Now Benjamin West will work closely with School and WATG leaders to procure materials for the hotel’s 153 guest rooms and its public spaces.

“Benjamin West is very excited to be selected to manage purchas-ing on this extraordinary project and create a superior purchasing solution,” remarks Dede Kassel, director of business development. “We look forward to bringing our expertise in the industry to help Statler Hotel leaders create an exceptional property in this unique market.”

As the renovation moves forward, the hotel plans to partner with leading hospitality brands whose products will be featured in guest rooms and public spaces. WATG’s design team will play a lead role in integrating those products into a coherent whole.

“Companies that join in this effort will receive broad visibility at the property and through a multifaceted outreach program,” Adie comments. “This partnership will deliver positive results for all parties.”

As the gateway to the university and the surrounding Finger Lakes region, the Statler serves a sophisticated clientele that regu-larly includes global leaders in government, business and academia. Among the property’s guests are heads of state, Supreme Court justices, U.S. senators, world-renowned entertainers and CEOs of leading hospitality firms such as Fairmont, Hilton, Marriott and Four Seasons.

The Statler is also a teaching hotel where students apply their classroom learning to practical experience. To learn more about participating in the Statler Hotel renovation project, please contact Meg Keilbach ’88 (CALS), interim director of alumni affairs and development, at [email protected] or Joe Strodel, director of corpo-rate affairs, at [email protected].

Benjamin West Selected for Statler Hotel Renovation

A rendering of the Statler Hotel guest room that is now in development.


Two retiring Hotel School faculty members were feted May 7 for their combined 65 years of exceptional service to Cornell. A. Neal Geller ’64, MBA ’74, the Robert A. Beck Profes-sor of Hospitality Finan-cial Management, and Professor David M. Stipanuk were the guests of honor at the event, which was hosted by Dean Michael D. Johnson in the Alice Statler Auditorium.

Geller, who taught hospitality financial management and inter-nal accounting, earned recognition three times as a Merrill Presi-dential Scholar Outstanding Educator. He has authored two books and numerous articles and consulted actively within the hospitality industry. His administrative service included a term from 1995 to 2000 as associate dean for academic affairs. As the Richard and Monene P. Bradley Director of Graduate Studies from 1991 to 1995, he oversaw the development and certification of the master of management in hospitality degree.

Geller graduated with distinction from the Hotel School and the Johnson Graduate School of Management before joining the Hotel School faculty as a lecturer in 1974. He was promoted to associate professor in 1977 upon receipt of his PhD in accounting from Syra-cuse University’s Graduate School of Management. He became a full professor in 1985 and was named the Beck Professor in 2000.

David Dittman, the Hubert E. Westfall Professor of Accounting, who delivered the tribute to Geller, remarked, “Neal Geller exempli-fies the ideal of E. M. Statler that ‘Life is Service.’ Neal is the ideal Hotel School professor. He was born into a hotel family and worked in the business after receiving his BS in hotel administration from Cornell. He took a job teaching at the Hotel School while he worked toward his MBA at the Johnson School. He earned his PhD at Syra-cuse University while teaching full-time at the Hotel School. He is a nationally recognized expert and scholar in internal control who rose quickly to the rank of professor. Throughout his career Neal Geller always put service to the Cornell Hotel School first and fore-most in his thoughts and actions. He is the quintessential Hotelie.”

The afternoon’s other honoree, David M. Stipanuk, began his Cornell career in 1977 as a research associate and program leader for the New York Food and Energy Research and Development Council. Since joining the faculty of the Hotel School as an assistant professor in 1983, he has taught courses in facilities

management, hospitality risk management and hotel development and construction. He was promoted to associate professor in 1989.

Stipanuk holds a BS in applied mathematics and engineering physics from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, with a major concentration in thermodynamics, from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He completed a Fulbright Lectureship at Massey University in New Zealand in 1991. He has co-authored three textbooks published by the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Asso-ciation and articles for the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly on energy and environmental issues in the lodging industry.

Richard Penner, the Richard J. and Monene P. Bradley Director of Graduate Studies, presented highlights of Stipanuk’s career during the event. “Dave has always been intellectually curious and ready to conceptualize some new area before others see its importance,” he said. “Ten years ago he was prescient in foreseeing the growing importance of sustainability. This became a crusade to raise aware-ness among students – and the industry – to myriad social and environmental issues, and the range of positive (or negative) impacts our industry can make. Dave pioneered courses in sustainable devel-opment in our hospitality curriculum. He led field trips to the Caribbean and Mexico that greatly enriched the students’ educa-tional experience through a shared exploration of the issues.”

The tributes to Geller and Stipanuk concluded with the presenta-tion of hand-calligraphed registers of appreciation created by Professor Emeritus Robert M. Chase.

– By Jeannie Griffith

School Commends Retiring Professors Geller and Stipanuk

Retiring professors A. Neal Geller and Dave Stipanuk were recently honored for their long and exceptional service to the school.

Both photos by Robert Barker, University Photography


New Students at a GlanceThis fall, the Hotel School will welcome 229 new undergraduate students, includ-ing 167 freshmen and 62 transfer students. These students join the 63 new MMH students who enrolled in May 2008 (22 beginning in Singapore at the Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management [CNI]). Students come from 31 states and 21 countries around the world including Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and the United States.

Below is a brief profile of the admitted freshman class of 2012:

Total applications: 1,126

Admitted: 208

56% Female and 44% Male

Multicultural: 27%

International: 21%

Special thanks are extended to the members of the admission selection committee, including Linda Canina; Jan deRoos ’78, MS ’80, PhD ’94; David Dittman; Tim Hinkin (undergraduate chair); Sherri Kimes; David Lennox; Mike Lynn; Amy Newman ’96 (Hum Ec); Neoma Mullens ’98; Dick Penner ’68 B.Arch., ’72 MS (MMH chair); Stephani Robson ’88, MS ’99 (Hum Ec); Lisa Shaffer; Alex Susskind; Gary Thompson; Erica Wagner; Brad Walp MPS ’93; and Kate Walsh MPS ’90.

Elite Group Forms Class of 2012On August 23, Cornell enrolled 229 aspiring hospitality leaders into the School of Hotel Administration!

Given the record number of undergraduate applicants – over 1,300 this year – selection of this elite group was extremely competitive. When selecting students, we look at more than just the academic record and SAT score: while these are important indicators, alone they do not define the ideal Hotel School applicant. A true Hotelie should also demonstrate a passion for hospitality, good interpersonal skills and the potential to become a leader – attributes that are often demonstrated through the required interview.

Each year we rely on loyal and active alumni to conduct over 60 percent of our interviews, since many students do not have the opportunity to visit campus. Many applicants also comment that the passion and loyalty expressed by our alumni inter-viewers had a positive influence on their desire to attend Cornell.

We wish to thank our alumni interviewers for the important role you play. We sincerely appreciate the ongoing support you provide as an interview volunteer. If you have not conducted an interview in recent years but would like to do so, please send us an email and we will put you on the list. While we cannot guarantee we will need to call on you, we appreciate knowing that you are willing if an applicant in your area requests a local interview. Particular areas where we can always use more alumni interviewers are in Southern California, New Jersey, Mumbai, New Delhi, Seoul, Singapore and Shanghai.

Thanks!Brad Walp, MPS ’93Director, Enrollment Management and International Programs

Classy ContributorsThe Hotel School extends its graditude to the following alumni who volunteered their time in support of the School’s admissions efforts during the academic year 2007–08.

Dinesh Khanna ’75 MPSRavish Khanna ’91 BSDevin Kimble ’93 MPSAndrew Klebanow ’91 MPSYash Krishna ’04 MMHSamir Kuckreja ’90 BSSeung Lee ’04 MMHSang Min Lee ’94 BSXiaoxia Li ’99 MMHTerence Kengan Loh ’97 BSDennis Marinich ’97 BSJoseph Marko ’78 MPSThomas McConnell ’81 MPSCarla Silva Moulton ’01 MMHSamantha Muna ’06 MMHKathryn Murphy ’84 MPSSang-Hee Oh ’98 MMHJay Patel ’07 MMHJames Schwartz ’04 MMHDaphne Smolka ’97 MMHJohn Southwell ’90 MPSScott Stoneburgh ’04 MMHStanley Sun ’00 BSPaul Swenson ’01 MMHDaphne Tan ’00 BSGlennon Travis ’07 MMHPassana Uthaisangchai ’96 BSLongjiang Wei ’05 MMHZoe Wu ’93 BS, ’94 MPS

Rajesh Advani ’96 MMHNicole Allen ’01 MMHTanya Andriulaitis ’02 MMHDaryl Ansel ’99 MMHPaul Arnold ’99 BSDonald Ball ’85 MPSRogerio Basso ’00 MMHNicolas Beliard ’97 MMHXiangni Bian ’01 MMHKavin Bloomer ’90 MPSChristian Boyens ’04 MMHTobias Busse ’02 MMHMark Chase ’03 MMHDarrell Cheung ’03 MMHYoungduk Choi ’06 MMHMatthew Cox ’05 MMHRaeanna Cranbourne ’98 BSAdrien Desbaillets ’04 BSTimothy Dick ’88 MPSSara Feinstein ’96 MMHAntonio Fungairino ’97 MMHMichael Gilligan ’94 MPSRohan Gopaldas ’02 BSRiyaz Jivanjee ’99 MMHJames Jung ’07 MMHThomas Jung ’91 BSYara Karam ’07 MMHDavid Keen ’87 BSTushar Khanna ’04 BS

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. Please let us know of any discrepancies by contacting Brad Walp MPS ’93, at [email protected].


The School’s Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) continues to grow and thrive as the leading producer of practical research that powers the industry forward. The center pursues this mission by building partnerships with hospitality leaders; underwriting cutting-edge research and tools produced by our faculty; holding industry forums to address timely subjects; and sponsoring major industry events. Read on for more about the center’s latest activity.

Roundtable: Adding Social Media to the Marketing MixHospitality marketers must determine how to use web-based social media to support market-ing objectives, agreed participants in the School’s fourth-annual Marketing Roundtable held in June. Chaired by faculty member Lisa Klein Pearo, the roundtable explored the rela-tively uncharted marketing terrain created by social media.

Professor Pearo started the day by exploring how marketing academics teach social media. She noted that existing textbooks provide no guidance beyond trying to fit social media into rigid frameworks that divide communications by medium rather than by more embracing definitions that encompass communication methodology and objectives. Cindy Estis Green of the Estis Group then kicked off a discussion

Julie Cottineau, vice president of brand at Virgin USA, and E-Site Marketing CEO Felix Laboy ’86 discuss social media’s impact on marketing.

of practitioner models by examining users and uses of social media. She offered examples of best practices from hospitality and non-hospi-tality organizations.

For more information about future round-tables at the Cornell School of Hotel Adminis-tration, please visit hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/events/roundtables.

Roundtable Focuses on Law’s Effects on Union OrganizingParticipants in the School’s seventh annual Labor and Employment Law Roundtable exam-ined the newly minted “Ethical Code of Conduct in Union Organizing for Management and Labor.” Developed by union and manage-ment representatives to remedy what both sides see as potential flaws in current practice, this code calls for a campaign by both labor and management, followed by an election in which employees decide whether to organize. Among its provisions, the code establishes new rules that require access for union, no promises by the union and honesty from both sides. Joining the discussion were Rick Hurd, a professor at the Cornell ILR School, and Richard Bensinger, former organizing director of the AFL-CIO and founder of the Organizing Insti-tute. This was the first year the roundtable has included participants representing organized labor. In addition to the session on labor orga-nizing, the roundtable examined how employ-ers can work with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the pitfalls inherent in wage-hour laws.

HVS Renews PartnershipHVS, one of the world’s foremost hospitality consulting practices, has renewed its partner-ship with Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research. Suzanne R. Mellen, managing director of HVS, will continue on the center’s advisory board. As a center partner, HVS has a seat at all roundtables, which allows its senior-level execu-tives the opportunity to meet and interact with university researchers. “HVS’s participation has been a great asset to Cornell,” says Joseph Strodel, Jr., director of corporate affairs for the school. “HVS offers international experience in hospitality real estate consulting and asset valuation, and has made considerable contributions to our research agenda. We are delighted that HVS is renewing its partnership with the Center for Hospitality Research.”

Gregg Gilman, partner in Davis & Gilbert LLP, makes a point during a recent roundtable addressing legal issues.

Inconsistencies Found in Bordeaux Wine ClassificationA test of Bordeaux wine rating services for fine vintages shows that the three most prominent authorities are consistent in their ratings. Thus, consumers can confidently rely on those ratings if they wish, according to a new wine classifica-tion study from Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research. At the same time, an examination of those modern-day ratings found that the exist-ing French classification of Bordeaux wine châteaux, developed in 1855, is out of date. Available free from the center’s website, the study, “An Analysis of Bordeaux Wine Ratings, 1970–2005: Implications for the Existing Classification of the Médoc and Graves” (www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/reports/2008.html), is written by the Cornell-based team of Gary M. Thompson, Stephen A. Mutkoski ’67, ’76 PhD, Youngran Bae ’08, Liliana Ielacqua ’08 and Se Bum Oh ’07. Bae, Ielacqua and Oh are graduates of the Master of Management in Hospitality program at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.

A roundtable participant listens to a presentation on labor organizing.

Both photos by Lindsay France, University

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Satisfied Customers Means Stronger RevenueRestaurant managers have long suspected that satisfied customers are a key to a successful restaurant, but until recently, no research study had established this profitable connection. A Cornell Hospitality Quarterly article published in August 2007 does exactly that and has been named the best article of CQ volume 48. The Cornell Hospitality Quarterly is available by subscription from Sage Publishing (sagepub.com). “Guest Satisfaction and Restaurant Performance,” by Sachin Gupta, Edward McLaughlin and Miguel Gomez, analyzed the performance of three restaurant chains that recorded 80,845 customer visits and established the significant connection between customer satis-faction (as measured by intention to return) and increased sales. The authors found that, for these three concepts, a one percent increase in customers’ likelihood of returning would amount to as much as $1.3 million in extra sales (even though the daily increase in sales from satisfied customers is small). While the relationship would be different for other restaurant concepts, the principle is the same. When the likelihood that customers will return increases, so does revenue. The study employs a series of mathematical models to determine the probability that a customer will return based on various measures of customer satisfaction. Those “come-back” scores and other variables affect restaurant performance, as measured by sales and entrée counts.

Reports on Discounting and Turnover Win Industry Relevance 2008 AwardsResearch on the dangers of hotel-rate discounting and on the costs of turnover have been named the 2008 Industry Relevance Award winners from Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research. The studies, published during 2006, are available at no charge from hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/reports. The winning reports are “Why Discounting Still Doesn’t Work: A Hotel Pricing Update,” by faculty members Linda Canina and Cathy Enz, and “The Costs of Employee Turnover: When the Devil Is in the Details,” by Bruce Tracey and Timothy Hinkin.

In “Why Discounting Still Doesn’t Work: A Hotel Pricing Update,” researchers Linda Canina and Cathy Enz update their findings regarding hotels’ costly practice of discounting relative to the competitive set. Using data from strong economic times, they confirmed the industry’s conventional wisdom that discounting increases occupancy. However, contrary to what managers may believe, hotels make more money relative to their competitors when they resist the temptation to discount to fill rooms. In short, hotels charging higher prices relative to their competitive set had lower occupancy, but they enjoyed higher revenue per available room (RevPAR).

In “The Costs of Employee Turnover: When the Devil Is in the Details,” authors Bruce Tracey and Timothy Hinkin employed an innovative, Internet-based research method in which hotel managers contributed data regarding employee turnover. They found that the number-one cost of turnover is the damage to productivity caused by the inexperience of new employees.

The award winners and finalists were selected based on the number of downloads from the center’s website (chr.cornell.edu); the results of a survey of those who frequently down-load center materials; and input from the center’s advisory board.

Private or Public?Reversing the trend of the 1990s, a host of public hotel companies were taken private in leveraged buyouts during the first years of this century, including such notable firms as Prime Hospitality and Hilton. A new hotel research report by Professor John B. (Jack) Corgel analyzes these transactions to determine why private equity was so active in the hotel indus-try. The report, “Private Equity Investment in Public Hotel Companies: Recent Past, Long-Term Future,” is available at no charge from Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research (www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/reports/2008.html). Corgel found that private equity firms have more consistent access to capital than do public firms. A distinct advantage in the current low-interest-rate environment is that private firms can make greater use of debt financing than can publicly held real estate investment trusts (REITs). Beyond the financial advantages, private firms do not face the regulatory requirements that cover public companies. Then there is the bottom line. “In the end, private firms have been able to realize consid-erable return from their purchases,” says Corgel, the Robert C. Baker Professor of Real Estate at the Cornell School of Hotel Adminis-tration. “Blackstone, for instance, repackaged and sold Prime Hospitality’s AmeriSuites chain to Hyatt. I cannot see how two public compa-nies could have completed this transaction in the way that it worked for Blackstone and Hyatt.” Although the flow of financing has been cut off by the current credit crunch, Corgel sees reasons why the hotel industry will continue to privatize when normal market conditions resume, even though approxi-mately 80 percent of hotels are already in private hands. “Although there’s nothing wrong with public ownership of hotel chains, my study indicates that private ownership might be a better overall fit for the industry,” he concludes.

evenue Pri

Cornell Hospitality Quarterly

cq.sagepub.com

Hospitality Leadership Through Learning

Volume 49 Number 1 February 2008 www.chr.cornell.edu

14 When Does Franchising Help Restaurant Chain Performance?

David J. Ketchen Jr., James G. Combs, and John W. Upson

27 The Role of Disclosure in Variable Hotel Pricing:

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Customers’ Fairness

Perceptions Sunmee Choi and Anna S. Mattila36 A Systems Approach to Service Quality:

Tools for Hospitality Leaders Mark R. Testa and Lori J. Sipe49 Targeting Sports Teams:

How Hotels Can Get into the Game

Eliza Ching-yick Tse and Suk-ching Ho61 Restaurant Discounts for Seniors:

Perceptions of the Mature Market

Bonnie Knutson, Jeffery Elsworth, and Jeffrey Beck

75 Palapa Politics Sheryl E. Kimes81 “Palapa Politics:” Simplifying Operations for Guest Satisfaction

Ali V. Kasikci84 Applying Revenue Management to Palapas:

Optimize Profit and Be Fair and Consistent

Steven G. Pinchuk

Restaurant Chain Performance

Service Quality

Target Marketing

CQ Cases

Formerly Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly

CHR


Bruce Dingman ’74 has been chosen by Business Week magazine as one of the world’s “Top 100 Most Influential Head-hunters.” Dingman heads the Dingman Company, an exec-utive search firm that is a member

of Penrhyn International. He was selected on a range of criteria including individual reputation; the global scope of his recruiting practice; and the visibility his firm has attained in the global executive search community. Dingman is one of just 28 recruiters based in the U.S. who made the list ... Toronto developer Tony Dennis ’86 is rolling the dice on Las Vegas. Dennis leads the residential division comprising four condominiums at CityCenter, a mixed-

use complex in Las Vegas that is the largest privately financed development in North America to date. (Excerpt from the Toronto Star Newspapers, Ltd. 3/17/08 edition) … Take a cold, hard look at your kitchen. If it’s actually cold and hard, it could be messing up your kids’ relationship with food and cooking, according to new research. But if it has a well-used kitchen table in it, you are

on the right track, says Jordan Le Bel ’90, MS ’92, a former associ-ate professor at the Cornell Hotel School. Le Bel suggests we can reverse-engineer our environment to dial back mind-

less eating. “Are there things we can do on the home front, design-wise, layout-wise, décor-wise, that can promote greater

awareness of the greater pleasures food can bring?” (Excerpt from The Globe and Mail, Canada, 4/8/08) … Tom Kline MS ’96 has been promoted to executive

director of the Office of Executive Educa-tion at the Hotel School … Christa Chi ’09 has won a $500 scholarship from the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Associa-

tion. She earned the award for an essay she wrote about how she works with her uncle’s marketing team to promote trips from Shanghai to New York City … Samantha

Henry ’09 has won the 2008 Staadecker Family Award of Excellence Essay Contest. She earned $1,000 for her work, which

outlined how her experi-ence as a student at the Cornell Hotel School has influenced her life … Kira Gailey ’09 has been selected to be managing director for the 84th annual Hotel Ezra Cornell, to be held in April 2009. The human resources director for HEC 83, Gailey is a member of the Ye Hosts Honorary Society and is student front-office manager for the Statler Hotel… Jeannette Abate ’09 has been awarded a Statler Foun-dation Scholarship of Excellence. The schol-arship is bestowed upon outstanding students planning to pursue careers in the hospitality industry. Abate will receive up to $20,000 to cover tuition, fees, books and room and board for the academic year 2008–2009. “We are grateful to the Statler Foundation for its generous support of the future leaders of the hospitality industry,” says Michael Johnson, dean of the School. “Jeannette’s academic achievement, leader-ship and commitment to service make her a most worthy recipient of this scholarship.”

Denison Joins SchoolJon Denison has been named associate dean for external affairs at the School, effective September 1. Denison will provide strategic leadership for the alumni affairs, development, corporate affairs and communications functions. He brings to the position nearly 30 years of diverse management experience in higher education. Denison joins the School from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., where he held senior roles in corporate relations, development and alumni services. Earlier, Denison held leadership positions at SUNY Morrisville, Syracuse University and Utica College. He holds a BS degree in advertising and an AS degree in journalism from Ferris State University, and an MS in management science from Binghamton University.

Bruce Dingman ’74

Tony Dennis ’86

Jordan Le Bel ’90

Tom Kline MS ’96

Samantha Henry ’09

Kira Gailey ’09

Newsmakers

3 photos above by Robert Barker, University Photography

leading off - hospitality net

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