What Hospitality & Business Leaders Want Students to Know

Dean Galipeau with speakers Wayne Robinson, retired staff vice President at FM Global; Chris Keane, director of sales at Bermuda Tourism Authority; David Riederman, global accounts director at Omni Hotels & Resorts; Jordan Lacey ’16, project manager at Capital One, and CEO & Founder of Light the Candle.

THE CONNECT CONFERENCE debuted at JWU’s Providence and Charlotte campuses, bringing together students, alumni and industry professionals from the areas of hospitality and business. Created by the newly integrated College of Hospitality & Business, and spearheaded by Dean Jennifer Galipeau, the conference captures the strength and innovation of the college, its programs, experiential education and growing industry partnerships.

A student-centered event, the conference was filled with opportunities for students to learn and to grow their knowledge around topics important to today’s work world and transitioning from campus to career.

Speaker panels, presentations, workshops and networking sessions highlighted subjects including preparing for job interviews and what employers are looking for in students, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, data analytics and finance.

At the Providence Campus, the conference kicked off with “Climbing the Ladder of Success: Business Acumen Meets Experience Excellence,” a panel of speakers moderated by Dean Galipeau that included experts from different sectors of hospitality and business:

• Jordan Lacey ’16, project manager, Capital One, and CEO & Founder, Light the Candle
• Chris Keane, director of sales, Bermuda Tourism Authority
• David Riederman, global accounts director, Omni Hotels & Resorts
• Wayne Robinson, retired staff vice President, FM Global

Alumni Panelists in Charlotte: Brion Cephus ’18, certified wine professional, Assorted Table; Candice (Benson) Klein '12, accounting manager/controller, Esinger Polytech; Moana Reid ’21, head volleyball coach, Johnson & Wales University; Juan Garzon ’08, executive director, Innovate Charlotte; Kellian Bronstorph ’19, assistant general manager, Marriott Residence Inn; Kelly Walters ’15, director of events, Myers Park Country Club.

At both campuses, speakers talked about innovative, timely industry-related topics geared towards careers in hospitality and business. Tips and advice were given directly from recruiters and managers from Marriott International, Fidelity Investments, New England Revolution, Compass Group USA, Capital One and Bermuda Tourism Authority.

Here’s a look at some of the details discussed and advice shared with students.

People Skills, Networking and Building Relationships

People skills are especially important for careers in hospitality and business for networking, building relationships, and working with clients, customers, co-workers and even competitors.

Guest speakers from the hospitality industry, Kellian Bronstorph ’19, assistant general manager at Marriott Residence Inn and Chris Keane, director of sales at Bermuda Tourism Authority, touched on the importance of having these skills.

“The skill most needed is being a people person, being able to relate to and to connect with people — not only your guests, but your employees as well; they deliver your message,” said Bronstorph.

Keane added, “Use your people skills to build relationships with internal stakeholders, volunteer, get involved, collaborate and follow up with people.”

 Students talking to alum Juan Garzon ’08.

Do Your Research and Prepare for Career Fairs and Job Interviews

Getting ready for any networking event, career fair or job interview means making the effort to prepare by learning about the people you will meet, the companies you are interested in and anyone who will be interviewing you. Also, be ready to answer questions about your interests, skills and future goals and to explain how they fit in with the companies and positions you are interested in.

During the session “Recruiter Ready: Building Connections that Lead to Opportunities,” recruiters revealed what they look for and how students can make a good impression.

Dani DeCanio, northeast recruiting manager, university relations and recruiting at Marriott International gave insight into what she looks for when meeting students:

“When you come up to me, don’t say ‘What do you have for me?’ — that shows you aren’t interested in the company. Prepare ahead of time before talking to a recruiter. Figure out who you want to talk to and what you want to talk about. Give them your résumé and reasons to remember you. Make an impression on them.”

Alexa Giovanis ’17, university relations recruiter at Compass Group USA, echoed the importance of researching and following up:

“I'm looking for someone who has an interest in Compass, even if you don't know holistically what we do or what you would like to do for the company, let us know how you can you bring the experiences you've already had to Compass and how we can benefit from those,” said Giovanis. “I want to help you get to where you want to be; take me up on that. Research the company to see what opportunities are available at which locations and send a thank you message, without using AI, after an interview.”

"Recruiter Ready" panel: Moderator Vaughn Hardin, director of special operations, LabWare and COHB Advisory Council Member; Reggie Thevenot, regional vice president at Sodexo; Alexa Giovanis '17, university relations recruiter at Compass Group USA; Dani DeCanio, Northeast recruiting manager, university relations and recruiting at Marriott International.

Gaining Real Experience While Still a Student

Gaining real experience as a student is invaluable by the time you begin your job search. Because JWU’s education model focuses on obtaining real experience, students have these learning experiences built into every course.

THE CONNECT CONFERENCE itself was a hands-on experience at both campuses. Because students helped organize the conference and helped on the day, they learned new skills and gained experience directly aligned to the events field: planning, logistics, serving as hosts and guides and even moderating a speaker panel.

This hands-on experience is invaluable, according to Bronstorph, who said, “It puts you a step ahead. Employers see that you have a degree and experience, that you know both sides of the job and that you will eventually want to move up in your career.”

Madison Leslie ’29 and Amelia Grenier’ 28, both Sports, Events, Entertainment — Management majors, worked on the conference for their The Business of Event Management course.

“I helped with social media and marketing for the event. I worked along other students in the course to prepare for the conference by setting up tables, creating center pieces and coordinating logistics for the VIPs attending. It was cool to see all the aspects of what it takes to put an event together and make it run smoothly,” said Leslie.

Grenier shared, “I volunteered as a moderator for a panel of speakers. I was a little nervous about speaking in front of many people, but I learned a lot from it. Hearing the alumni talk about what it was like for them to be a college student, and what they wish they had done as students and when they were starting their own careers was super helpful.”

“As a moderator I gained experience with my public speaking skills and networking because I had conversations with the professionals on the panel rather than just giving a speech. It was a different type of public speaking, but it helped grow that skill set,” added Grenier.

Panel Moderator Amelia Grenier’ 28, Sports, Events, Entertainment — Management major.

Keeping an Open Mind about Future Career Options

You might know exactly which career and which field you want to work in when you graduate. But it’s possible you could end up working in a career you never imagined.

Gaining experience in different fields and positions can be a positive experience, even if you don’t end up staying long term — it can be a way to try different paths to see what fits best. You’ll learn different skills and experience different work environments.

Madison Leslie ’29 was sure of the career she wanted but after hearing from some of the speakers at the conference about keeping an open mind, she is re-thinking her goal of focusing on one specific career path.

“I wanted to go into sports, working in marketing with the NBA. But thanks to the conference, I realize that having such a narrow goal is not helpful,” said Leslie. “I heard from speakers who found enjoyable careers without focusing on one specific option. Expanding my horizons and building all the connections I can seems more helpful.”

Reggie Thevenot, regional vice president at Sodexo, and Wayne Robinson, retired staff vice President at FM Global, emphasized being open minded about your future as it can lead to career options you might not even know about.

“Our careers do change, and where you think you want to be in the future may not be where you end up; you could land someplace entirely different,” said Thevenot. “I would say, first and foremost, be open. Consider other opportunities that might be presented to you.”

Students, alumni and faculty networking at THE CONNECT CONFERENCE at the Charlotte Campus.

Robinson, who earned a degree in economics and entered a training program for a large corporation when he graduated, soon found himself bored. After leaving, he joined AT&T in procurement. He also volunteered to work on the company’s event team that put together internal events.

“I thought it was very interesting,” Robinson said about having a career he loved in events after earning a degree in economics. “There's a lesson in that, because I didn't major in events; I didn't have that opportunity and didn't know that major existed. But volunteering to work on events made me decide to join the events team. So, I interviewed for one type of job and wound up falling in love with something else. The advice I have is to be as open as you can to what might lay ahead of you, because there will be opportunities to do different things throughout your career.”

This first THE CONNECT CONFERENCE was a big hit with students in Providence and Charlotte who appreciated the opportunity to meet and hear from professionals in such diverse careers within the hospitality and business industries.

The conference was also a valuable experience for staff, faculty, alumni and other professionals who generously offered their time and expertise to make it a success, and made the most of networking with each other and with students.

Next year’s conference is already in the works and everyone at JWU is looking forward to the second annual THE CONNECT CONFERENCE.

Students listening to speakers at THE CONNECT CONFERENCE in Providence.

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