Bachelor of Tourism Management graduate

General Manager, Hermitage Hotel, Aoraki Mount Cook

It was the specialist nature of the Bachelor of Tourism Management degree that made Andrew Cleverley decide to study at Lincoln University. “I believe specialised courses give students a better chance of gaining meaningful employment after graduation.”

He enjoyed the variety of specialised papers such as Accounting, Business Management, Environmental Physics and Ecology and says that studying at Lincoln taught him to think analytically.
 
“Being a General Manager is about knowing how to manage staff and operate a profitable business and that is what Lincoln focuses on. The lecturers in the tourism field are second to none – it was great to learn from them.”

As General Manager Andrew is responsible for the successful operation of the hotel which is a multimillion dollar operation.

“Reporting directly to the board of directors, I have to be able to ensure service and quality, manage budgets and analyse financial results, supervise projects such as refurbishments, manage staff and entertain VIP’s including media and travel agents.”

Planning is also a very important part of Andrew’s role. “The hotel is in a remote location so we have to be very self-sufficient and plan well ahead. We can have up to 450 guests staying on any one night and also have up 200 staff living on site who all need to be fed as well.”

Andrew is on call 24/7 and deals with any problem that may arise. “It is a job with long hours but it is also a very rewarding, fast paced career with many benefits.”

“Specialised courses are brilliant, I recommend them to all students who want to be in my position.”

[btourman alumni profile}