Executive Path
25 Years of the General Managers Program
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Vishal Bhalla and Ivan Artolli discuss case study. |
On June 9, 2008, Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration welcomed 66 hotel general managers and directors to the General Managers Program (GMP). The School of Hotel Administration is the business school for hotel professionals and the GMP is the premier executive education program for hotel general managers and their immediate successors.
Held on Cornell University’s Ithaca, NY campus, the 10-day experience focused on property-level issues in areas such as strategic leadership, finance, ethics, human resources, marketing, asset management, distribution and operations. Interactive learning took place through lecture, classroom and small group discussions, case studies and computer simulations. Participants were thoroughly engaged and active in exploring, developing and applying new ideas. “GMP [is] a combination of theory, book practices and learning about new trends in the industry. A real tool not to be missed by any hotelies of the 21st century,” stated Simone Bories, Director, Emirates Towers Offices and Boulevard, and a participant in the June GMP.
Networking during the GMP was considered equally as valuable as the in-class learning. Participants developed a sense of camaraderie through discussion with others in an open environment for an enriching experience. Cheng-Hsiung Lee, General Manager, Japan Prince Hotel Group in Taiwan, and a June 2008 GMP participant said, “GMP has afforded me the unique chance and fantastic learning experience for lifting my personal career goals. [GMP] also gave me a network with global colleagues.” A common comment of participants was their sense of being free to explore new ideas. The GMP allowed them to look at their properties with new eyes.
“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,” commented Thomas Kline, Executive Director for the Office of Executive Education. “GMP is an important step for managers to develop from decision makers to strategic thinkers. We take pride in facilitating that transformation 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 elated and energized, ready to apply their experience for business and personal success.
The next General Managers Program to be held on Cornell’s Ithaca, New York campus will begin January 12, 2009. Applications for the program may be submitted online, by email, by fax or by mail. Participants are generally full-service hotel general managers or their immediate successors with at least two years experience in their current position. Complete information about the program can be found on the Office of Executive Education website – www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/gmp09.