We interview Shaun Parsons, the Executive Assistant Manager (EAM) incharge of Food & Beverage operations at the Mina Seyahi Complex (Le Meridien & Westin) in Dubai. Part 1 is viewable above…the video continues in Part 2 below.

Interview Highlights: 1st Video: Have you ever heard a friend’s tale as to how their casual part time job turned into their career choice or calling? Starting at an early age as a kitchen apprentice chef, Shaun realised that he his high school results afforded him the academic qualities to study Food & Beverage at university.

Having devoted fifteen years to Hyatt International in Asia Pacific Shaun’s portfolio of roles developed along a fascinating path commencing as a Banquet house man and rising up the ranks to the Food & Beverage Director’s role within Hyatt. His first step outside of the Hyatt Umbrella is to his current role with Starwood at the Mina Seyahi Complex in Dubai where he surveys his Food & Beverage Kingdom from an Executive Assistant Manager’s Role over both Le Meridien Mina Seyahi and the upcoming Flagship Westin for the middle East!  Shaun shares his experience of what he considers to be a tough environment for manning hotel operations, relying on key individuals who’s primary motivation is not necessarily monetary focused but more so in terms of their personal achievement from a development perspective.

Shaun’s feats which he finds most rewarding ranges from watching those individuals that he is so dependant upon develop into their next role along their career path and while doing that, bettering the hotels feats! Increasing an outlet that previously on a busy generated two hundred and fifty thousand dirhams to success story of seven hundred and fifty thousand dirhams is quite an accomplishment! Shaun has been fortunate to have a couple of inspirational F&B role models during his own development and shares one of the most valuable lessons was in fact learning “how not to do things…”. Competencies highlighted that these mentors held to afford their success was energy, dedication often entailing many sacrifices and most importantly passion….. You can be an F&B Director without passion but Shaun’s fascinating insight teaches us to view the hotel through his eyes….”Rooms is the body, but Food & Beverage is the Soul”!

2nd video: Having spent 15 years with Hyatt International Shaun used to look at CV’s for stability within the company as he felt this showed loyalty in the individual, something he was seeking. In hindsight he feels loyalty is becoming less important and nowadays we find ourselves in unfamiliar circumstances…. a market for the employee as opposed to a market for the employer. He believes there are certainly benefits in learning what other companies do but believes there is no right or wrong answer to the length of service one is obligated to undergo in any particular job role or industry sector, it is entirely dependant on the individual in question.  He feels that the future path of recruiting the middle to senior management personnel may in fact lead down the path to universities and hotel schools. Shaun’s advice was to never give up…..a lesson that he learnt at the onset of his career but  also a defining moment for him as he joined the hotel industry……Final words of advice to our Young Hoteliers! Ambition and Passion! Make sure that this however is tampered with patience! Take your time, learn along the journey because if you don’t the industry will comeback and bite you! Start practicing those patience skills and take the time to watch Shaun Parson’s interview and learn more from this industry expert! 

Discuss Shaun’s Interview in the YoungHotelier.com TEA Lounge:
http://younghotelier.com/lounge/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a