Christina Tang, Senior Human Resources Manager at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA, shares her journey from hospitality student at San Francisco State University to a long-standing HR leader. In this episode, Christina reflects on how her internships shaped her career path, the lessons she learned working in union hotels, and her insights on guiding the next generation of hospitality professionals.

📌 Key Takeaways:

• Two internships — one rotational and one project-based — helped Christina discover her passion for human resources and set her career direction early.
• Working in union hotels taught her structure, fairness, and how standardized systems build confidence in complex operations.
• As a mentor, she emphasizes giving interns a full-cycle HR experience, from recruiting and onboarding to handling real-world challenges.
• Christina sees both promise and risk in AI’s growing role in HR — urging future professionals to “keep the human factor” at the center.
• Her advice to students: have a 10-year vision, but focus on excellence in the present — doing great work today is what earns tomorrow’s opportunities.

Simeon Ong, Sales Manager for Associations at Marina Bay Sands, shares how an eight-month internship gave him full MICE-industry exposure, built his confidence, and ultimately shaped his career path in tourism, destination sales, and global events.

📌 Key Takeaways

• His internship gave him complete end-to-end event experience, and he discovered how working across logistics, proposals, sourcing, and operations built the foundation for his sales career.
• When COVID shut down the industry, he learned that career resilience and adaptability open unexpected paths, allowing him to return stronger to the tourism sector after time in HR.
• He emphasizes that networking is the most powerful tool students can develop, because internship contacts became industry partners, mentors, and future colleagues.
• Entering association sales taught him that selling a destination is bigger than selling a venue, and he finds meaning in bringing international events that grow Singapore’s tourism economy.
• Through every event and client interaction he continues to show that curiosity and a growth mindset fuel long-term success in the global MICE and hospitality industries.

Denise Lim, Global Partner Marketing Manager at SAP Singapore, shares with me in this Alumni Voices episode how her internships in events management became stepping-stones to a career in technology events. From managing international conferences to adapting to the rise of virtual events, Denise reflects on the lessons, challenges, and opportunities that shaped her professional journey.

📌 Key Takeaways:
• Internships at Pico International and Koelnmesse gave Denise hands-on experience with government and international conferences, building the foundation for her career.
• Being entrusted with real responsibility as an intern — including managing registration teams and handling client issues — built confidence and leadership skills.
• She stresses the importance of seeking a holistic internship by observing and learning from colleagues across roles like speaker management, sponsorships, and content design.
• Denise highlights the major industry shift to hybrid and virtual events, which now allow companies to reach a truly global audience.
• At the heart of events is human connection — success comes from creating spaces for networking, empathy, and meaningful interactions.s

If this is your first time to the IOI podcast, it is recommended you start with this episode

In this episode of Alumni Voices, I talk with Jeanne Hizon, Director of Sales at the Kimpton Hotel Enso in San Francisco. Jeanne shares how curiosity, relationship-building, and adaptability helped her turn early frontline jobs into a thriving career in hotel sales — and why networking remains her superpower.

📌 Key Takeaways:•

• Curiosity opens doors – Jeanne’s journey began by simply asking hotel guests how they got into the business.
• Learning by doing builds confidence – Working in hospitality while studying at SFSU let her immediately apply what she was learning in class.
• Sales needs a spotlight – She reminds students that sales is a powerful, people-driven path within hospitality often overlooked in internships.
• Tech can’t replace human connection – Tools like Amadeus and Salesforce help, but empathy and authentic service define success.
• Networking never stops – Jeanne believes staying connected and giving back are the keys to long-term career growth.

Christine Nelson, a dual director of sales for Intermountain Management, reflects on how a hands-on internship and an unexpected opportunity led her into a thriving career in hotel sales. In this Alumni Voices episode, she discusses the value of adaptability, initiative, and critical thinking as keys to internship success.

📌 Key Takeaways:·

• Hands-on marketing and event planning during her Habitat for Humanity internship gave Christine confidence and sparked her creativity.
• Her hospitality sales career began unexpectedly after a Marriott manager offered her a job during a casual lunch conversation.
• Cold-calling for donations helped her develop sales skills that became foundational in her hotel career.
• She emphasizes that critical thinking is what distinguishes strong interns and future professionals.
• Christine recommends researching hotel development programs like Marriott’s Voyager and committing to long-term growth within a brand.

In this episode of Alumni Voices, I speak with Hatsumi Abuku, Country Manager at FutureLog in Japan. As well as, Director of Sales for FCS Solutions. From her early dreams of hotel work to leadership in hospitality tech, Hatsumi shares how internships helped her grow professionally—and personally.

📌 Key Takeaways:

• Hatsumi’s internships in banquet and sales departments gave her firsthand experience that helped shape her understanding of hotel operations and career direction.
• She reflects on how those early roles pushed her to speak more, overcome her shyness, and develop the communication skills essential for her future in sales.
• A difficult experience with harassment during her internship taught her the importance of advocating for herself and helped her realize the strength of her own voice.
• She emphasizes the value of rotating through different departments during internships and wishes she had been exposed to more cross-functional learning.
• Now working in hospitality technology, she encourages Japan’s hotel industry to embrace more tech-forward approaches to reduce labor challenges and improve work-life balance.

In this Alumni Voices episode Pedram Pakneshan, Vice President of Convention Sales at Wynn Las Vegas, shares how he built a 20-year career in hospitality sales starting from food service roles in college. Pedram discusses the power of networking, the value of structured mentorship, and the importance of personal branding for students entering the industry. His story is a masterclass in determination, humility, and readiness.

📌 Key Takeaways:

• Pedram started his career in entry-level campus dining roles, gradually advancing through leadership positions that taught him organization, attention to detail, and communication.
• A summer at UNLV and a hands-on event experience in Las Vegas sparked his passion for the scale and energy of the hospitality industry in that city.
• He landed his career-making opportunity at Wynn through strategic networking, follow-through, and taking initiative — including a cold follow-up to a contact from Dr. Jones.
• Though he didn’t complete a formal internship, he created a customized experiential learning plan with a supervisor, mirroring the best aspects of an internship model.
• Pedram now mentors students and interns, emphasizing that internship experiences should be tailored to each individual’s learning goals — and that employers should listen, not just teach.
• He encourages students to develop their personal brand, do their research, and polish their professional presentation — these basic yet powerful steps often set candidates apart.
• If he could do it again, he would pursue a rotational internship to better understand all departments — from front desk to housekeeping — as preparation for cross-functional leadership.