From washing dishes to Washington

When seasoned hotelier Mark Andrew decided to pursue his bachelor of hospitality management at Vancouver Community College, he had already landed several prestigious leadership positions at luxury hotels including Hyatt, Starwood and Fairmont. In fact, when he added a VCC degree to his resume, he had 30-plus years of experience in tourism and hospitality.

“I hope to inspire others to pursue higher education,” says Andrew, who recently transferred from Vancouver to the Fairmont Washington, D.C. to assume the role of regional vice-president and general manager. “The world of tourism is about the guest experience, so we need to keep learning and growing to better understand how to exceed their expectations.”

Andrew feels strongly about personal growth and development for those working in the industry and says he learned a lot studying at VCC. “It’s a terrific learning-focused institution where I successfully gained a better insight into the hospitality industry.”

Graduates of VCC’s School of Hospitality characterize the curriculum as collaborative and adaptive to changing industry trends. Andrew agrees it’s critical for post-secondary institutions to stay close to the industry, especially in a tourism hotspot like Vancouver. “VCC is well-poised for success in the future,” he adds.