Name: Jonathan Philip Hallmark
Birthday: 22.04.1985
Home Country: England
Current Location: Aloft Abu Dhabi
Personal\ Educational background: Lived with family in Wolverhampton. Two sisters (older), both married with children. Left high school to originally pursue a career in Engineering. Completed a two year BTEC in Mechanical Engineering at college. Transfered from engineering to hospitality. Began BA (hons) in Hospitality and Business Management at the University College Birmingham (formally B.C.F.T.C.S). During my studies completed a one year industrial placement at the Greenwich Country Club, Connecticut, USA. Upon return, finished my degree and worked part time in public house. Graduated from university September 21st 2009, began Vita Futura program September 23rd 2009. Always worked part time in hospitality at varying levels. Began as a glass collector at 16. Progressed to a waiter, and then specialised in kitchen work. Throughout university completed NVQ’s in Culinary arts alongside my degree. At 19 became sous chef at local restaurant through the summer period. After my year in USA began to specialise in the front of house operations more. Shortly before the beginning of Vita Futura Program was the relief manager of public house during summer period.
Motto\ Favourite Quote:
“
Stay angry! Change the World! Never give up! Never give in!” Tom Peters
Interests\ Hobbies: Huge outdoors fan. Have an obsession with the mountains. Keen cyclist and walker. Enjoy fitness. When in England, was a religious theatre goer – they don’t have theatres in Abu Dhabi!! Also in spare time member of an amateur theatre company. Regulary performed on the stage in front of audiences of up to 1200 people. Love to cook. Love to travel.
Favourite …Food – Poached eggs on toast. Book – Outliers – Malcolm Gladwel Breaks down and analyses the idea of success and identifies exterior factors that contribute to an individuals success e.g. cultural, family upbringing, economical, political factors. Actor – (too many) Christopher Walken, Anthony Hopkins, Denzel Washington
What brought me here: Nerve. Other programs I had applied for didn’t offer the same flexibility that the Vita Futura program offered so there was no comparison. My original choice was Turnberry in Scotland. The idea of working in such an established hotel really appealed to me – plus they have a championship golf course! I was posted in Aloft Abu Dhabi. This was by far the right place for me to be. I have been stretch to the limits during the opening period which is just what I needed. It has been a roller coaster ride that I wouldn’t change for the world.
Highlights of the program: Opening a hotel. It had been an incredible experience. A clean slate that provides you with a platform to demonstrate ability and offer insight. The responsibility that has been given to me I could have never imagined, and would more than likely not have been given in an established property. Two main highlights include a month spent in Online Marketing where we focused on a Social Media campaign. Huge emphasis placed on facebook page, in which we developed a fan base of 6800 fans with roughly 5500 located in the UAE region. Our challenge was to prove that social media works and can contribute to revenue in the hotel. We decided to host a party in honour of our facebook fans. We drew in 215 fans to the party and generated a significant revenue for the hotel, with minimal operational costs. It was an experiment that paid off, and has led to a second party recently. The second highlight was moving to B&F and being given the responsibility of opening the roof top bar - Relax@12. The general idea/plan for this bar is that it will become one of, if not the, leading bar in Abu Dhabi. The views from the bar are stunning, and even in the soft-opening phase it has proved to be a success. Being entrusted with this task of opening it and managing the talents was an incredible opportunity. The hours were long, and the work was hard, but the reward was overwhelming. Truly fantastic.
Fun key learning of Vita Futura: Opening of a hotel and working alongside people from all over the world. Interaction and working alongside different nationalities has really openend my eyes at how easy it is to travel, work and live. Another fun aspect is being encouraged to be reactive and solve problems. Being at Aloft, we are encouraged to be individual, to live and breathe the brand and Aloft is a fun brand to live and breathe. Its a great place to work.
Aspiration: To be viewed by others as a leader, and for other to have faith and confidence in my abilities. Furthermore, I am determined to be reliable, to deliver, and to follow through in everything I do.
Other comments: This program has provided me with a path. Even though the program is 18 months long, I see now that as a very short period of time. The nature of the program and of Starwood has already make me look forward. I am thrilled and excited about beginning my career with Starwood and the opportunities that it can offer me in the future.