Q&A with Parker!

1. What has your journey been like after graduating from MSU Denver?
It has been really great as I took all that I learned from the amazing professors and actually got to use it in real life. I excelled and progressed rather rapidly in the industry as I was a General Manager at the age of 28. I have been fortunate to work in several markets as I have lived in 12 different cities in my career which has helped with my industry knowledge.

2. Can you talk about your current role at Hilton Hotels and Resorts?
I am currently a Complex General Manager for Hilton Hotels and Resorts. I oversee two large full-service Hilton’s and one of them is connected to the convention center.

3. What does a typical workday look like for you?
A typical day for me involves energy and enthusiasm throughout the entire day. It is important for me to make several rounds through each department at each hotel and be visible. I am of course am in the lobby during peak hours to greet guests and I try to inspect a few rooms a day to give my Director of Housekeeping feedback. I also have several 1:1’s with my Executive Committee to review projects, deadlines, opportunities, challenges and overall performance. I also spend a lot of my time looking at the financials in the month for the month to ensure that my forecast accuracy is within 2% prior to month end. With that being said I also focus on several months in the future to see where we are pacing and what are the “need” dates and if our rates are in line with the market. This also includes identifying soft weeks and addressing them with our sales team so they can begin trying to fill with group versus transient.

4. What are you passionate about in the work that you do?
I am very passionate about culture and growth/development. I had some very good mentors that influenced the leader I am today. I believe it is important for me as a leader to help future leaders get to where they want to be professionally, hence why I am also an Adjunct Professor. I am also really passionate about the hotel industry as I love the fact that every day is different and that I am not tied to a desk all day long. Lastly, I very passionate about being creative and understanding what the current trends are as I love trying new things to create new revenue streams.

5. In what ways has your MSU Denver experience had an impact on your career and shaped who you are today?
My experience attending MSU full time as well as working full time in hotels helped me both develop and learn from both classroom lectures to real world exposure. I have to say the professors and the students were like family and we all stood together to succeed and learn from one another. That is something many can’t say about their college experience and truly had an invaluable impact on my career.

6. What career advice would you give to current and prospective MSU Denver students?
My piece of advice is to start working in the field that you are interested in getting a degree in. This will help any many ways. You will see if it is the right industry for you (remember you have to love it as you will be working in for the majority of your life) and more importantly when you graduate you already have the work experience along with a degree. I cannot stress how much that helped me rapidly grow in the hotel industry. Sure, it was hard to work 5 days a week and 15 credits a week and not have the normal fun college life, but the end result will be nothing but rewarding. Also, I cannot stress this enough, but networking is an absolute must. Get acquainted with industry leaders, attend network gatherings and keep in touch with leaders. Be Determined, Be Tenacious and Be Brave.