K.C. Gokul
Senior Project Executive, MICE Department, Arabian Adventures, Dubai, UAE
Graduated 2004
"I have always had a passion for the hospitality industry and somehow just knew I had to do this. It began with an interest in food and soon became a passion for the attitude and the true essence of the word hospitality.At SHMS I learned the value of client and customer relations, how to deal with people from different backgrounds and from comparing my skill set and capabilities to others, I can say that most of what I know is because I learned it at SHMS.
My career since graduation has taken me from Greece to India, Dubai and Abu Dhabi and I have worked in many roles for companies including Ritz-Carlton, The Address and the Intercontinental Group of Hotels. Since 2010 I have been working for Arabian Adventures, a Destination Management Company (DMC). I love my job and am proud to work for THE best DMC in Dubai in a role where I deal with multiple facets of the Hospitality industry.
I believe that success comes from innovation, hard work and perseverance and students should know that memorizing the textbook and passing your exam will only take you so far. True learning lies in understanding the content and applying it in practice. Do not expect to be General Manager when you graduate from SHMS, in the real world theory counts for 30% of what you do, the rest comes from experience and practice. Have Patience... a lot of patience and you will succeed."
