RM Magazine issue 8 RM MAGAZINE issue 8 | Page 9

MEET THE PEOPLE The who’s who of RM Scott Nicholas Director of Revenue, Grand Hyatt Melbourne T he seed for a career in hotels was planted when I moved to Dubai with my family in 2000. As a country kid, I was in awe of the city and the iconic hotels that were constantly sprouting up around us that became a hive of life and activity. Pursuing my interest in hotels I later began studying at the Jumeirah operated, Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management. Here I was provided the unrivalled opportunity to work in some of Dubai’s most exclusive resorts. The business side of hotels I discovered was my passion and towards the end of my first year at the Academy, I returned home and completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin University. With a major in Financial Planning, I began working as a Financial Analyst for a wealth management firm. However my passion for hotels later came calling again and I secured an opportunity to move across the globe to Key West, Florida to complete a management internship program at the historic La Concha hotel. A year of white sand beaches and Duval St. nightlife, I’m not sure how I ever made it out! My experience in wealth management and hotels helped me gain my first role in Revenue Management with Jumeirah back in Dubai. Working under an incredible Director of Revenue managing both an iconic, desert resort and a newly opened city hotel, I found a role that combined my passion for hotels and the analytical and strategic skills that came naturally. During my time there, the properties we managed split from the Jumeirah brand and went independent which was a both a huge challenge and learning opportunity. Eventually finding my way back to Melbourne I joined the revenue team at Crown Hotels. I spent nearly 5 years developing my skills with a fantastic team looking after properties in Melbourne and Perth while also completing the Masters Certificate in Revenue Management with eCornell. Highlights include opening Crown Towers Perth and the challenges of that market post mining boom. Now working with a great team at Grand Hyatt Melbourne, I am enjoying the opportunity to put in to place all I have learnt from great leaders at every stop along the way. What I most enjoy about the role and revenue management in general is the opportunity to formulate strategy based on your data and watching the results of your decisions come to fruition. Working halfway around the world on new openings, pre-openings, rebrands and renovations I am looking forward to taking my own family around the other half of the globe and working at a regional or head office level. Better Revenue I Better Industry I APAC I www.revenuemanagement.com.au 9