MEET THE PEOPLE
the who ’ s who of RM
Melissa Kalan Managing Director of ARMA
After successfully completing the Australian Hospitality Traineeship Scheme through the former All Seasons Harbour Rocks Hotel in Sydney ( now part of MGallery collection ) and the Sydney Institute of Technology , Melissa graduated with the most outstanding student award in Tourism and Hospitality . She also received the prestigious employee of the year award not long after with the All Seasons Hotel Group .
Melissa then began her career with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel , Sydney ( now the Stamford Circular Quay ) in Reservations in 1992 and in 1996 was awarded employee of the year in recognition of her dedication and commitment to quality service .
After gaining experience across many areas of the hotel , Melissa was appointed Reservations Manager – and so began an exciting career in Revenue Management ( RM ).
Trained by Marriott in Washington DC , Melissa went on to become the Director of Revenue Management for both The Ritz-Carlton , Hotel Sydney and Double Bay ( now part of Inter-Continental ) overseeing the implementation of Revenue Management systems , staff training and effectively applying Revenue Management strategies to significantly increase rooms revenue at both properties in particular at The Ritz-Carlton , Double Bay .
In recognition of Melissa ’ s revenue management abilities she was charged with implementing best-practice techniques at various Ritz-Carlton properties in the Asia Pacific region , which included training and providing recommendations to hotel management for a successful Revenue Management strategy . These properties included ,
The Ritz-Carlton Singapore , Bali , Seoul and Osaka .
After a property management takeover , and to further broaden her career in Revenue Management , Melissa was successful in obtaining a Revenue Management position with Qantas Airways in 2000 . Trained by Qantas in Revenue Management , Melissa worked in Domestic RM on various routes including the prime Sydney – Melbourne route . She also gained experience in International RM managing the UK / Europe routes and the profitable QF1 & QF2 for a number of years .
Over her time at Qantas , Melissa was part of various project teams and improved the function of the airlines Revenue Management system by designing a traffic light system to prioritise changes in demand patterns from forecast across routes .
After Qantas Melissa established RevPAR Support & Recruit . Qualified in Human Resource Management , RevPAR Support & Recruit gave Melissa exposure to many properties and their need for well qualified Revenue Management employees . It also gave her insight into the current needs of many skilled RM employees in our industry .
With a passion for Revenue Management and training Melissa has now established the Australian Revenue Management Association ( ARMA ) to provide expert assistance to local industry by offering a central place of RM information and services that support all sectors of the accommodation industry . The international division ( IRMA ) supports their growing international membership and has established a global network of RM professionals .
16 Better Revenue I Better Industry I AUS & NZ