[Alumni Voices] Francisco Carrasco - Vice President of Sales at FXAIR

[Alumni Voices] Megan Reissig - Director of Event Planning at W Seattle

Megan Reissig, Director of Event Planning at W Seattle, shares how multiple internships across hotels and destination marketing helped shape her career path in hospitality. From front desk operations to event leadership, Megan reflects on the value of gaining diverse experience, understanding hotel operations end-to-end, and building a people-first mindset in the industry. 📌 Key Takeaways: * Megan’s experience shows that exploring different roles through internships helps clarify career direction, especially in a broad field like hospitality. *  Her time in smaller hotels taught her that hands-on, cross-functional experience builds confidence and prepares you to handle real-world challenges. *  She emphasizes that understanding multiple departments is critical, especially for roles like event planning that require coordination across the entire hotel. *  Megan highlights that work-life balance is becoming a bigger priority in hospitality, with the industry evolving post-pandemic to better support employees. *  She encourages students to speak up and advocate for their learning opportunities, ensuring they get the most out of internship and training programs.

[Alumni Voices] Nicholas Ong - Manager, Revenue Strategy Field Support (APEC) at Marriott International

Nicholas Ong, Manager of Revenue Strategy & Field Support (APEC) at Marriott International, shares how his internship journey—from hotel operations to STR data analytics—shaped a career in revenue management. Nicholas reflects on the importance of curiosity, adaptability, and continuous learning, while offering practical insights into how data, pricing strategy, and technology are transforming today’s hospitality industry. 📌 Key Takeaways: * Nicholas’s career path highlights that strong internship performance and reputation can open unexpected doors, including referrals that lead directly to future roles. *  His experience shows that being a sponge and continuously learning is essential to gaining value from internships and building long-term career momentum. *  He emphasizes that teamwork and relationship-building are critical skills, as connections made during internships often influence future opportunities. *  Nicholas points out that data analytics and visualization tools like Power BI, SQL, and Tableau are becoming essential skills for today’s hospitality professionals. *  His journey into revenue management demonstrates that understanding pricing strategy and market positioning is key to driving business performance in modern hotels.

[Alumni Voices] Francisco Carrasco - Vice President of Sales at FXAIR

Francisco Carrasco, Vice President of Sales at FXAIR and proud SF State alumnus, shares how a foundation in hospitality led to success in luxury aviation. From internships at Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton to leading client relationships in private aviation, Francisco reflects on the lessons that shaped his mindset, leadership, and lifelong commitment to service excellence. 📌  Key Takeaways: *  Francisco’s journey shows that opportunities open doors, but it is the intern’s initiative and follow-through that truly determines success. * His broad exposure to multiple hotel departments taught him that diverse operational experience builds confidence and deepens understanding of how a hotel really works. * He emphasizes that mastering the basics is essential, because strong fundamentals in operations provide the foundation for long-term career growth in any sector. * His transition from hotels to private aviation reinforced that service recovery and human connection matter everywhere, whether solving a guest issue or managing a disrupted flight. * Francisco’s career demonstrates that hospitality skills are highly transferable, enabling professionals to thrive well beyond hotels while still serving people at the highest level.

[Alumni Voices] Christina Tang -Senior Human Resources Manager at Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA

Christina Tang, Senior Human Resources Manager at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA, shares her journey from hospitality student at San Francisco State University to a long-standing HR leader. In this episode, Christina reflects on how her internships shaped her career path, the lessons she learned working in union hotels, and her insights on guiding the next generation of hospitality professionals. 📌 Key Takeaways: *  Two internships — one rotational and one project-based — helped Christina discover her passion for human resources and set her career direction early. * Working in union hotels taught her structure, fairness, and how standardized systems build confidence in complex operations. * As a mentor, she emphasizes giving interns a full-cycle HR experience, from recruiting and onboarding to handling real-world challenges. * Christina sees both promise and risk in AI’s growing role in HR — urging future professionals to “keep the human factor” at the center. * Her advice to students: have a 10-year vision, but focus on excellence in the present — doing great work today is what earns tomorrow’s opportunities.

Introduction and Tips

If this is your first time to the IOI podcast, it is recommended you start with this episode