School of Hospitality Announces 2017 Alumni of the Year Awardees
The School of Hospitality Administration is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2017 Young Alum of the Year and Alum of the Year Awardees.
Every year, the School nominates individuals from our outstanding alumni population to receive the Alumni of the Year and more recently established Young Alumni of the Year award. These individuals are leaders in the hospitality industry, help our School adapt to new trends, and create mentoring, internship, and career opportunities for current students.
2017 Alum of the Year
Robert Vail ’85
Robert Vail, Director of Innovation and Commercialization, has been with The Boston Beer Company for 26 years. Robert first joined the company as a Brewery Representative on the Sales team. Following in the footsteps of founder Jim Koch, Robert hit the streets selling Samuel Adams beer and educating drinkers and the industry about the quality and craftsmanship of craft beer.
His hard work paid off and Robert quickly rose to the rank of District Manager. He was responsible for launching Samuel Adams beer in Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. Robert later returned to Boston and oversaw the Samuel Adams distributorship that Boston Beer owned for a brief period of time so that the brewery could self-distribute locally. After a year, he was promoted to Division Manager for all of New England. After several years, his area of responsibility was extended to include New England down to Pennsylvania. From there, he went on to tackle the role of Division Manager of the On-Premise team responsible for National accounts for the next two years.
Robert is currently the Director of Innovation and Commercializing and has help to develop the Twisted Tea, Angry Orchard and Truly Sparkling brands . He resides in Massachusetts with his wife and they are the proud parents of two sons, ages 9 and 7. Outside of work, Robert is a board member of My Life My Choice organization, which provides resources, training and counseling to help adolescent women leave harmful situations and build new lives for themselves.
2017 Young Alum of the Year
Shivika Kothari ’15
Being the fifth generation of the KGK group, an established diamond business, Shivika Kothari is the first person from her family to have ventured into hospitality with an intention to not only add a new vertical to a much-established business, but also create an avenue of her own where she can add value in her own form.
While studying Hospitality Administration she completed two levels of internships with renowned chains like Marriott International and Taj Hotels. It is while working with international chains that she accumulated acumen to anticipate guest needs as she realized that customization and personal touch are the keys to success in this industry. Meraaki Kitchen is Shivika’s first business venture post her graduation and is a 30,000 sq.ft. experiential restaurant located within the heart of the Pink City, Jaipur, Rajasthan. The entire property was designed and conceptualized by the young entrepreneur and her partner Neha Shah who is the Masterchef India Season 4 finalist. They not only deliberated with architects and designers but also picked and chose each decor element ranging from artifacts to furniture to crockery cutlery and more.
Every space at Meraaki Kitchen is a sanctuary of comfort embodying mind, body and spirit, whether it is a meal with family, an evening with friends or a celebration of a special occasion. This philosophy extends into the menu as well, which reanimates cuisines in vogue – a delight not only for the palate but a visual treat as well. Ones dining experiences at Meraaki Kitchen is a culmination of handpicked culinary delights from across the world with a contemporary interpretation. Working from the ground up, Shivika have envisioned a ‘space for soul’, which is not only minimalistic, subtle and spacious but also a place beyond just its food and environment. Inspired by nature and set against contemporary rustic surroundings, Meraaki Kitchen resonates across cultures for a soulful experience that transforms ones time there.
Meraaki Kitchen, although very new, has created a huge impact on the Food and Beverage market in Jaipur, leading to Shivika being awarded the Young Female Entrepreneur of the year, Jaipur by Business Insider and also the Future Leader Award by Coutts Bank, London. Shivika personally feels that the Indian F&B market is going to go through a huge transformation over the coming years with a transition towards finer imported ingredients and gourmet food. By venturing into Meraaki Kitchen she wants to create a destination that is above and beyond ordinary and deliver a true everlasting experience for its patrons. From space to the food, Shivika has personally curated each bit at Meraaki Kitchen and for this she draws an inspiration from her parents who have been leading the diversified portfolio at KGK.