Alumni Weekend 2020

In recent events, another successful alumni weekend passed this year. From September 29th to October 4th, alumni from all over the world and of all different ages attended and spoke at several events. Several awards were celebrated to those alumni who have progressed in their careers as BU has prepared them for. The weekend took a different form this year, due to COVID-19, the weekend took place remotely.

Performing such a grand event remotely can be challenging, yet Boston University is one of the best at coordinating events along with COVID-19. The weekend held several events and talks on topics ranging from impacts of COVID-19 on Hospitality to how to use and re-use resources efficiently. Log onto the School of Hospitality Administration’s Youtube page or click the links below to watch the weekend from your own home! Also, look into booking your calendar for attending next year’s Alumni Weekend 2021!

Update from BU SHA Dean Upneja:

First event of the weekend began with Updates from BU SHA’s Dean, Arun Upneja. Dean Arun Upneja discusses what Boston University is like and how acceptance percentage is declining each year! Also, he gives information on what the School of Hospitality Administration does to “enhance society in an experience-based economy.” Watch for more information on new concentrations, majors, and plans for the next following years! Along with several undergraduate programs, there is also opportunity for a magnificent Master’s program to advance further in career goals!

A Chat With Marie Perry:

Next, Dean Arun Upneja introduces the main speaker for the kickoff event of Alumni Weekend, Marie Perry! Marie Perry recently joined Brinx as the Senior VP and Chief Financial Officer for the US region in August 2020. She also is the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for Jamba Juice overseeing the Finance, Accounting, Legal and Human Resources functions. Previously she was the Senior Vice President, Controller and Treasurer for Brinker International where she oversaw the Accounting and Tax shared services functions.

Prior to that position, she served in several finance leadership roles including interim CFO, Vice President of Accounting Shared Services and Planning and Analysis, Vice President of Investor Relations and Treasurer. Ms. Perry joined Brinker in October 2003 as the Director of Corporate Accounting and was promoted to VP, Assistant Controller in April 2004. Watch down below for more insight with Marie Perry about how to pursue your career goals!

Annual Award Ceremony:

Following the chat with Marie Perry, Dean Arun Upneja introduces the Annual Award Ceremony to Alumni for surpassing several achievements and goals made when they were undergraduates. Help us honor them by watching the Award Ceremony down below! Seeing fellow students who have graduated and become successful can inspire current students to do the same!

The Global Hospitality Landscape: Impacts of COVID and Stages of Re-opening:

After celebrating the awarded Alumni, let’s continue on to learning about how will the hospitality landscape return to pre pandemic procedures and when? Watch the discussion below to learn more with Hala Matar Choufany, Juan Corvinos Solans, and Mmatsatsi Ramawela in how we can strike back and return to 2019 economical and societal norms in the Hospitality Industry.

What Do We Do With This Empty Real-Estate? Smart Use of Resources:

Finally, several speakers discuss several ways on how to go about adaptive re-use and smart use of resources in all sorts of industries including: hotels, retail, restaurants and more! Speakers such as Julie Reker, Senior Associate of Gensler and Kaushik Vardharajan, Director of BU SHA’s Real Estate Program, discuss how to specifically utilize land and space while being smart and cost efficient. Watch below for more information!

Thank You To All Alumni And Faculty!

Thank you to all the staff and faculty for coordinating the weekend so smoothly and efficiently! Congratulations to all alumni who have come so far into their careers and hope to have inspired undergraduates to follow in their footsteps.