Career Options

Example Organizations

The hospitality and lodging sector includes a wide range of companies that are active in different segments of the industry. For example, Uber and Airbnb are leaders in the tourism, travel, and transportation sector, and Marriott, Hilton and Choice are prominent in the hotel industry.

Corporate Finance

Corporate finance oversees all of the financial activities of a company – whether it be a hotel chain, a casino, or a restaurant group. Corporate finance aims to maximize shareholder value via long-term and short-term financial planning and strategy implementation. Everything from cash management and capital investment decisions falls under the domain of corporate finance.

Strategy

Internal Strategy teams support corporate strategy initiatives and assist in evaluating strategic initiatives through the lens of a firm’s longer-term strategy. They analyze industry trends and competitors, identify and evaluate opportunities for business growth and develop strategic frameworks while providing recommendations to senior leaders.

Marketing

Marketing is the process of identifying evolving customer preferences and then capitalizing on them by creating, promoting, and delivering the products and services that satisfy the demand. This is all the more crucial and complex in a hospitality industry that is increasingly global and multi-faceted, with large corporations now owning and operating multiple hotels, casinos, restaurants, and venues worldwide. In an industry where services are intangible – they are experienced only once they have been purchased – effective marketing is critical.

Global Opportunities

As a sector that revolves around the travel experience, many of the most prominent U.S. lodging and hospitality companies have offices worldwide and offer ample opportunities for their employees to work abroad.