Alex Susskind is a Professor of Food and Beverage Management and is currently serving as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Professor Susskind earned his Ph.D. in Communication from Michigan State University with a specialization in organizational communication and his MBA with a concentration in personnel and human relations. He earned his undergraduate degree at Purdue University in Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management and is also a trained chef with a degree in Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Prior to starting his career in academia, Professor Susskind was a chef and restaurant operator for both independent and multi-unit restaurant companies in the Northeastern and Southeastern United States.

Hospitality Management EssentialsImmersion Program
Overview
To have a successful career in hospitality management, it is essential to be well versed in every aspect of your property’s many moving parts.
This on-campus certificate program at Cornell University’s world-renowned Nolan School of Hotel Administration in Ithaca, New York, will help you master all facets of today’s ever-evolving hospitality industry. From the front of the house to the back, you’ll discover the latest and greatest thinking on topics such as financial decision-making, food and beverage trends, marketing trends, and the communication skills needed to work effectively with guests and team members alike. Throughout this program, you’ll engage with leading faculty experts and cross-pollinate best practices with seasoned hospitality professionals from across the globe, exploring topics via hands-on activities, interactive case studies, and team assignments.
This Hospitality Management Essentials program is part of the Anheuser-Busch Professional Development Program (PDP) at Cornell University’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration. First launched in 1928, this world-renowned executive program has welcomed hospitality professionals from around the globe for over 90 years. For additional information, please review Frequently Asked Questions about the program, including information about traveling to Cornell and information for European students on applying to the Leif Torne Scholarship.
Daily Program Schedule
- 7:30am - 8:30am: Networking and continental breakfast
- 8:30am – 12:30pm: Class
- 12:30pm – 13:30pm: Buffet networking lunch
- 13:30pm - 17:00pm: Class
- Evening: Individual or group assignments, networking
Special Program Events
- June 13, 2022
- 17:00pm - 18:30pm: Networking Reception
- June 16, 2022
- 16:30pm - 17:00pm: Certificate Presentations and Program Wrap-up
*If it is not possible to travel to the Cornell campus due to COVID-19 restrictions, you will have the option to transfer to a future date or receive a refund.
Hospitality Operations Financial Decision-Making
Mary MacAusland
In this session, you’ll practice using financial statement analysis tools to increase profitability within your operation. You’ll examine techniques to make more strategic operational decisions about costs, volume, and profit, and understand the differences between operating and capital budgets. Managerial accounting tools will also be explained, examined, and applied as they relate to the decision-making process within the organization. Common terminology used by owners and operators will be defined and incorporated in an operational analysis.
Foodservice Tactics and Analysis
Alex Susskind
Due to recent fluctuations in consumer demand and access to dining options, the food and beverage industry has been forced to reinvent many of its standard practices. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic also continues to cause disruptions in the supply chain and create labor force challenges. In this session, you will augment your existing management skills and competencies to improve your ability to manage new aspects of food and beverage operations. Using a case study, class discussion, and breakout groups, you will further develop your analytical and problem-solving skills surrounding operational, marketing, and financial issues. These activities will lead you to a better understanding of the market in which you operate as well as the key competitive elements that drive your success.
Innovations in Marketing
Rob Kwortnik
This session offers you innovative and practical approaches to address marketing challenges to help you improve profits and customer loyalty. By focusing on fundamental aspects of managing hospitality brands and creating memorable digital and in-person customer experiences, you will gain critical skills and knowledge to implement innovative service marketing strategies and create unique value, particularly in the context of evolving post-pandemic customer needs and expectations. Through class discussions, case studies, and real-world examples, you will be equipped to apply strategic thinking and analysis to marketing challenges.
Leading with Effective Communication
Andrew Quagliata
Effective communication is essential for succeeding in the fast-paced hospitality industry. In this session, you will discover how your patterns of behavior when interacting with others impact your effectiveness with key stakeholders: guests, colleagues, and senior leaders. In the process, you will also explore how to read others in order to adapt your style to the needs of your audience. You’ll practice designing and delivering compelling and clear messages that are specifically designed to influence. The format involves self-assessment, hands-on activities, and lectures, as well as instructor and peer feedback.
How It Works
Program Dates
Location
Ithaca, NY
Class Size
What's Included
Program Dates
Location
Ithaca, NY
Class Size
What's Included
Faculty Authors
Mary MacAusland, CPA, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, where she teaches courses in financial and managerial accounting and financial statement analysis. Prior to joining Cornell, Professor MacAusland was actively engaged in both academe and industry, serving in senior positions in several organizations. She was previously on the faculty at the University of New Hampshire and Franklin and Marshall College, and taught for several years at a small community college. Professor MacAusland also worked in the life-care management and development field as a controller and has held numerous positions with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), most recently as vice-chair of the audit committee. She served on the executive boards of USTA Middle States and the Berks County Chapter of the American Red Cross for many years and chaired several special events, raising significant amounts for local charities. Professor MacAusland was also a longtime member of the investment committee for the Berks County Community Foundation, where she helped to establish investment guidelines and monitor performance for $50 million in managed assets and was integral in establishing a permanent fund with the foundation to provide grants for tennis programs for at-risk youth.
Andrew Quagliata is a Senior Lecturer of Management Communication at the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration. He teaches a first-year business communication course, an upper-level persuasive communication class, and Communication for Entrepreneurs. He is the faculty sponsor of the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship Annual Pitch Deck Competition. Professor Quagliata holds a Ph.D. in organizational communication from the University at Buffalo. His research interests include communication pedagogy, entrepreneur communication, and the relationship between communication and career success. He has held professional positions in both finance and higher education.
Rob Kwortnik, Associate Professor of Services Marketing, joined Cornell’s faculty after earning his Ph.D. in Business Administration from Temple University in 2003. He also earned a B.A. in Journalism from Temple and an MBA from California State University, Northridge. Professor Kwortnik’s research focuses on consumer behavior in service contexts, with special attention to service experience management. He has published in the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Service Research, The International Journal of Research in Marketing, and the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, among others. He has been honored eight times as a Teacher of the Year by students at the School of Hotel Administration. Prior to his career in academics, Professor Kwortnik held several professional positions in marketing and was a travel industry consultant. He is a recognized expert on the leisure cruise industry.
- Digital Marketing 360
- Social Media Marketing
- General Managers Program
- Hospitality Strategic Marketing and Brand Innovation
- Hospitality Management Essentials
- Management 360
- Integrated Marketing 360
- Revenue Management 360
- Hospitality Management 360
- Strategic Hospitality Marketing
- Hospitality Management
- Hospitality Digital Marketing

Alex Susskind is a Professor of Food and Beverage Management and is currently serving as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Professor Susskind earned his Ph.D. in Communication from Michigan State University with a specialization in organizational communication and his MBA with a concentration in personnel and human relations. He earned his undergraduate degree at Purdue University in Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management and is also a trained chef with a degree in Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Prior to starting his career in academia, Professor Susskind was a chef and restaurant operator for both independent and multi-unit restaurant companies in the Northeastern and Southeastern United States.

Mary MacAusland, CPA, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, where she teaches courses in financial and managerial accounting and financial statement analysis. Prior to joining Cornell, Professor MacAusland was actively engaged in both academe and industry, serving in senior positions in several organizations. She was previously on the faculty at the University of New Hampshire and Franklin and Marshall College, and taught for several years at a small community college. Professor MacAusland also worked in the life-care management and development field as a controller and has held numerous positions with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), most recently as vice-chair of the audit committee. She served on the executive boards of USTA Middle States and the Berks County Chapter of the American Red Cross for many years and chaired several special events, raising significant amounts for local charities. Professor MacAusland was also a longtime member of the investment committee for the Berks County Community Foundation, where she helped to establish investment guidelines and monitor performance for $50 million in managed assets and was integral in establishing a permanent fund with the foundation to provide grants for tennis programs for at-risk youth.

Andrew Quagliata is a Senior Lecturer of Management Communication at the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration. He teaches a first-year business communication course, an upper-level persuasive communication class, and Communication for Entrepreneurs. He is the faculty sponsor of the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship Annual Pitch Deck Competition. Professor Quagliata holds a Ph.D. in organizational communication from the University at Buffalo. His research interests include communication pedagogy, entrepreneur communication, and the relationship between communication and career success. He has held professional positions in both finance and higher education.

Rob Kwortnik, Associate Professor of Services Marketing, joined Cornell’s faculty after earning his Ph.D. in Business Administration from Temple University in 2003. He also earned a B.A. in Journalism from Temple and an MBA from California State University, Northridge. Professor Kwortnik’s research focuses on consumer behavior in service contexts, with special attention to service experience management. He has published in the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Service Research, The International Journal of Research in Marketing, and the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, among others. He has been honored eight times as a Teacher of the Year by students at the School of Hotel Administration. Prior to his career in academics, Professor Kwortnik held several professional positions in marketing and was a travel industry consultant. He is a recognized expert on the leisure cruise industry.
- Digital Marketing 360
- Social Media Marketing
- General Managers Program
- Hospitality Strategic Marketing and Brand Innovation
- Hospitality Management Essentials
- Management 360
- Integrated Marketing 360
- Revenue Management 360
- Hospitality Management 360
- Strategic Hospitality Marketing
- Hospitality Management
- Hospitality Digital Marketing
Key Course Takeaways
- Reimagine the guest experience for a post-pandemic world
- Utilize financial statement analysis tools to increase profitability within an operation
- Differentiate between operating and capital budgets and discuss the trend toward fixed costs
- Discuss evolving trends in foodservice operations
- Develop tactics and strategies to quickly adapt to a rapidly changing marketplace
- Explore innovative marketing concepts to develop profitable, sustainable strategies
- Explore advanced communication skills, including the use of storytelling to influence others
- Practice effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills


What You'll Earn
- Hospitality Management Essentials Certificate from the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration
- 32 Professional Development Hours (3.2 CEUs)
Who Should Enroll
- Hospitality professionals with at least two years of experience

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$5,499
Hospitality Management Essentials
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