Daring To Be Great: Insights from a Rising Star

Mary Ellen Goese, Corporate Director of Revenue Management 

Meet Mary Ellen Goese, she is one of our Corporate Directors of Revenue Management and oversees a portion of the Twenty Four Seven Hotels portfolio. In the hospitality industry, we are always learning, no day is the same and we are constantly on our toes. For Mary Ellen, this challenge gives her the opportunity to thrive and continually find ways to make it better.

Describe your professional career journey. 

Other than a brief stint in retail, my entire career has been in hospitality. I started working as a front desk agent in college to gain work experience hours. After graduating, I moved into a group coordinator role because I wanted to have set work hours, and that is when I learned about revenue management, which I’ve done in some capacity since then, with the last 5 years specifically dedicated to revenue management.

Why did you choose the hospitality industry? 

I never had a set career path in mind, which made it challenging to decide on a college major. I thought I would go with a general Business Administration degree but then I heard about the hospitality program at Cal Poly Pomona and liked the idea of having a more specific path. I attended a meet & greet luncheon for the Collins College, really enjoyed the vibe from the students and professors, and that kicked-off my hospitality journey.

What do you love most about your role? 

I like that there are two sides to my revenue management role, which makes it challenging and motivating. There is the data analytics side and the relationship building side. As revenue leaders, we need to understand the systems, reports, data, etc., but we also need to restate all that information in a way that non-revenue team members can absorb and get on board with the strategies and initiatives.

What is the most pressing business challenge you’ve faced recently and resolved? 

I can’t say that it’s resolved, but as the company grows, we are figuring out how to grow our department sustainably. A focus area right now is automation: how can we invest in people, programs, and tools to reduce time spent on reporting and increase time spent on strategy.

What inspires you to be great? 

For me, it is important that I am someone my team members can rely on. And to gain that trust, I need to do the best that I can at my job, be consistent, and have empathy towards others. That is what I try to work on every day.

Tell us about your professional aspirations.   

My current goal is to continue learning, growing, and improving my knowledge and skills surrounding revenue management and to help my team members do the same.

We hear you provide mentorship at your alma mater, The Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona. Tell us a little about that experience and any advice for those upcoming in their career.

I’ve had several opportunities over the last few years to speak to the revenue management class at the Collins College. It’s been great to reconnect with the university and see how much the hospitality program has grown.

In the guest lectures, I try to provide the students with insights on what a revenue manager’s job is like day-to-day because that is what I would have found useful when I was in school. I also provide the students with free resources they can take advantage of to learn more about revenue management and see if it’s a viable option for them.

Mary Ellen, thank you for your dedication to making the most of each day and seizing new opportunities. We look forward to your continued growth – the sky is the limit!

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24seven Hotels