As an undergraduate at Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business, Brennan Quinn gave campus tours to incoming students and their families. One of his favorite things to point out to future scholars is that Atlanta is home to nearly 20 Fortune 500 companies.
“Rather than going to school two hours away and learning about everything from a book, and then getting industry experience after graduating, Georgia State students can get hands-on experience from some of the best companies in the world while still in school,” Quinn said.
The proximity to global businesses is also why Quinn enrolled in Robinson’s Master of Global Hospitality Management (MGHM) program this past spring. “Atlanta is filled with hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs—everything that hospitality is,” he said. “We’re in a major hub for culture and commerce.”
While earning his B.B.A. in hospitality administration, Quinn worked as a guest service agent at the Hilton Atlanta. He also was recruited to help with registration at the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, a premier industry event hosted by Robinson’s Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration. The conference offered a prime opportunity to network with hotel owners, general managers, and CEOs.
Quinn has definitely activated that network. Through School of Hospitality director Debby Cannon, he landed a job interview at the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, where he currently serves as a registration agent. “It’s great to attend class and deepen my knowledge of topics I encounter daily at the hotel,” he said.
The MGHM program has expanded Quinn’s view of the global hospitality industry. He has conducted financial and market research on international brands like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Shake Shack, Yum! Brands, and Chipotle Mexican Grill, as well as competed in the Smith Travel Research Student Market Study Competition.
“I’m able to deliver on the operations side because of my industry experience,” Quinn said. “And my classes at Robinson are enabling me to bring strong accounting principles and financial analysis skills to the table.”