Distinguished | Hospitality Leadership Podcast with Arun Upneja, dean emeritus

While some fine dining experiences come with a side of pretension, Mark D’Alessandro, Director of Operations of the renowned Columbus Hospitality Group (CHG), sets a table that is exquisite and exceptional while remaining approachable. Mistral can be credited for being one of the preeminent restaurants that ushered in Boston’s burgeoning dining scene in the 1990s. A testament to its success, the CHG has grown to include Sorellina, three Mooo locations, XV Beacon Hotel, the Inn at St. Botolph, and Ostra – which received a five-star rating from the Boston Globe. Mark D’Alessandro shares his thoughts on how technology is (and is not) useful in restaurants and words of wisdom from decades in the business.

Email us at [email protected]

The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. 

Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
Research and Content Creation: Lan Lu
Marketing: Anne Dawson
Editing: Isabella Laikin and James Leon

Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Vera Manoukian became COO of Sonesta at the height of Covid in 2020. Defying the odds in these recent turbulent years, the company has expanded globally from its start in a tiny Massachusetts seaside town in 1937 to become one of the largest and fastest-growing hospitality companies. What is the secret to this wild success? Honored as one of the 2022 Influential Women of Hospitality by Hotel Management Magazine, Vera is just the person to shed light on hospitality’s best-kept secret.

Email us at [email protected]

The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. 

Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
Research and Content Creation: Lan Lu
Marketing: Anne Dawson
Editing: Isabella Laikin and James Leon

Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

How do you bartaco? “Bartaco” encapsulates both a “thing you do” and the name of this growing restaurant company with over 20 locations in 12 states.  Anthony Valletta, an alumnus of Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, and President of bartaco, delves into how the company has innovated the traditional restaurant business model. The secret sauce: operational excellence on the backend and warm service and fresh ingredients front and center.

bartaco

Email us at [email protected]

The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. 

Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
Research and Content Creation: Lan Lu
Marketing: Anne Dawson
Editing: Isabella Laikin and James Leon

Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Employees are demanding change, evidenced by widespread staff turnovers and union organization. Quendrida Whitmore, also known as “Coach Quen,” helps build better bosses and positive workplace cultures by being intentional about “how” work gets done.

Quendrida Whitmore writes on leadership in Boston Hospitality Review.

Coach Quen®
Quendrida Whitmore, Executive Coach and Founder of Quendrida Whitmore Coaching and Consulting

Email us at [email protected]

The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. 

Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
Research and Content Creation: Lan Lu
Marketing: Anne Dawson
Editing: Isabella Laikin and James Leon

Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

James Riley shares how the concept of luxury stays in touch with the 21st world by creating an inclusive corporate culture and cultivating fans, many of whom are widely famous, through its world-class guest experience.

James Riley, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental

Email us at [email protected]

The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. 

Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
Research and Content Creation: Lan Lu
Marketing: Anne Dawson
Editing: Isabella Laikin and James Leon

Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Meet Boston (formerly Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau) introduces a new way to experience Boston. The “All Inclusive Boston” and “Boston never gets old” campaigns widen the lens to present the city’s diverse and inclusive angles while keeping the city’s rich history as part of the picture. Hilina Ajakaiye, Executive Vice President of Meet Boston, and Colette Phillips, CEO and President/Chief Strategist/Visionary of Colette Phillips Communications, Inc., have been instrumental in the rebranding of the Greater Boston region to showcase an ever-evolving Boston.

Colette Phillips, CEO and President/Chief Strategist/Visionary, Colette Phillips Communications, Inc.
Hilina Ajakaiye, Executive Vice President, Meet Boston

Boston Campaigns:
All Inclusive Boston
Boston Never Gets Old

Email us at [email protected]

The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. 

Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
Research and Content Creation: Lan Lu
Marketing: Anne Dawson
Editing: Isabella Laikin and James Leon

Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

The much-coveted Birkin bag or a Ferrari is unattainable for most people. Although these luxury goods may be out of sight price-wise for the majority of consumers, retailers who don’t allow aspirational browsing, are the ones who are out of touch. Subscribing to the idea that Xenia (genuine hospitality) is good for business — for both the browser and buyer alike is the topic of this conversation with Ian Carter, Chairman of Watches of Switzerland Group, the world’s leading retailer of luxury watch brands, and the owner and partner of The Exclusive Automotive Group of Washington DC, dealers of Aston Martin, Bentley, Koenigsegg, and Karma luxury vehicles.

Email us at [email protected]

The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. 

Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
Research and Content Creation: Lan Lu
Marketing: Anne Dawson
Editing: Isabella Laikin and James Leon

Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Distinguished with Dean Arun Upneja

Welcome to the Distinguished podcast. Here, we skip the small talk and get right into the top-of-mind topics in the world of Hospitality, including and certainly not limited to: recruiting and retaining talent, the need to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion, wellness and well-being of our team and our guests, climate action, and the impact of robotics and a.i. on the future of Hospitality. 

You’ll hear from executives, founders, and investors who live and breathe Hospitality. The “distinguished” guests on this podcast represent all areas of our industry, from hotels and restaurants to entertainment and sporting venues, travel and tourism, and of course, a favorite pastime for many of us — shopping — because to put it simply, Hospitality is at play in most parts of our lives and livelihood.

Email us at [email protected]

The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. 

Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
Research and Content Creation: Lan Lu
Marketing: Anne Dawson
Editing: Isabella Laikin and James Leon

Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0