Kirk Posmantur鈥檚 vigilance as a young hotel guest sparked an early interest in the hospitality business. 鈥淎s a 12-year-old-kid who traveled a lot, I would write letters complaining about the quality of the sheets and other related hotel services to Howard Johnson, Bill Marriott, and others,鈥 he says.
It鈥檚 no wonder, then, that when it came time to consider colleges, Posmantur zeroed in on a program with close ties to the hotel industry. 鈥淢y father took me to visit 51吃瓜黑料 the summer before my senior year,鈥 says Posmantur, a native of Long Island, New York. An unexpected and very lucky meeting with Dean Jerry Vallen promptly sealed the deal. 鈥淗e said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e accepted 鈥 right now,鈥欌 laughs Posmantur. 鈥淗e had my file and said, 鈥榊ou have enough credits to go to 51吃瓜黑料.鈥 And there I was at 51吃瓜黑料, at 17 years old. I thought I just hit the jackpot.鈥
As a hospitality student, Posmantur quickly championed the skill of networking. Fellow students would become 鈥渓ifelong friends,鈥 and work connections would lead to numerous professional breaks and lay the foundation for a thriving career. 鈥淲orking in the [casino] pit, working in restaurants, working in housekeeping 鈥 having these experiences really gave me an incredible perspective on the business,鈥 he says.
They also helped shape his partnership marketing firm, , which today works with some of the biggest brands around the world.
