Interview with Matt Flipse, intern at Krasnapolsky | 12 juni 2019

We interviewed Hotel Management School Maastricht student Matt Flipse, currently doing his management internship at NH Collection Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky. Read about his work as Regional Management Assistant Trainee!

How did you end up at your internship positiion?

In preparation for my management internship I reached out to alumnus Stan van Gompel [F 2017], who works as the Training and Recruitment Officer at NH Collection Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky. We worked together as he is part of the support group of the Board of student association Amphitryon and I was part of the Board during school year 2017-2018.

Stan managed to let me apply for the internship of Management Assistant Trainee for Mr Herman Klok, who was Cluster Hotel Director for NH Collection Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and pre-opening Nhow Amsterdam RAI. As Mr. Klok got promoted to Regional Director of Operations for Amsterdam, UK and CH, after my hiring, I immediately took the opportunity to join Mr. Klok as Regional Management Assistant Trainee.

What do you do in daily life?

As Mr. Klok is operationally responsible for all properties of Amsterdam, UK and CH, we visit these properties regularly. I join the meetings Mr. Klok has and I contribute to the projects and tasks Mr. Klok deals with.

Projects vary from employee engagement, financial forecasting, digital innovations within the company to business development. We work together closely and I assist where I can. This is very challenging and inspiring for me as Mr. Klok is an experienced key figure in the industry.

In addition, I execute Duty Shifts in the NH Collection Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in order to obtain more operational experience. The ‘Kras’ has over 2200 m2 M&E space, several F&B outlets including a Michelin star restaurant and a renowned cocktail bar and over 450 rooms. The challenges you deal with as Duty Manager are broad so every shift you experience the most crazy but extraordinary moments.

What puts a smile on your face when you look back at your time at the hotel school?

As I have just left Maastricht last January, my memories of the busy hotello life are very fresh. The combination of school, campus, Amphitryon and all social aspects of ‘het eilandje’ is definitely the thing that puts a smile on my face. I have never felt so at home and part of a community as I did at the hotel school.

I took the chance to stay in Maastricht one year extra as I did a Board Year. This was my best year at the hotel school, because I experienced the most memorable moments of my life. A Board Year is not always easy, but is the best example of ‘work hard, play hard’. Together with seven other Board Members, I dealt with challenging topics as press attention, culture change and managing stakeholders. I learned a great deal about the people, culture, myself and my ambitions. Also, without this Board Year I would not have connected with Stan and therefore never be able to do my current internship.

Do you have any tips for the current hotello’s?

Meet as many as possible fellow hotello’s as you can. As you cannot look into the future, you never know who you are going to need. Connections you make and lessons you learn from connecting are far more valuable than you might expect.

Friday afternoon drinks at NH Collection Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky!

For more information on life and study at HMSM, feel free to check out the blogs on the website and stories on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Stay tuned!

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Interview with Matt Flipse, intern at Krasnapolsky | 12 juni 2019

How did you end up at your internship positiion?

What do you do in daily life?

What puts a smile on your face when you look back at your time at the hotel school?

Do you have any tips for the current hotello’s?

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