Having worked in locations as diverse as Cape York, Hamilton Island, the Blue Mountains and Accor’s Novotel & Ibis Sydney Olympic Park properties, I joined Mercure Hotel and Hotel Ibis Brisbane as director of conference and catering over eight months ago and was recently promoted to the position of food and beverage services manager.
I commenced my career in the hospitality industry working as a kitchen steward at the Gold Coast’s iconic Cav’s Steakhouse run by the Cavill Family. I was 15 at the time and have stuck with this industry ever since, skipping between roles in rooms division and food and beverage. My wife and I even bought a café/restaurant at one stage but my heart is with hotels and the food and beverage side of the business.
Although I don’t have a formal degree qualification I’ve attended numerous training and TAFE courses over the years which, along with a huge dose of passion for the industry, has helped me steadily climb the ladder.
Hospitality is 24/7 so you need to be committed, passionate, enjoy day to day challenges, and be comfortable in the knowledge that you’re not going to go home at the same time every night.
In my role the key focus is exceeding guest satisfaction and doing whatever it takes to ensure this happens. I spend 75 percent of my time on the floor overseeing the staff and operation and 25 percent handling administrative tasks.
When I was working on Hamilton Island several years ago, I was rewarded with a 10-day all-expenses-paid ski trip for transforming a particular restaurant from a white elephant into a profitable operation. That was exceptionally motivating and inspiring for me and ever since then I’ve continued to strive for success in every aspect of my work.
My goal is to ultimately become a hotel general manager via an executive assistant manager role and I know I’ll make it a priority to train, educate and motivate my staff in the same way that my peers have assisted in my career development.
Working with a company whose staff development ethos is paramount to its overall success is extremely encouraging.
When I’m off duty I still enjoy F&B. I’m a keen home brewer and working on creating the ultimate after work ale!
‘Leighton’s determination and achievements to date have been instrumental in his speedy progression since joining the Mercure & Ibis Brisbane hotels. He is a very well respected member of the management team and I’ve no doubt that his career will continue to progress.’ - Andrew Lee, Hotel Manager, Mercure Hotel Brisbane.
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