The Camosun advantage: a dynamic career in hospitality

Camosun Alumnus Preston Rissley was recently promoted to the top operations job at the Delta Hotels Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort.

Rissley credits his success and advancement in the tourism and hospitality industry to his education at Camosun College, where he earned his diploma in hospitality management in 2010.

“I loved the Camosun program, it was high intensity but it was about everything I loved doing,” he recalls. “I got to work with other soon to be hotel and food and beverage professionals, a very close-knit group, and all of us studied together, worked together and went out into the industry together. I still keep in touch with them today and it’s great to have those connections out in the real world, throughout your career.”

Born in Vancouver, Rissley has lived in Whistler, Victoria, Kelowna, Edmonton and the United Kingdom. His father held senior management positions at various tourism-focused companies.

“I was definitely a hotel kid growing up,” he says. “I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do when I was younger, and it was after a lunch with my mom when she asked if I’d ever considered hotels as a career. I hadn’t at the time but it made sense because I knew the culture and the environment and I’d been speaking with industry leaders my whole life without even realizing it could offer an incredibly fun, dynamic and rewarding career path.”

He enrolled in Camosun’s Hospitality Management program in 2008 and believes that the program’s experiential approach, especially the many opportunities for students to practice different real-world roles, prepared him to excel in the industry.

“During our training at the Dunlop House restaurant on the college’s Lansdowne campus, we took on different roles, such as front of house manager, back of house manager, cold kitchen, hot kitchen, server, bartender and everything you can think of,” he explains. “It helps you to understand your strengths and your opportunities, and where you shine and where there is opportunity for growth. You learn how to work well with others and how to fine-tune and adapt your style to meet the needs of the team. At the end of the day, you’re all one team and you’ve got to put on a successful restaurant or hotel or whatever the business objective is.”

As Director of Operations for the busy Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort, part of Marriott Hotels International, Rissley is engaged with many different and dynamic day-to-day activities.

“Essentially, you’re overseeing all aspects of the hotel’s operational departments, including housekeeping, front office, engineering, kitchen, the restaurant and banquets. You are responsible for everything to do with the hotel’s operations at all times,” he says. “That’s what I truly love about it. Your hands are in everything. You are constantly thinking about everything. At every moment, you are considering where can I help, and you are always thinking about where you can make improvements. I love that no two days are the same.”

In 2022 and beyond, Rissley believes that Victoria and region are well-suited for a post-pandemic tourism resurgence.

“Why wouldn’t you want to travel to Victoria? It’s beautiful at any time of the year,” he says enthusiastically. “There are so many wonderful things to do here year-round for visitors including families, business travellers, corporate guests, government, you name it. We’re a dynamic and growing capital city and the reasons to visit here just keep multiplying.”

Camosun alumni thrive in local, national and global tourism industries

Camosun hospitality management chair Carl Everitt has nothing but praise for Rissley and the many successful alumni thriving in the local, national and global tourism industry.

“Alumni like Preston reflect the quality of the hands-on, real-world training we provide in our program,” says Everitt. “I’m very proud of his career success and am pleased that so many of our alumni have found that their Camosun education has provided an ideal launching pad for successful careers in the industry.“

Camosun’s Diploma program in Hospitality Management offers twice yearly intakes, with new cohorts starting in either January or September. Students will be following in the footsteps of four decades of graduates who have built successful careers in some of the most prestigious hotels and restaurants in Canada and around the world.

For more information, please visit: camosun.ca/hospitality

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