Matthew Gabree
New York, NY
AOS Culinary Arts 1995 and BA Food & Bev Mgmt 2000
Manager of Global Guest Initiatives, St. Regis and The Luxury Collection – Starwood
I graduated from NECI's AOS Culinary program in 1995. Afterwards, I spent several years cooking in the Napa Valley, California and Westchester County, New York. Through my passion for cooking, I fell in love with wine and the art of wine making, and in 1998 I made the decision to return to NECI in search of my BA in Food & Beverage Management. The 18-month program provided the boost necessary to break into front-of-the-house Restaurant Management. After completing the program I spent a year running restaurants at The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and then left for New Zealand to pursue my desire to make wine in the southern hemisphere.
After 6 months (and a successful Pinot Noir harvest!) in New Zealand, I returned to Boston to work for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. I was hired as a leader on the pre-opening F&B team where I was responsible for Bar and Beverage Management. My position evolved into an Associate Director of Dining Services, where I was part of a team responsible for the Restaurants, Lounge and Bar, In-Room Dining, and Banquet Operations. Overall, I spent 6 years with The Ritz-Carlton in both F&B and Rooms Division roles before accepting a position with Starwood Hotels & Resorts in New York City
For the past three years I have managed Global Guest Initiatives for St. Regis and The Luxury Collection; Starwood's two prestigious luxury hotel brands. I work within the brand management organization, where we oversee brand marketing, the branded guest experience and quality assurance.
Remembering NECI: Each day I apply principles learned during my tenure at NECI, through my three amazing externships, and the relationships that I have built over the last 15 years.
When I look back on my decision to attend NECI, the primary driver was the low student-to-instructor ratio. I knew that with more hands-on learning and more immediate access to Chef Instructors and Educators, I would learn more and be a stronger candidate to prospective employers after graduation.
This has certainly been the case. Since graduating from NECI, I have enjoyed exciting growth positions within several Fortune 500 companies. Just this year, my position has taken me all around the USA, to Bali Indonesia, Buenos Aires Argentina, and The Netherlands. In hindsight, my externships opened invaluable professional doors for me, provided exclusive opportunities, and helped me establish relationships that I still value today - 15 years later.