Alumna Olivia Mcfarlane

South Australian Olivia McFarlane graduated in 2014 from Le Cordon Bleu Adelaide. She has already been recognised for excelling in her field, having been awarded Employee of the Year in the 2016 Awards of Excellence, Restaurant & Catering Industry Association, South Australia. The 22 year old will go on to compete in the nationals in Sydney later in the year.

Olivia McFarlane was recently promoted from Team Leader in the Coal Cellar + Grill Restaurant at the Hilton Adelaide, to Catering Supervisor.

Her ambition is to be Restaurant Manager and in the longer term Director of Operations.

A past student of Westminster College in Adelaide, Olivia says from an early age she travelled extensively with her family, which is when she first felt the allure of international hotels.

‘It evolved into a strong connection and a desire to work in the industry’, she says.

Olivia says the Le Cordon Bleu degree has been instrumental to her success to date, and she draws on what she learnt from lecturers on a daily basis, especially dealing with staff.

Subjects like Management Concepts, Communication and Human Resources Management have proven invaluable and although I struggled through Finance I know that if I hadn’t learnt to read a profit and loss statement I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Her placements while at Le Cordon Bleu were at Hamilton Island and Hilton Adelaide.

Olivia’s advice to graduates: ‘Work hard, stay longer, arrive early, always do more than expected . . . and keep learning.’