Kent Warren Class of 1994

In good company

Kent’s career is a masterclass in working one’s way up the ladder. After graduating from Newcastle Grammar School in 1994, Kent jumped straight into a hospitality traineeship at Anchorage Port Stephens. “I started doing housekeeping, cleaning dishes and checking guests in. I have now been working in tourism for 30 years — half of that time in hotel operations and the other half in the commercial space.”

After working his way through the ranks to become Area General Manager for Peppers — a role in which he spent five years — Kent spent another 10 years with Accor Hotels, rising to the role of Senior Vice President of Top Line Performance across the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions. He now works in the hotel investment space, acquiring and developing hotels, having discovered throughout his years in the industry a knack for the economics, risk assessment and business.

His real passion, though, is people. “I love being surrounded by great people. I get a lot of energy from the people I work with every day.”

This passion is nothing new, though — it was evident even during his time at NGS. When asked to share some of the highlights of his time at school, Kent says “without a doubt, the friends I was able to meet … a core group of us still remain in contact today.” He also remembers fondly some of his sporting experiences during his NGS years, citing the Rugby Tour to NZ in 1992 and captaining the Athletics team in 1993 as standout memories. “We had a small school back then, but we punched above our weight.”

Kent says the holistic approach to education at NGS prepared him to be the person he is today. “I may not have been the smartest, but the school and the school values set me up to be a good person … the discipline was also good for me, I think. I have carried that forward in what I do day to day now.”

Outside of work, Kent has stayed active. “I raced outrigger canoes for about 25 years, including the Molokai Hawaiian race — 72km of pain!” Today, he and his wife enjoy boating with their three daughters, as well as regular ski trips to Japan with family and friends.

Kent’s advice to current students is: “’Show me your friends and I will show you your future’. Being academic is good but surround yourself with great people and you are set for life!”