Nikki Ortiz

Hometown: Boston, MA

Current Location: San Francisco, CA

Why did you choose SHA? Quite honestly, I fell into the field and ended up loving it. I started out as a Biology major and Spanish minor, but although Science was (and still is) a passion of mine, I was simply more passionate about the idea of meeting new people, traveling the world for work, and bridging the gaps between cultures. Thanks to an intensely competitive scientific background, I brought a level of academic discipline and ambition to SHA that helped to propel me to leadership roles in both my academics and my career. With the ongoing guidance of SHA professors and mentors, I was able to create lasting relationships and find great success within the SHA and greater BU community.

What is your favorite BU memory?
Too many to name, but topping a pre-med physics class and stunning the professor that I was actually in SHA is up there!

What was your first full-time job, and how did you end up in your current position?
After school, I took a full-time job as Corporate Accounting Manager for Broughton Hospitality in Newport Beach. I quickly determined that a long-term role in accounting was not for me, and eventually left life in Southern California to travel the world. Upon my eventual return to the states, I dove into consulting and valuation. Four years later, I am working for JLL Hotels & Hospitality in Strategic Advisory and Asset Management in San Francisco.

Please describe your current role, and how your SHA education has impacted your career?
As a part of JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group Strategic Advisory and Asset Management team, I am primarily responsible for performing customized market studies, feasibility analyses, valuations, and appraisals for advisory clients throughout the U.S. and Mexico. I am also involved in the asset management of multiple luxury resorts in Mexico.

Any advice for current and prospective students?
Don’t shy away from challenging yourself with electives. Stay curious and eager to excel. Electives are there for you to branch out and learn something that interests you and keeps you well-rounded. Travel (ideally solo)! Take a year either before or after college to go see the world, rough it, and challenge yourself. If you do it right, the soft skills you develop will be invaluable in your career.