In 2012, I started an apprenticeship as a cook in a prestigious Geneva establishment, run by a talented and demanding chef.

At the end of this apprenticeship, my goal was to become a head chef and open my own restaurant. However, I realized that I lacked the necessary management skills for its future success. That’s why I enrolled at the Geneva Hotel Management School (EHG), and I never expected the numerous opportunities that would come my way.

Between two internships—one in Geneva for the Haute Horlogerie Foundation and the other at the Ritz Paris—I met the founders of Baghera/wines. I found their innovative project offered a fresh perspective on the auction world, especially bringing unprecedented attention to fine wines. This led to my opportunity to join the Baghera team, and the founders allowed me to grow alongside the company.

Today, I’m back in Geneva for a new project focused on hospitality and dining, both in Geneva and beyond.

Let’s be honest—I think I’ve always loved gastronomy. It’s an integral part of my life, and I can easily say that it’s my foremost passion. I’m fortunate to have a family that shares this love, including a mother who insists on the finest ingredients, an uncle who is a passionate restaurateur, and a grandmother who is an excellent cook. What I enjoy most about cooking is the act of hosting and creating joy for those you welcome… and what better medium for this than gastronomy?

That’s why I was drawn to this field, for the happiness this profession brings to those around you.

My goal was to open my own restaurant. I looked up to Philippe Chevrier, who had completed an apprenticeship and, a few years later, opened Châteauvieux with sheer hard work and determination. I wanted to follow the same path. However, I also knew that running a restaurant without management skills (in all forms) was risky. This is the main reason I wanted to join the Geneva Hotel Management School.

Honestly, I hesitated for a long time between EHG and EHL. My uncle had attended EHL, and I looked up to that institution with admiration.

I arranged a meeting with a well-known Geneva hotelier, who asked me what I was looking for in a school. I told him that I wanted a school with a personal touch, where you could interact with professors and where the number of students allowed for a collegial atmosphere. This hotelier highly recommended EHG to me.

I believe the academic level is similar between the two schools, but it’s mainly their size that sets them apart. I ultimately chose the one that felt more like a close-knit, family-oriented environment—a bit like a boutique hotel!

During my studies, I had the opportunity to do two very different and enriching internships. The first was with the Haute Horlogerie Foundation, where I helped organize the renowned Watches and Wonders event. The second was at the Ritz Paris for the Ritz-Escoffier cooking school.

These internships allow the theoretical training to be put into practice, a vital element for the overall course to make sense. There are so many factors that make internships essential for building a high-quality program.

For me, these internships were extraordinary learning experiences, where I gained knowledge of corporate etiquette and how to align with the expectations of the companies we worked for and the clients we served.

Professionalism
Team spirit
Knowledge

I met Michael Ganne and Julie Carpentier (the founders) at the very beginning of Baghera in 2015. From then on, I closely followed the company’s development. I had the opportunity to join them in April 2018 to organize the “Henri Jayer The Heritage” auction. My role then evolved from event manager to operations director, and eventually to the director of the Singapore office. They placed their trust in a young hotel management graduate, and I am very grateful for that. Over the course of six years, we grew from a core team of four to 14 people, expanding both in the number of auctions and by opening a physical and online store, as well as a private club. We worked on many exciting projects, with the 1865 Club and the Boutique by Baghera/Wines being particularly memorable to me, as they involved direct client interaction, which is what I enjoy the most.

Singapore is an absolutely stunning city, a bubble in the heart of Asia. The city-state’s system is a model for many reasons.

During the pandemic, we began collaborating remotely with restaurateur friends in Singapore, setting up a system to allow international clients to bid by live-streaming the auctioneer and clients in real-time. This allowed us to maintain a dynamic auction atmosphere even during Covid. This initiative helped us establish a solid client network in the city.

Later on, we discussed and I was offered the chance to open a new physical office there, with the aim of strengthening our position in Asia overall.

Moving to another culture is always an opportunity. You learn something new every day, whether it’s client habits, needs, or expectations. Thanks to this move, we also organized the first auction sale in Asia. I wish everyone could experience something like this.

Indeed, an exciting new project is on the horizon. I think you’ll hear more about it soon. I’m returning for a project that is perhaps more aligned with my training at EHG.

My advice for those looking to pursue a program at EHG is to love people and be open-minded. The rest can be learned, and you’ll learn it well in this great school. After that, be curious, hardworking, and a bit opportunistic—these traits will help you open doors, and that never hurts!

Hospitality and restaurant jobs are noble professions because they provide a service to others. They are demanding fields that require a great deal of devotion to those who choose to spend time in our establishments. Clients who walk through our doors make a choice, and in a competitive market, it’s an honor that they chose us. If we start from this principle, I think we understand the fundamental basis of what makes great hospitality, with or without Michelin stars.