An "Instant Alumni" with Nicolas Wallior (2009) - advice from the Director of Banqueting Operations and breakfast at Fairmont Le Montreux Palace

What a pleasure to welcome Nicolas Wallior today at Institut Paul Bocuse! Taking advantage of a stay in Lyon, Nicolas went back to school for a lunch at F&B with Eléonore Vial, but also the opportunity to speak about his international career in the restaurant industry to the 3 classes of the Bachelor International Food Service Management.

Nicolas loves discovering new cultures, and has always had a preference for the luxury hotel industry. This can be seen in his career path, which has seen him take on a series of positions since graduating: management training at the Park Hyatt Chicago, then Bar and Beverage Manager at the emblematic Fairmont Montebello (Canada) and Beverage Manager at the Trader Vics Bahrain before taking over the management of an indoor sports facility in Germany. After this entrepreneurial experience, Nicolas returned to the workforce by going to Northern Ireland as Bar Manager at Hilton, then headed to Switzerland to work at the Vieux Chalet. For the last 3 years, he has been in charge of banqueting and breakfast operations at the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace.

"I'm in charge of a team of 10 people, which can go up to 25 in the peak season, and my role is to offer the best banqueting and breakfast services to our customers. Banquets ranging from 2 to 1,500 pax, a Sunday brunch averaging around 250 pax, for both local (large Swiss pharmaceutical companies, Nestlé, etc.) and international clients: Americans, Indians, Arabs, etc. As you know, breakfast is the last impression that clients have before they leave, hence the importance of delivering a high-end, personalised service.”

The numerous questions asked by the students gave him the opportunity to give some invaluable advice:

"Remember where you come from, go through the process one step at a time and stay humble. But also, don't underestimate yourself, stay the course! It is up to you to prove to others that you will be a good manager. Be open and question yourself as often as possible, that's how you will progress in your career.”

Thank you Nicolas for your time, we look forward to meeting again at a future #CareerMatch recruitment session for example ;-)