Faced to face with Florian Hallerman

Today we meet with Florian Hallerman, General Manager of Zevola resort, on the idyllic and enchanting Island of Phi phi
Off the cost of phuket and Krabi.

Give us a brief history of your career and what made you decide to become a General Manager?
My 20 years hospitality industry experience in Asia started as management trainee at the Mandarin Oriental Macau. My first Management job was in China as FB Manager of a Golf Resort close to Macau. From there I was invited to join Banyan Tree for three consecutive openings namely Banyan Tree Phuket (flagship) Banyan Tree Bintan and Banyan Tree Bali. After 5 years of opening experiences I joined the 500 Room Radisson Narita Airport to further my city hotel experience within an American Management culture. Over the last 9 years I was involved in pre-opening and openings of 5 other hotels three city hotels ( one was cancelled) and two resort ( both up and running) These openings gave me in-depth knowledge about the planning, designing and opening of functional successful hotels and resorts. During this period I strengthened my knowledge about resort and hotel concepts, future trends, and branding and streamlined management solutions. Being in a GM position is just the natural flow of things within an interesting and challenging career.

Who has been the most influential person in your career?
In each of my work places there were people who influenced my career. There were good ones to learn from in regards to ethics, business practice and leadership. There were bad ones to learn from their mistakes. To name a few influential people along my career path, Mr Vincent Hoogewijs who taught me the finer aspects of FB management. Mr. Josef Halbherr who took me under his wings as Vice President of Operation for Banyan Tree supporting and teaching me and giving me numerous opportunities to redeem his trust. Finally Mr. Frank Klare the General Manager of the Radisson Narita Airport, who allowed me to look over his shoulders as a world class leader, a diplomat with staff, guests and in head office affairs. He mostly was a cunning businessman who achieved his goals for the good of the staff and the company.

What is your Managerial philosophy, and how this changed over the years, from country to country?
The staff will make or break the place. Guide them towards a rewarding future in line with common goals for the management team and the owners, while apply just rules of engagement. Like this they will make the business successful. This philosophy only intensified over the years. In order to apply this philosophy it is essential that one gets to know the staff, their culture and their motivational trigger points.

What would you consider to be the qualities that make a General Manager who they are today?
• Just to the staff, by applying proper guidelines to all team members to enable them to achieve their goals.
• Financially astute to understand numbers as a base for taking business decisions
• Good Humored to handle all the curveballs this business throws at you every day
• The ability to have a good laugh about one self.
• A high degree of general knowledge about Culture, Art, Music, and life philosophy that one can understand their guests.
• The ability to listen and to give team-members a chance to prove themselves

How would you evaluate, schooling against Apprenticeship in today world, and compare this to your time?
Schooling will give you a better overview of the business and a better understanding of management tasks. But every well school person needs to be ready to start in the trenches such as in stewarding, service or bellman to understand the day to day issues of rank and file staff. The time in the trenches cannot be limited to some practical term during the school time, they need to be long enough to show some successes and create a natural career path.

What has been your proudest moment in your career and why?
It was the 20th of April 2010, the resort was closed after 6 months of 90% occupancy, which was the best high season ever. On that day, my 5 star service team turned up for work as construction workers. Shoulder on Shoulder with the Management team we renovated the entire resort. The work included re-thatching villa roofs, re-tiling the swimming pool, renovation of the entire Spa complex, refurbishing two restaurants and all wooden furniture. This hard work was the best team building ever conducted with excellent results for the owner, while it was great fun for everyone.

Consider what has been your weakness that has proved to be guidance towards your strength in the course of your career?
To listen what other people have to say and believe in their abilities to contribute positively to the success of the operation

In the Hospitality circle what would you like to be known or remembered as or for?
The Hospitality circle and its opinion is not interesting for me, the support of my family is more important.

In your life time has there been a particular food item, you would not consider eating or have had a second thought to try?
“Everything once” is my motto. Chinese steamed chicken feed not a second time that’s for sure

We all have dreams and goals for the future, what ones would you say that you have yet to accomplish?
To create a safe environment for my family and assist my kids in reaching their full potential in a very difficult future.