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NEWS & FEATURES |
Interview of the month - November 2004: François-Olivier Luiggi (IMHI 1992) What is your background? I joined IMHI in 1990, after working a year for Hilton in London, and havingfollowed the traditional French Hotel School curriculum. The hotel business has always been a passion. The Essec Hotel Management program 'IMHI' was only seven years old when I joined... but the idea of joining the Essec campus was too good to resist (and I was accepted somehow...) Why did you decide to come and stay here? I was in the placement office at Cergy when a fax came through for a three-month summer internship in New York for Nikko Hotels... I took the fax and wrote my name on it. This turned out to be the perfect match. I was hired back by Nicco Hotels when I graduated. In the early 90's New York was experiencing an incredible renaissance, and on the food side, getting the best chefs to take the spotlight away from Paris and London (yes...). Then the typical cycle began: your personal life catches up with your professional life and you settled down. What advice would you give to ESSEC graduates who would liketo come to work here? Do not send a resume in French... people should first find out how to approach the companies here in the States from caring Essec alumni, and then learn how a resume is written on this side of the pond. You should also check your visa eligibility before contacting any companies. There are a lot of opportunities in New York, but only for people who can market themselves properly. (Do not be 'too French' as Americans like to say...) How do you think your ESSEC background helped you to bewhere you are? At IMHI we took half our classes in English, taught by visiting professors from Universities in the UK and the US. Students came from over 20 countries creating an incredible cultural diversity. Being part of the Essec campus and taking dreaded classes such as FIN011 (for myself anyway...) gives you a very solid base. But I think the most important is the strong campus atmosphere at Cergy that made learning there so amazing. What do you consider as your role in the ESSEC family? Helping each other at every opportunity... and finding jobs for the latestgraduates... As we move in our careers networking becomes more andmore important to our success. Thank you François… |
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