SimplyAbuDhabi XII

9 2 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Climbing the ladder of Success Chairman and Co-Founder of Simply Abu Dhabi Arnie Hira, meets Philippe Zuber, Chief Operating Officer of Emaar Hospitality Group, to discuss his career and life in business. Formerly theGeneralManager atTheAddressDowntownhotel, Emaar Hospitality Group’s flagship property, Philippe Georges Zuber is a true expert in the hospitality industry. He holds a Masters Degree in Finance & Management in Hotel Industry fromThe Strasbourg Graduate School of Management, and has a degree fromtheHotelManagement School, Strasbourg. Zuber has a wealth of experience and has held key positions with international hotel brands in various global cities including Seoul, Paris, Berlin, Casablanca, Hong Kong and Los-Angeles, among others. I met with Philippe for an in-depthQ&A. ArnieHira: What was your first job? Philippe Zuber: I beganmy career as a consultant to theMinister of Tourism in France, where I was mandated with the responsibility to oversee financial debt restructuring for over 60 independent hotels.Duringmy stint, I had to evaluate the viability of hotels and the opportunity to provide financial support to re- launch their activities, bearing in mind that each decision could impact the property for future generations. What inspired you to get into the hospitality industry? What lured me most towards hospitality was the harmonious combination of factors such as people, design, attention-to-detail, creativity, travel, and food, all of which come together in this universal industry,making it undoubtedlyone of themost versatile and prolific businesses in the world. What attracted you to the General Manager role at The Address Downtown inDubai? I am a passionate man who believes that it is imperative to challenge yourself; and to do that, onemust take that leap of faith. When Dubai began rolling out its vision for the hospitality industry,my instincts toldme thatDubai was going to become an industry leader; and given that, any hotelier must have the experience of working in this dynamic city.