My first encounter with Japan was through Japanese cuisine when at a younger age I was invited to a top Japanese restaurant in Amsterdam. I was really impressed with the hospitality and creation of dishes with precision and attention to details. After that initial experience, I continue to be exposed to and intrigued by Japanese cuisine. I am happy being able to pursue my interest through my hospitality career right now.

Start the day fresh and full of energy and make each day counts! We have a choice in how we start our day and making choices to enrich the lives of people around us and how that in turn, propel us all towards advancing our business and personal goals.

I had never expected to be working in Japan as a general manager when I started my career in Amsterdam as a waiter in 1996. I am therefore proud of what I’ve achieved so far with the great support of Hilton. Hilton has not only given me opportunities to work in eight different countries, but has also allowed me and my family to experience new cultures and meet inspirational people.

From a business perspective, I am very excited about working with the team to make Rugby World Cup 2019 and 2020 Tokyo Olympics a huge success for the hotel and delivering great experiences for our guests. Personally, I would like to soak in as much of Japan’s beauty as possible. I am sure there will be plenty of exciting moments through my hobbies, such as hiking, skiing, diving and golf!

Create a good work-life balance. It is very easy to get sucked into a very busy workflow week in and week out and not allow enough time to switch off. Japan has much to offer so it is important that we find the right work-life balance to be able to enjoy Japan to the fullest.