Recently, Edmond Bonett was appointed General Manager of Corinthia Caterers after having held the post of COO in that company for almost a year and a half. Naturally, this confirms Corinthia’s faith in him after he ran the show for this last period. I met him and was impressed with his humane but firm approach and many other positive values.
‘I am thankful for this opportunity to offer my services as GM of Corinthia Caterers, and whilst embracing the journey, I am looking forward to the exciting challenges that lie ahead. But all this would not have been possible without my family’s continuous support and that of the current Heads of Department team for their hard work, contribution, patience and understanding – Reuben, Glenn, Ansil, Adrian, Godwin, Gordon and Marvin and their respective colleagues.’
Edmond is a leader but is fully aware and constantly appreciative of the importance of his colleagues’ support.
What are the essential changes he intends to introduce within Corinthia Caterers? ‘It’s an ongoing process, but I firmly believe in the benefit we can reap from continuing to address how we evaluate matters, encourage different approaches and understand the importance of looking at things from various perspectives whilst improving our mindset, mentality and company culture. I do not embrace a firm or rigid set of responses but believe in a fluid manner of reacting to circumstances in novel ways to meet and successfully surpass the ever-changing challenges.’
Certainly, that comes from solid experience, which 43-year-old Edmond has built up after working in Malta and abroad. “We all carry different experience bags and have our different ways and capabilities for squeezing the best juice from our life stories.
I have been in and out of the Hospitality and Catering worlds locally and internationally during my last 27 years. I started off at a very tender age and also enjoyed a five-year stint in various European countries, such as England, Scotland, and Jersey (Channel Islands), between 2004 and 2009.
Today, I can gladly and proudly say all the experiences I have been exposed to throughout the years and in various settings, shapes, and forms have impacted me in some way or another. Whilst most have been positive, there have also been some negatives, which I embrace dearly and keep closer to me than any other positive. Those negative experiences keep me in check and motivate me to keep improving.
I have experienced stand-alone restaurants, a boutique hotel forming part of the Relais & Chateaux association, different types of 4-star and 5-star hotels, an original and unique to the island 5-star retirement village, single and multiple brand chain of restaurants and outlets and a catering company focusing on events, outside, contract and airline catering. Quite a handful of exciting challenges.’
Edmond has been quoted in a publication as saying: “Mentoring and guiding employees is not only a way of investing in them and the business, but it is also a way of investing in oneself.” Could he expand on this?
‘In all honesty, this is all quite natural to me. Just like I have improved and progressed over the years, having rubbed shoulders with people I could learn from, I feel privileged to have been blessed with various opportunities to do the same with others.
We are all different, so it ultimately depends on what type of person we are.
Not all of us look at our colleagues with the same interest. While some are genuinely interested, concerned, and thoughtful about others, others are simply indifferent.
Unless you genuinely feel the urge to help others by offering advice, guidance, support, a shoulder to cry on, or even setting someone straight, the general outcome or element of satisfaction at both ends might ultimately not reach the desired level.’
I faced Edmond with another of his quotations: “No one is perfect, and no one is expecting you to be. Just try to improve the rights and limit wrongs as much as possible. When one does so, you will start to notice things happening differently around you over time.” These are simple but incisive words, but is this enough?
‘I stand firmly by what I said. In my opinion, embarking on a self-assessment journey and committing oneself to small but consistent improvements is enough to see significant advances in performance, even in the short term. Naturally, this can vary depending on many variables and factors.’
I am aware that talent is not a key component of success for Edmond. Work ethics and attitude are, on the contrary, very valuable. The aim should be working smarter, not necessarily harder. Challenging assumptions and thinking outside the box reap success. Could he place this reasoning within a day-to-day context?
‘Show up on time with the required level of energy and motivation. Do what you need to do and to the best of your capabilities. Do not settle for anything less because in the end, hard work always pays off. Listen to understand and not to reply. Trust your gut feeling. Constantly challenge yourself and those around you. Be thoughtful, don’t be impulsive, and most importantly, be intelligent’.
From our interesting discussion, I could assess Edmond as humble and easily accessible, straightforward and firm but fair. I could easily discern in him a deep passion for whatever he does. He is responsible, honest and trustworthy. Was that correct? Edmond smiled. “I would not like to comment on the good aspects you mentioned. I could be very biased. But I can add that I have strong family beliefs and enjoy a good laugh. I am always up for a challenge, and, fortunately or unfortunately, I am a bit of a perfectionist. However, I try not to be overbearing. I focus heavily on empowerment, communication, inclusion and motivation more than anything else.’
Edmond had referred to his family a couple of times, so I inquired about them. ‘ I am happily married and a father of two boys.’ He then referred to his after-work relaxation. ‘I am very passionate about football in general and a true Inter fan. I also enjoy the occasional long walk, jogging and some basic exercise. Needless to say, I closely follow anything to do with the world of Food and Beverage with great interest.’
I found Edmond Bonett a man of strong, positive values. Someone you can rely on.
