Floris is a Hotello who graduated from the Hotel Management School Maastricht in 1995. After graduation he did what he now encourages all young professionals to do: go abroad for a few years to gain international experience, learn new languages, expand your network and grow personally. He started as a sales representative in food service, became marketing manager, was promoted to managing director and came back to the Netherlands where he joined HRC International as CEO in 2008.
The EMCup has so much to offer
Floris is a long time friend of Charles van Goch, the CEO of Mise en Place. As he heard about the initiative, he was hooked. It seemed like a great opportunity to meet these different groups of hospitality students who fit HRC’s target group and to get ideas from them. The fact that the EMCup is located in Maastricht where the headquarters of HRC International are as well is definitely an advantage.
Always be positive
Floris’s life motto is “May you always have sand in your shoes and a dollar in your pocket”. Very fitting as he lived a big part of his life on islands like Curacao and Sint Maarten. Always staying positive is important to him. That is why, when he has an off day, he “curses once and then moves on with positive thoughts”. And what does he do to stay this motivated and positive all the time? “Surround yourself with other positive people.” If there is one tip he could give his younger self it would be to “stop worrying about what other people think about you, be yourself and enjoy whatever comes into your path.”
The Future of the EMCup
The positive vibe, the enthusiasm of all participants, both students and industry partners, and the returning familiar faces are what make it so special to Floris. There is one thing that would take the EMCup to the next level in his opinion, which would be an “EMCup on tour” where the winning school gets the opportunity to co-organize the competition days.