5-STAR MANAGER

Five star sucess

The Hotel Business School sets out to inspire the hoteliers of tomorrow by a process of learning from the best

Francesco Picciau, you have had a long career as a manager. Your last job was as CEO of the European Institute of Design and now you are in charge of Training Center at Forte Village. Tell me about the Hotel Business School you run?

It is a higher education school offering Masters Degrees related to the world of hospitality that will prepare students for market demands. It opened in 2008, in collaboration with the Luiss Business School in Rome. Forte Village has a managerial team that has been at the top and leading the way for 25 years. CEO and General Manager, Lorenzo Giannuzzi, is a daily example for all of us. He is at the helm of the best resort in the world, which has maintained its position at the top for years, and is also one of the most acclaimed managers internationally. Here, our courses offer students not only an education, but a constant source of inspiration. Being able to see a manager of this calibre at work is like being able to train alongside Messi and Ronaldo.

Which Masters does the Hotel Business School offer?

For now we have two courses, the Masters in Five Stars Hotel Management and the Masters in Food & Wine Operation Management. The first aims to train new managers and directors of 5-star luxury establishments in the hospitality industry. The second is a specialised path that trains professionals in the food and wine sector, from wine and beverage to food and the food chain.

Who are the students and how are the courses structured?

Men and women in equal measure come from all over the world. Their ages range from 20 to 30, but we also

have more mature students, around the 45-year-old mark, especially managers who want to reinvent themselves professionally. Many have already graduated. A high percentage of them, funnily enough, come from the faculty of law. Perhaps this shows us that, these days, a classical, 20th-century training is no longer sufficient for the world of work. Both courses last 11 months and the classes usually contain 20-25 students. We have five months in the classroom, with teachers of the highest level, such as teachers from the Luiss Business School and Cornell University, a member of the Ivy League. The lectures follow the learning-by-doing method, so they are very practical and hands-on.

This is followed by six months of work experience in a 5-star luxury facility. Of course, many ask to do this internship at Forte Village.

Why? What are the features of an internship at Forte Village?

We can offer an absolutely unique 5-star experience. To give an example, Forte Village has more than 20 restaurants, most of them starred, eight hotels, 13 exclusive villas, a very modern Thalasso & Spa and in excess of 15 Sports Academies: this level of variety cannot be rivalled anywhere in the world.

Thanks to these experiences, I can say that our graduates have five years advantage over their colleagues. Those who aim to become a top manager in a 5-star hotel will get the best training here. I am proud to say that our students often become our employees and colleagues. Plus, having completed training at Forte Village opens the doors of 5-star establishments all over the world: our rate for placements after our Masters is 99 per cent.

We are not just a school, but a constant source of inspiration

When will the next registrations be open to those who want to enrol?

You can register from January and our courses start in November. In the future, I see more and more competitive courses and also new Masters. To the students, I always say, “Do not save to buy a car, save to study. The car will come, for sure, but by then you will have earned it. Here you can build your future and it will be a 5-star one.” We also have many scholarships available, plus arrangements with financial providers and credit institutions to ensure students have the funds to complete the course.

You are dedicated to service and training, but what makes the Forte Village ethic so distinct?

Here there is a unique way to cater for our guests. What we aim for is maximum privacy, but above all we focus on flexibility and creativity. All 5-star establishments will fulfil the visitors’ wishes, but we do it with an extra level of commitment and this is what the students who attend the Masters learn. In our Masters, we teach bespoke hospitality and how to meet needs even before they have been expressed; we put the extra ingredient of “Made in Italy” into it.

I also found great professionalism and, above all, a responsibility towards the future. Looking ahead five years, we have already introduced a module on sustainability, which will be essential in the world of hospitality in years to come. Here, at Forte Village, we have a vision.