Hospitality & Catering News
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A hotel manager has thanked his family for helping him to prove the doubters wrong and achieve his career goal.
Massimo Berardi, 34, has been appointed as the new general manager at the Campanile Hotels in Northampton and Milton Keynes after being told by a previous boss he wasn’t ready for the role.
He said: “When I was in my early 20s and realised I could make a career out of hospitality, I told my boss that I wanted to run my own hotel by the time I was 30 – he told me that I wouldn’t be ready until I was at least into my mid-40s, which really de-motivated me at the time.
“I was determined to pursue my goal, so I left that particular hotel chain and gradually worked my way up to deputy manager level over a seven-year period working for the likes of the Ramada, Premier Inn and the Holiday Inn.
“I got to a stage where I was approaching my 30th birthday, and with seven months to spare I finally landed my first general manager role at the Days Inn in Luton before spending two years at Ramada hotels.
“Hopefully my story can inspire other young people out there to aim high and not give up on the targets they set themselves – if you stick at it then you will achieve it.
“Overseeing two Campanile hotels is an exciting challenge. The Northampton hotel has a lot of footfall coming in from commuters on the M1 motorway – particularly with the electric car charging points – while our Milton Keynes hotel is in the process of developing its potential as a community asset for events.”
Massimo was born in Kettering in 1983 to Italian parents Salvatore and Giuditta, after his father Salvatore originally moved to England from Italy in 1966 to build up enough money to build a house back at home.
After 15 years of sending money to Italy to build their own home however, the Berardi’s have remained in the UK ever since, and Massimo says he owes a lot to them.
He added: “My mum and dad had a terrific work ethic, and were out making a living so much that my seven-year-old sister Patrizia would look after me, which is why I still see her as a mother figure to this very day.
“I think seeing my parents go to work and never giving up on their goal of building a house back in Italy has rubbed off on me, which I’m very grateful for.
“Ironically after all of their efforts, I now live just five doors away from my mum and dad in St Albans, and the house they ended up building in Italy is now a holiday home that we all visit every year!”
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