Normality is ignored… Absurdity sells….

I have had the tremendous pleasure to work with Chef Yannis during our time at the Waldorf Astoria Lusail Doha in Qatar. Yannis was the Culinary Director and without a doubt, the opening and ongoing success of the resort would not have been possible without his professionalism, strategic planning and above all his world-class culinary knowledge. Over the years I have had the pleasure to work alongside some of the great Chefs and many culinary talents, but Yannis definitely stands out from them. Besides his ongoing hunger to improve, find and initiate new trends, he was also an exemplary leader with a great strategic and business acumen. One of his greatest strengths was also the way he built and managed his team during the pre-opening and operations phase. Besides the opening of the Resort, it is also important to mention that we managed the VIP guests and some senior personalities during the FIFA World Cup 2022, and the feedback about our culinary operation were the best I have ever seen. I would, without a doubt, work alongside Yannis at any time again. He is the consumate professional that is able to get the best out of his team and is also able to manage and handle franchise F&B and Culinary operations.

I first met Yannis at the Hilton Athens when he arrived from the Hilton Sydney to take up the position of Executive Chef. From the outset I was impressed with his culinary expertise and his passion to deliver consistent standards and the highest quality. In my role as Vice President F&B I visited the hotel regularly and Yannis was always well prepared for our operational reviews. He was extremely professional and demonstrated his strengths as a leader with good communication skills, teamwork and a dedication to training and development. He has many key attributes as a chef but would highlight his organizational skills, creativity, positive attitude, attention to detail and commercial focus. Following my departure from Hilton he continued to be successful and was chosen to be the Executive Chef for the opening of the Hilton Bomonti in Istanbul, a hotel with 829 rooms and the largest conference and banqueting operation in the city. It came as no surprise to hear that after a successful opening Yannis was awarded EMEA Chef of the Year Award in 2014. Since then, he has continued to progress his career as Director of Culinary and F&B Operations at the Conrad Dubai and his most recent appointment to Culinary Director for the opening of the Waldorf Astoria Doha, Qatar. He is truly one of the best and I am confident he will rise to his latest challenge.

I had the pleasure of working with Yannis for over 2 years, during that time he always fascinated us with his creativity and the development of various concepts. He is very passionate about his work, to the extent that it is difficult to compromise with anything less than perfect. I consider Yannis a true artist, with a mission to disrupt the F&B industry and bring it to the next level. He is very organized and analytical, which makes him command his department and team supremely. He creates a special bond with his team, that makes them look up to him as a leader and mentor, building loyalty over the years. I was so excited that Yannis won Caterer's ME award for Executive Chef of Year, a coronation of his efforts and dedication throughout his career. I will always remember the time spent with Yannis at Conrad Dubai and the changes made, I hope to be able to cooperate with him in the future.

Yannis is a high-level professional with strong leadership skills, dedicated to success and very strong organizational skills. Very creative, innovative and up-to-date with international culinary trends. He does not fear challenges or executing new ideas.