Biography
He is the founder of Hospitality Innovation Academy in Florence, the postgraduate training academy to enhance and disseminate Italian hotel tourism know-how and develop new talent through innovation and technology. An innovative manager, he began his career in the hospitality sector in Scotland, working in prestigious hotels including The Balmoral in Edinburgh. On his return to Italy, he worked at Hotel Baglioni in Florence and for Cigahotels at the Excelsior. He was Deputy Director of Hotel Brunelleschi in Florence and then continued his career as General Manager. He worked for the American company Sonesta International Hotels and Resorts and created the company ToFlorence Hotels, which includes Plaza Lucchesi, Villa Olmi and Mulino di Firenze, overseeing its expansion to date. In 2008, he founded BTO – Buy Tourism Online, the first conference on technology in tourism in Italy, which he directed for 10 years. Since 2012, he has been the Italian analyst for the American research company PhoCusWright.