Interview
Genevieve Masson
Hello Geneviève,
A graduate of the École Hôtelière de Genève, she successfully transformed her passion for service into a career in finance. Now Data & Doc Organization Specialist at UBS in Toronto, she uses her hospitality skills to optimize internal processes.
A bold and inspiring journey from hospitality to data analysis.
Could you tell us about your decision to join the École Hôtelière de Genève and what motivated you to choose this path?
After graduating from high school with a literary baccalaureate at the age of 18, I had only one desire:
TRA-VAIL-LER (laughs). I loved languages and being in contact with people, so it was an obvious choice to apply for a position as a reception trainee at the Mövenpick in Lausanne. I stayed there for almost two years, and that experience made me want to continue in that direction.
When it came to choosing an institution to study at, EHG was a natural choice. At the Open Day, I loved the conviviality, simplicity and family spirit of the school.
How did the teaching and environment at the École Hôtelière de Genève shape your first steps in the professional world?
Unlike some of my fellow students who already had a solid background in the hotel industry, I came to EHG almost as a novice, but very enthusiastic about learning new things and perhaps finding my way. The EHG gave me the first clues to start my working life in the industry, but above all it helped me to identify what I would like and what I wouldn’t like in my future career. Alternating theory and practice was the essential basis of my first professional reflections, and today I readily admit that establishments like the EHG are remarkable boosters of self-knowledge.
What were the main things you learned from your experiences at Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts and Restaurant Minuit Soleil? What were your responsibilities and what challenges did you encounter?
Without hesitation, the three things I’ve learned are: organization, stress management and patience! (laughs)
As chef de rang, I was responsible for a service station as well as my own cash register. My hours alternated between morning and evening shifts. As I had little experience in the restaurant business, my main challenges were essentially related to consistency of service excellence and agility. The golden rule is to take responsibility and laugh at yourself! It’s good for you, and customers often appreciate this way of playing down an incident.
You held the position of Executive Assistant, Associate Director before becoming Data & Doc Organization Specialist. How have these roles evolved over the years, and what key skills have you developed at UBS?
I worked for 11 years at the UBS Romandie head office in Lausanne as a management assistant, and the first 2-3 years were mainly devoted to learning about the banking world: I was learning on the job as I went about my daily activities. I then progressed naturally until I became my manager’s famous “right-hand man”. I then developed skills such as administrative management in all its forms (taking minutes, writing letters and speeches, calibrating diaries), managing a wide variety of projects and consolidating financial analyses. At the same time, I took the opportunity to obtain my “brevet fédéral d’assistante de direction”.
My current role as Data & Doc Organization Specialist at UBS in Toronto focuses on project management. I develop procedures to optimize the efficiency of my department, particularly in terms of workplace organization, and I create training material.
What are the main responsibilities of your current role and how do you use your hotel management skills in a financial context?
In order to produce the best possible training material for my colleagues, I have to work closely with them to understand what they do, how they do it and then manage to translate this into procedures. It’s a challenge because I have to make sure that any third party is able to understand how to perform a specific task without any prior practice.
Whether in the hotel business or in finance, we all work to serve our customers, whether they are external customers in the case of financial advisors, or internal customers in functions such as mine. Only the product differs, but the interest in the customer and the willingness to provide the best possible support remain the same. These days, it’s very common to find people with hotel backgrounds in the banking world.
What advice would you give current students at the École Hôtelière de Genève to help them succeed in today's professional world?
Listen to your aspirations as they evolve throughout your life, and don’t hesitate to think outside the box.
Keep abreast of developments in the job market, and make sure your personal requirements are in line with your professional obligations.
Stay humble. Nourish yourself both with the teachings you receive and the people you meet.
How do you see your career developing over the next few years? Do you have any specific goals you'd like to achieve?
In the short term, I’m thinking of reconnecting with my job as an executive assistant, which I left aside during this expatriation to Toronto. However, if a move to a new country were to take place, I wouldn’t turn down an unexpected opportunity.
In the medium-to-long term, I’d like to set up my own business in organizational management. I’m letting myself go for now, but I’m already thinking about it…
We’d like to extend our warmest thanks to Genevieve Masson for sharing her experience and unique perspectives. Her experiences, combining the art of hospitality with the rigor of finance, provide invaluable inspiration for our students and all professionals aspiring to diversify their skills and push back the boundaries of their careers. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors, confident that she will continue to bring her innovative spirit and excellence wherever she goes.
