Being from France, Alain Decesse has grown up with a love of food. He calls it “a passion, a lifestyle”, rather than just fuel for the body. “My grandparents are from the Champagne region,” he says. “Our usual Sunday lunch would start with a few nibbles and a glass of Champagne followed by hors d’oeuvre, charcuterie, a roast chicken, beef or lamb, before moving toward a green salad with a selection of cheese and dessert. It was three to four hours of feasting with plenty of conversation and laughter.”
It’s not surprising, then, that Alain is now CEO of Classified Group, a collection of neighbourhood cafe–workspaces that serves modern comfort food, coffee and wine. The CEO Magazine speaks to him about his journey into the restaurant industry, leadership and working in a cross-cultural environment.
Tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to become CEO of Classified Group?
If you had asked me 30 years ago if I aspired to be the CEO of a group of restaurants here in Hong Kong, the answer would have been hell no! But when I was 16, I knew that working in hospitality was what I wanted to do. My passion for food goes as far back as I can remember.
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