Gaspard in Thailand

My name is Gaspard, and I am an EHL graduate of 2015. I first joined the EHLsmile committee as Head of Projects and Events in 2013 before becoming President in 2014. Today, I am a French entrepreneur based in Paris.

After graduation, I decided to dedicate eight months to opening the Pimali Center in Thailand, a project I had been closely involved with during my years in the committee. What began as a simple PowerPoint presentation eventually grew into an official partnership and a fully operating center.

The Pimali Foundation is dedicated to fighting the exploitation of disadvantaged youth by offering them practical hospitality training once they complete their compulsory schooling. The program combines six months of intensive training at the center with a six-month internship in one of our partner hotels, giving young people the opportunity to build a career in the hospitality and tourism industry and achieve financial independence.

My mission was to oversee the opening of the hospitality training center, which included supervising the final phase of construction, recruiting and training a team of five instructors, designing the pedagogical program for students, establishing operational standards, and setting up processes for both operations and pedagogical control. I was also responsible for building relationships with local NGOs, national sponsors, and institutional partners, while ensuring the smooth running of the center’s day-to-day activities.

The most memorable moment of this experience was without doubt the opening day, when years of preparation and effort finally came to life. One of the greatest challenges was adapting to the complexity of the local culture; it was not always easy at first, and I quickly learned that things often moved at a slower pace than I was used to. This experience taught me patience, adaptability, and the importance of respecting local ways of working—learnings that continue to guide me today.