GUNNAR KUCHENBECKER

: Describe your typical day in a sentence.

Gunnar: My typical day is full of inspiration from meetings and team sessions, to activating guest experiences with that extra step. There are no standard days; all are special with much connection, motivating and driving creativity.

: So how did you come to be the Director of F&B for The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua?

G: My culinary career stretches for more than 24 years, involving Park Hyatt, Sofitel, Kempinski, Pullman, W Hong Kong and opening W Beijing Chang’an. I have been inspired by my experiences in Banten, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Beijing, Xi’an and Yinchuan. With all these experiences and my drive, I had the chance to join the fantastic team at The Laguna, and finally realise my dream of working in Bali.

: What’s the toughest part of your job?

G: Not being able to drive all my projects in a short time, since promotions need to be well planned and organised before being launched.

: What motivates you?

G: I love creativity and realising all my ideas. Having wellplanned projects that make people happy is my biggest motivation. Actually if the competition moves left, I try to move right to create differentiators. If the plan works out, that’s my biggest motivation.

: Would things fall apart if you weren’t around?

G: I am sure the team is very stable and doing a great job. All activities are planned within the team and will continue if I’m not around. It is my job is to pull the team together. It’s all about the team spirit and the winning culture, this is what I’m trying to spread.

: Who, in your team, deserves more recognition and why?

G: I am always praising the juniors on the ground since they do a lot to serve our customers but at the same time our seniors lead by example.

: Why should people come to The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua to dine?

G: Luxury Collection’s core values are the rare indigenous experiences that we include in everything we do. Our F&B concepts are stunning; Balinese flavours infused into Western cuisine using unique cooking techniques created by our Executive Chef Made Putra.

: Finally, any advice for those looking to break into the industry?

G: Don’t start working in the hospitality or gastronomy world. The fact is you need a lot of passion, energy and drive. It will take many years to have consistent attention to details. Hospitality is hard work and success happens outside the comfort zone. If you are ready to give up all you have learned, including old friends, please go ahead, be strong, work hard and your dream will come true one day.

Director of Food & Beverage at The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa,

Nusa Dua, Bali