Club  Med  Career  Profile    Michael  Clarke,  Chef  de  Village  (General  Manager),  Club  Med  Turkoise    

   Michael  John  Clarke  is  a  30-­‐year-­‐old  who  works  in  the  coveted  role  of  Chef  de  Village  (General  Manager)  for  Club  Med’s  pristine  Caribbean  resort,  Club  Med  Turkoise.      Queensland-­‐raised,   Michael   attended   school   at   Clairvaux   Mackillop   College   in   Southern   Brisbane   and  completed  a  Bachelor  of  International  Hotel  and  Tourism  Management  at  the  University  of  Queensland.        Following  his  university  graduation,  Michael  went  on  a  family  holiday  to    Club  Med  Lindeman  Island  (now  closed),  where  his  interest  in  the  Club  Med  ‘spirit’  was  sparked.  He  was   inspired  by   the  unique  and   fun  attitude  of   the  resort  staff,  and  the  opportunity  that  a  career  with  Club  Med  would  give  him  to  travel  the  world  and  gain  life  experience.      Upon  his  return,  Michael  successfully  applied  for  a  role  as  a  golf  instructor  at  Club  Med  Cherating  Beach  (Malaysia),  starting  his  career  with  Club  Med  that  has  now  spanned  for  almost  a  decade.  During  the  past  nine  years,  Michael  has   worked   in   various   instructor   and   management   roles   at   over   eight  different   Club  Med   resorts   in   all   corners   of   the   world,   from   Kabira   Beach  (Japan)  to  Colombus  Isle  (Bahamas),  Marrakech  (Morocco)  and  Bintan  Island  (Indonesia).      Michael  is  now  the  Chef  De  Village  (General  Manager)  at  Club  Med’s  Turkoise  resort  –  a  role  that  requires  six  months  of  intensive  training  following  appointment,  from  Club  Med’s  Paris  head  office.  This  is  the  most  senior  resort  position,  and  requires  Michael  to  oversee  all  operations  of  the  Turkoise  village.  At  any  given  time,  he  is  responsible  for  managing  upwards  of  1,500  people  from  over  20  different  nationalities,  including:    

• Senior   management   team:   Five   key   department   managers   that   report   directly   to   him,   including   a  Human  Resource  Manager,  Finance  Manager,  Maintenance  Manager,  Hotel  Services  Manager  and  the  Leisure  Services  Manager.    

• GO  team  (resort  staff):  over  100  GOs  who  work  in  instructor  roles    • GE  team  (local  staff):  over  200  maintenance,  cleaning  and  supply  chain  staff    • Resort  guests:  between  400-­‐1,000  guests  depending  on  the  time  of  year    

 Overall,   Michael   is   responsible   for   day-­‐to-­‐day   operations   of  the   resort,   co-­‐coordinating   team   leaders,   budgeting   and  projections   for   the   resort   and   reporting   to   regional  management.  He  is  also  in  charge  of  daily  staff  (GO)  programs  for  the  activities  and  entertainment   in  the  resort  and  liaising  with  local  media  and  local  government.    In  addition  to  these  responsibilities,  he  embodies  the    Club  Med   spirit   and   shares   it  with   staff   and   guests,  with   an  

upbeat   personality,   strong   communication   skills,   as   well   as   a   professional,   entertaining,   creative   and  welcoming   attitude.   This   ensures   guests   experience   what   Club   Med   is   all   about   –   creating   special   holiday  memories   in  a  premium  all-­‐inclusive  environment   through  delicious   food,   fun  activities,   relaxation,  discovery  and  entertainment.    

 Michael’s   role  requires  him  to  be  very  hands-­‐on  with  his   team  and  resort  guests,  and  he   loves  being   ‘on  the  field’  on  the  resort   floor,  acting  as  the  face  of  the  resort.  This  sees  Michael  wear  many  different  hats  all   in  a  day’s  work,  from  friend,  counselor  and  advisor,  to  security  guard  and  entertainer.      

 Michael’s  favourite  part  of  the  job  is  seeing  his  team  and  the  guests  interact  and  have   fun   together,   as   well   as   welcoming   returning   guests.   He   is   an   avid  entertainer,  and  loves  being  a  part  of  the  shows  that  Club  Med  is  renowned  for.  In   his   nine   years  with   Club  Med,  Michael   has   travelled   the  world,   experiencing  different  cultures  and  learning  languages  along  the  way.  He  is  now  conversational  in  French  and  Japanese,  and  is  currently  working  on  improving  his  Mandarin.      Future  gazing,  Michael  is  interested  in  returning  to  one  of  Club  Med’s  Asia  resorts  in  a  General  Manager  role,  to  support  business  expansion  in  this  region.