A French and American citizen and a hotelier by heart for over three decades, Laurent Boisdron has served and led various properties in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Today, he helms Lanson Place Mall of Asia Manila.

With a degree in Hospitality Management, majoring in Food and Beverage at Nantes Université — Campus de La Roche-sur-Yon in France, Laurent pursued master's courses at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, with additional professional internships and management training programs.

Over the years, he has held key positions in several top-echelon properties, such as The Hilton, Radisson Hotel Group and Accor. Today, he is the vice president and general manager of Lanson Place Mall of Asia Manila, which houses 247 hotel rooms and 143 room-serviced suites.

Laurent's incredible sense of humor influences his leadership approach. It is his way of breaking the ice between sessions, making the attendees feel comfortable and allowing them to showcase their abilities. He is stern — yes — but he keeps the conversation light as much as possible to not discourage the individuals he is speaking with, for he feels that anxiety and fright may cause them to shut down and thus prevent them from exhibiting their potential.

Though no two days are the same, the GM describes a typical day. "To be more exact, I enjoy a cup of tea, then do my rounds around the hotel, checking in with guests and also with the employees," he started.

"I greet them with full energy and address any issues that need attention so they can be resolved immediately. This is followed by a morning meeting with the leaders for their daily updates and what to expect for the day," the gentleman continued.