Giovanni Angelini a Guest Speaker at Second WIT*e in Singapore

Giovanni Angelini, the former CEO of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, and who fully retired from the group in April, will be the guest speaker at the second WIT*e – Inspiration & Mentoring on June 25 in Singapore.

Angelini will share his story and experiences gained from 46 years in the hospitality business in an interview with Yeoh Siew Hoon, WIT’s producer.

“I’ve known Giovanni for a long, long time and in his long career, he’s been an inspiration and mentor to many,” said Siew Hoon.

Staff of Shangri-La have called Angelini’s departure the end of an era for a group that grew by leaps and bounds under his tenure. Under his watch, staff turnover was kept at a minimum, an accomplishment he was personally proud of.

Angelini was known to be obsessed with people issues and believed that a company’s success rested on the quality of its people and that people needed to be taken care of.

Angelini was appointed CEO and Managing Director in July 1999. He remained on the board after his retirement was announced. In March, he left the board, saying it was time to take a break after more than four decades in the business.

He’s won several awards including Asia Pacific Hotelier of 2005 by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, recognised for “his achievements in and dedication to the Asia Pacific hotel industry and a steadfast commitment to excellence”.

Angelini’s commitment to people can be traced back to his childhood. His formative years were spent in a small town called Castignano within the Marche region on the Adriatic Coast of Italy.

It had a population of 3,000 and everyone knew each other and helped each other like a big family.

“My father was so uneasy when he had an argument with someone,” Angelini told All Business in an interview in 2006. “Growing up in that environment, one learns a lot in terms of values, attitude, respect and sense of belonging.”

He added: “To this day, I feel very uncomfortable to manage in a harsh way.”

And his favourite part of being a leader: “I love to develop people and see people achieving their career and professional goals.”

The second WIT*e will be held at Cinnamon Room, Level 5, Novotel Clarke Quay, from 6-9.30pm. An entrance fee of Sin$20 covers food, drinks and plenty of inspiration.

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