Game Changers by CS

Christophe Sadones
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Game Changers by CS is a conversation with the people shaping hospitality, design, food, retail, and luxury around the world. Christophe Sadonès interviews founders, chefs, designers, hoteliers, and creatives to understand what truly makes places unforgettable.

  1. 2d ago

    Achim Lenders | Chief Operating Officer, Conduit House & Former Global SVP, Rosewood — What Hospitality Taught Him About Leadership

    Luxury Hospitality Strategist. Global Operator. Brand Builder. A global hospitality leader with senior operational experience across Rosewood, Hyatt and Starwood. Exploring leadership, operational excellence and the making of world-class hospitality brands. Achim Lenders started working in a kitchen at just 14 years old. What followed was a career that took him from chef to senior leadership roles across Hyatt, Starwood and Rosewood, overseeing hotels, restaurants and operations around the world. But this conversation is not simply about career progression. It is about what leadership costs.What pressure teaches you.And what it takes to keep growing over decades. Achim reflects on the discipline required to build strong foundations, the failures that taught him the most and why growth often begins when you deliberately leave your comfort zone. We discuss the difference between a manager and a leader. Why great hotels and restaurants need soul and character. Why one high performer can sometimes damage an entire team. And why true leadership means creating a vision people understand — even when you are no longer in the room. The conversation also becomes personal. Achim speaks about missed family milestones, the support of his wife, the loneliness that can come with senior leadership and the importance of writing down clear goals. One of his most powerful habits was remarkably simple. He invested 10% of his salary in his own development and dedicated one hour every day to learning. Simple. But imagine the compound effect over decades. Talent helps. But discipline, curiosity and the willingness to keep improving are what build a career that lasts. What are you deliberately doing today to become the leader you want to be tomorrow?

  2. Sep 8

    El Willy, Spanish Master Chef and Restaurateur | What 30 Years in Restaurants Really Taught Him

    Chef Willy Trullàs Moreno has spent nearly three decades building restaurants, leading teams and developing a style of cooking that carries his Spanish roots across Asia. But behind the food is a much bigger story about discipline, curiosity, adaptability and how a definition of success changes over time. Growing up in Catalonia, food was already part of the rhythm of life. Wild mushrooms in the Pyrenees, seasonal produce, family meals and restaurant visits eventually led Willy into professional kitchens. His training in France exposed him to extraordinary precision and discipline, but also to an intensity that shaped the kind of leader he later chose to become. He kept the standards, but changed the culture. That balance runs throughout his career. Willy believes in serious preparation, exceptional ingredients and consistency, but also in creating an environment where people feel respected and motivated. His restaurants combine Spanish identity with an understanding of how people actually eat in places such as Shanghai and Bangkok. The conversation also explores what happens beyond the plate. Willy speaks about learning from Ferran Adrià, Joël Robuchon and Pierre Gagnaire, travelling to meet producers, studying markets before opening restaurants, making mistakes even after decades of experience and understanding why the customer ultimately decides whether an idea succeeds. Perhaps most importantly, his idea of ambition has evolved. There was a time when success meant opening the next restaurant and chasing the next opportunity. Today, it also means protecting time with his family, being present for his children and continuing to cook without allowing growth to consume everything else. This is a conversation about becoming a better chef, but also about becoming a better leader and knowing what is worth protecting along the way. How has your definition of success changed as you have grown? Willy Trullàs Moreno | Chef, Restaurateur and Hospitality Leader Follow WORLD OF CS if you want to master hospitality and leadership

  3. Aug 26

    Antonio Lai | Founder and Owner of Quinary | The Bartender Who Refused To Stop Learning

    Antonio Lai was 16 years old when he went to hospitality training school. His school results weren't great. So he got a certificate in food and beverage and housekeeping and started looking for work. Nobody wanted an 18-year-old checking them in at a hotel. So he ended up as a server. Then one day he saw a bartender juggling bottles like Tom Cruise. He knew immediately: that's what I want to do. Years passed. He worked his way up through nightclubs during the golden era of cocktails. But something was missing. He wanted to create something different. At 30 years old, he went to Italy for barista training. While there, he found a book about molecular mixology. Caviar. Lasers. Different techniques to create drinks. He thought: this is it. He taught himself. Went to London. Went to Spain. Learned from pioneers. Paid for everything himself. Nobody in Hong Kong was doing this. So he decided to be first. He met Charlene through a mutual connection. She had money. He had knowledge. Together they opened Quinary in 2012. The first year, they made Asia's 50 Best list. Year after year, consistently ranked. While bars opened and closed around them, Quinary stayed. How? Consistency. From the drinks to the service. Every day, whether in Hong Kong or traveling globally, Antonio bars hops. Tastes drinks. Learns. He still makes drinks behind the bar. He still shows up. After 12 years, most bars are gone. Quinary is still here. Because he refused to copy what everyone else was doing. Because he stayed curious. Because he believed in basics first, innovation second. His advice to young bartenders: learn to walk before you run. Master the classics. Then innovate. What would you create if you had to be first at it? Follow WORLD OF CS if you want to master hospitality and leadership

  4. Aug 11

    Richard Ekkebus | Culinary Director, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong and Director of Culinary Operations and Food & Beverage: Why This Three Michelin Star Chef Is Completely Different

    Most chefs who achieve three Michelin stars change. They become guarded. Protective of their legacy. Comfortable with what they've built. Richard Ekkebus did the opposite. The night his restaurant achieved three stars, he couldn't sleep. He made a mental list of 40 things that still needed improvement. Forty ways to get better at something he'd already achieved perfection in. His journey began in his grandparents' restaurant in Holland, foraging wild berries as a child. His father was an engineer and didn't want him to become a chef. He saw the sacrifice. The missed family moments. The lifestyle cost. But at 16, Richard felt something in those kitchens. An energy. A discipline. A calling. He started as a kitchen porter. Worked under two mentors who defined his entire philosophy. Robert Carnivore taught him excellence. But Guy Savoy taught him something more important: that kitchens don't need to be abusive. That teamwork beats fear. That culture is built through connection, not control. At Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Richard leads multiple concepts. Not to multiply revenue. To create different ways for guests to experience something meaningful. A Michelin restaurant. A casual bistro. A champagne bar. Each one a reflection of the same principle. His core philosophy comes from Jean-Pierre Chome: "We cannot be more royal than the king." We are servants to our guests. That's where our dignity comes from. Most chefs protect three stars. Richard uses them as evidence that the work continues. That curiosity matters more than comfort. That excellence is a direction, not a destination. Are you protecting your success or are you continuing to evolve? Follow WORLD OF CS if you want to master hospitality and leadership

  5. Aug 11

    Daniel Boulud | Chef and Restaurateur, Founder of The Dinex Group. Master Chef. Restaurateur. Mentor :  4 Decades Of Culinary Excellence And Legacy

    What does it take to stay at the top for more than four decades? Daniel Boulud grew up on a farm near Lyon. His parents had honesty, passion, and pride in what they did. And those values transpired through everything he has done. The table was always ready. The door was always open. The family would sit together, cook together, share together. His father worked the farmer's market every Saturday with 30 to 40 feet of stall—vegetables, cheese, eggs, rabbits, duck, squab, baby goats. Everything from the farm. And every week, the customers were the same. The loyalty was built on trust. On relationship. On earning confidence week after week. That foundation never left him. Whether it's building restaurants in New York, Washington, Hong Kong, or anywhere in the world—it's the same principle. Trust. Relationship. Earning loyalty. But there's something else that sustains a career this long that people don't talk about. The sacrifice. The difficulty of disconnecting from the work to have a life. Chefs choose a profession rewarded by talent and creativity. But it's hard to turn it off. To be present for things that matter outside the kitchen. That's the real cost of staying at the top for 40 years. Not the Michelin stars. Not the restaurants. But the constant choice to give everything to the work, knowing what that costs you. The ones who last are the ones willing to pay that price. What are you willing to sacrifice for mastery? Follow WORLD OF CS if you want to master hospitality and leadership

  6. Aug 11

    Susan Jung | Food Columnist, Vogue Hong Kong and Academy Chair | The Woman Who Shaped Asian Food | Luck, Journalism & Culinary Power in Asia

    She didn’t set out to shape Asian food culture.She simply followed work, curiosity, and timing. From pastry kitchens to becoming one of the most influential food editors and voices in Asia, Susan Jung’s journey sits at the intersection of luck, discipline, and instinct. This conversation goes beyond food.It’s about how taste is documented, how chefs become legends, and how cities like Hong Kong helped define modern Asian dining. We explore: * The accidental path from pastry chef to editor * How hospitality shaped her judgment * The rise of Asian culinary identity * Why humility matters more than opinion in food criticism * And what truly defines “great hospitality” today Not a story about fame.A story about presence, timing, and paying attention long enough to matter. Subscribe to WORLD OF CS for more conversations with the people shaping luxury, hospitality, culture, and world-class experiences.

  7. Aug 11

    Yannick Lintz, President, Musée national des arts asiatiques | How Museums Will Lead The Future 

    Museums are at a crossroads. Most operate as repositories of the past. But some are reimagining what they can become. Yannick Lintz leads one of Europe's most important institutions dedicated to Asian arts. But his vision extends far beyond traditional curation. He's building bridges. Between East and West. Between history and future. Between the past that museums preserve and the conversations they can create. This isn't about displaying more artifacts or attracting bigger crowds. It's about transforming the museum's role entirely. Opening research centers that connect scholars across continents. Creating spaces like Guimet House that blend cultural traditions in unexpected ways. Understanding that culture isn't static—it's alive, evolving, demanding dialogue. The museums that matter in the next generation won't be the ones with the biggest collections. They'll be the ones brave enough to become platforms. To facilitate exchange. To create bridges where walls used to stand. As a cultural leader, Yannick understands this. His work at Musée Guimet isn't about perfecting the past. It's about building the future by connecting the cultures that shape it. This is what leadership looks like in a world that's more connected but more divided than ever. It's about using institutions to bring people together. To create understanding. To prove that the deepest connections happen when we stop seeing cultures as separate and start seeing them as part of one larger story. What will your institution become when it stops preserving and starts connecting? Follow WORLD OF CS if you want to master hospitality and leadership

  8. Aug 11

    Arnaud Orsel, Le Château du Clos de Vougeot | What He Taught Me About Hospitality & Heritage

    Most people think Burgundy is about wine. After spending time with Arnaud Orsel, Managing Director of Le Château du Clos de Vougeot, I discovered it is about something much deeper. Stewardship. The belief that we do not own heritage. We protect it, enrich it, and pass it on. For more than 900 years, Le Château du Clos de Vougeot has preserved tradition, hospitality, craftsmanship and culture while remaining relevant to each new generation. In this conversation, Arnaud shares insights on Burgundy, the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, exceptional hospitality, and the responsibility of being a custodian of something greater than yourself. One idea stayed with me: We are not owners of heritage. We are custodians of it.

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About

Game Changers by CS is a conversation with the people shaping hospitality, design, food, retail, and luxury around the world. Christophe Sadonès interviews founders, chefs, designers, hoteliers, and creatives to understand what truly makes places unforgettable.

Information

  • Creator
    Christophe Sadones
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Christophe Sadones
  • Show Website
    Game Changers by CS