THE PATH OF MY LIFE
I am a culinary expert born in 1982 in a village near Rome, Genzano di Roma in Italy.
I am 38 years old, with a strong personality, an outgoing person, with a passion for traveling and discovering a new multicultural lifestyle. I love photography, practicing sport, most football, kickboxing, watching historical and action movies, reading poetry, and listening to all genres of music.
I come from a big family of bakers, restaurateurs, and artisanal pasta makers, a destiny in the blood, that I discovered with maturity time.
Brother of two sisters, one younger and one older, both living in Genzano di Roma, and I am married to a Kazakh woman. I am father of three beautiful boys, Samuele, Mansur and Rayyan Leonardo.
During my childhood, from 6 years old until 20, I tried to develop my dream career as a professional footballer goalkeeper. I achieved higher level at age of 13, when the third team of Rome, Lodigiani brought me to discover professional football around Italy, however, at 20 years old, when I understood that my life path was a different one, I left the football life to travel around the world.
I studied in a language high school and my first culinary hospitality experience was with "St. Regis Grand", 5 stars luxury hotel in Rome.
After two years, I decided to take new experience in another top hotel in Rome, Rocco Forte Hotel De Russie, where I am been working one year before starting my world culinary journey.
In Rome, I am been learning the basics of Italian and international cuisine, and at the age of 23, I decided to go over the borders and discover the world.
My first international experience was with the Hilton Amsterdam, where I had worked for the fine dining restaurant “Roberto’s”, with whom I got many satisfactions.
Determinate to achieve the best in my career, during the experience in Nederland, I decided to continue my study for hospitality with a bachelor's degree in “Tourism management”.
The path taken with the Hilton of Amsterdam became too tight for my high career expectation, so the new path brought me to the Middle East.
This time a new cultural lifestyle was waiting for me, Ras Al Khaimah, a city near Dubai; The Hilton Resort and spa became my new house.
With the position of Sous chef in charge of Italian restaurant “Piacere del Gusto”, I achieved immediately the top goal of my career with caterer awards in 2009, as higher commended sous chef of the year in the Middle East.
With my Italian savoir-faire, I had conquered immediately the guests in the Middle East.
Time to rest or continue to grow for new goal achievements?
Of course, the answer was, "No time to stop"
I decided to take one step back and renew my culinary knowledge.
After been a month around Indonesia, relaxing and discovering new culinary flavors, I went back to Italy for just six months, working in the beauty of Sicily island for a summer season with Hilton Giardini Naxos.
Recharged me and full of motivations, I accepted a new challenge, again in the Middle East.
This time in Doha, Qatar, with another important Hotel chain, Marriott, where I am being in charge as Italian chef for one of the most popular restaurants in Doha during 2011 and 2012, “Cucina” the traditional Italian "trattoria".
However, I was no longer satisfied to be only an Italian chef, and at the right moment, I decided to take my biggest challenge as Executive chef and signed a new contract for the opening of the first five stars resort in Kazakhstan with the Rixos hotel chain.
Before traveling in Kazakhstan, I was some months around the south of Asia.
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, and Hong Kong. The flavors of Asia opened to me a fusion culinary vision, that I had developed during the years.
From the hot weather of the Middle East to the Siberian winter.
In Kazakhstan, and precisely the capital city of Astana, I grew as an executive chef, training and coaching local young chefs, developing the new culinary concept for hospitality schools of the Borovoe areas.
After taking the best of this adventure, In 2014 he decided to move forward and back with Marriott hotels, I got an opportunity to open the Renaissance hotel Minsk, Belarus, as Executive chef.
Two years full of challenges and satisfaction, where I was discovered to be a great influencer and motivator for a new culinary lifestyle in the country. I was the first chef in Belarus to create Sunday brunches, culinary workshops, great catering concepts for all Embassies events, big company meetings, and professional football clubs, like Spain, Barcellona, Porto, Fiorentina just to name some.
The social media and press were obviously attracted by my new culinary style, I am being part of different culinary and promotional campaign programs, most important was The eight-day journey of the UN70 Belarus Express for Sustainable Development Goals train was a shared dream of the United Nations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus that aimed to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations and to promote the 17 SDGs adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015, where I am been part of the culinary TV shows.
At 34 years old, I am been achieving the highest qualification within hospitality hotels as an Executive chef, and the time for the new page of my career was behind the door.
In 2016, I enter as a Culinary consultant for one of the most popular culinary institutes of Italy, I.C.I.F., "Italian culinary institute for foreigners".
I am been traveling in different countries to develop and train chefs, supporting the request of restaurateurs, hotels, and catering companies.
At the end of 2017, an unexpected call from Saudi Arabia, brought me, back to the Middle East.
The best challenge of my career was opened with Royal palaces kitchen, until today, I am responsible of the officials catering events for the government.
During the last four years, I had the opportunity to cook for, Arab Summits, Islamic conferences, Gulf summits, the Holy Makkah events, Ramadan and Hajj, and for important world states leaders.
I never stop developing my management skill, continually studying, taking certificates for master executive project management, food safety manager certificate, developing a diet and nutrition view, the new Nordic diet study, and a certificate for business English language.
To close, I had just ended the study of a mini-MBA certificate.
My career is in continuing ongoing and day by day achieving new goals.
I wrote my first culinary book “The taste of my steps”, a culinary journey around the world describing the beauty of food cultures.
The most important thing in my life is “never stop to learn and continually challenge myself ”
His future goals are among a family lifestyle and businessman in the world.
