Preparing the next generation
Starting out as Chief Financial Officer in 2012, Fabrice Collet was later appointed Chief Executive Officer, before becoming President in 2019. He has been one of the main architects shaping the transformation of B&B HOTELS. Under his leadership the group has accelerated its development, expanding activities in new markets and countries, while always maintaining the same high standards.
“Our growth is driven by a good, useful and appreciated product and by an ecosystem based on trust, committed teams, entrepreneurial hoteliers and investors who believed in our model. Even during the pandemic, we didn’t stop. While many put their products and services on hold, we continued to invest.”
Today as the group celebrates its 35th anniversary, Fabrice Collet has decided to hand over the reins to Celine Vercollier, so he can focus on strategic projects such as expanding in the US. “B&B HOTELS has become a complex worldwide enterprise. To go further, more than ever, we need to play as a team”. This means passing on both organisational and cultural savoir-faire and experience. “Georges Sampeur passed his experience on to me and now it’s my turn to share what I’ve learned with Céline. Passing on the flame is an integral part of our DNA. Because the company is much more than any one individual.”
Committed to responsible growth, Fabrice Collet is convinced that the success of the group depends on the wellbeing of each team member. “Among our hoteliers, some start out without any further education or sometimes even not speaking the local language. Today, they run our hotels. We’re proud of them. It’s our responsibility to create conditions to enable the next generation to thrive.”
35 years after opening the first hotel, for Fabric Collet, “Our values and potential have remained unchanged. The best is yet to come.”
