Start: ASAP

Salary: Negotiable

Languages: Italian and English

Location: Milan

My client is an iconic luxury venue in Milan and is seeking an exceptional General Manager to lead its operations, guest experience, commercial performance, and people strategy.

This is a high-profile leadership role for a hospitality professional who understands that true luxury is defined by personal recognition, emotional intelligence, flawless execution, and the ability to make every guest feel genuinely at ease.

The successful candidate will combine refined hospitality instincts with strong operational discipline, commercial awareness, and the confidence to lead a large, diverse team in one of Milan’s most prestigious environments.

Role Purpose

The General Manager will have overall responsibility for the venue’s day-to-day operation, financial performance, service culture, reputation, and long-term development.

This role requires a highly visible and hands-on leader who is present on the floor, knows the venue’s guests and team members personally, anticipates needs before they are expressed, and ensures that every interaction reflects the standards of an iconic luxury destination.

Outstanding luxury leadership depends on the balance between guest satisfaction, team performance, profitability, and emotional intelligence.

Key Responsibilities

Guest experience and luxury standards

• Create a consistently exceptional and highly personalised guest experience across every area of the venue.
• Build genuine relationships with regular, influential, and high-profile guests, remembering preferences, occasions, and personal details.
• Ensure guests are welcomed with warmth, discretion, confidence, and effortless professionalism.
• Personally oversee VIP arrivals, private events, special occasions, and sensitive guest requirements.
• Anticipate guest needs and resolve concerns quickly, discreetly, and generously.
• Establish service standards that are refined, natural, and never mechanical.
• Ensure every detail—from arrival and ambience to farewell—is delivered with precision.

VIP and high-profile guest management

• Act as the senior point of contact for VIP guests, owners, celebrities, international visitors, and strategic partners.
• Develop trusted relationships with private offices, luxury brands, concierge services, hotels, embassies, corporate clients, and influential local networks.
• Manage confidential information with absolute discretion.
• Coordinate bespoke arrangements, security requirements, privacy expectations, and personalised experiences.
• Protect the venue’s reputation by responding calmly and decisively to sensitive or high-pressure situations.

Operational leadership

• Take full responsibility for the smooth, efficient, and profitable operation of the venue.
• Lead all operational departments, including front-of-house, food and beverage, events, guest relations, reservations, finance, security, and facilities.
• Establish and maintain operating procedures, quality standards, service protocols, and performance controls.
• Remain highly visible during peak periods, major events, VIP visits, and operationally sensitive moments.
• Ensure consistent coordination between departments and eliminate gaps in communication.
• Maintain the highest standards of presentation, cleanliness, ambience, safety, and maintenance.
• Use guest feedback, operational data, and team insight to drive continuous improvement.

Leadership and people development

• Lead, inspire, and develop a large multicultural team with clarity, respect, and consistency.
• Build a culture of accountability, pride, discretion, warmth, and service excellence.
• Set clear expectations and ensure that every team member understands the venue’s standards.
• Recruit, coach, mentor, and retain high-performing managers and frontline colleagues.
• Develop strong department heads and create clear succession plans.
• Ensure training is practical, continuous, and aligned with the venue’s luxury service philosophy.
• Recognise exceptional performance while addressing underperformance fairly and promptly.
• Lead by example through personal presence, composure, energy, and professional conduct.

Commercial and financial performance

• Own the venue’s budget, P&L, revenue performance, cost control, and profitability.
• Develop commercial strategies that strengthen revenue, average spend, repeat visitation, and client loyalty.
• Work closely with Sales, Marketing, Revenue, and Events teams to maximise business opportunities.
• Monitor financial performance, labour costs, productivity, purchasing, and supplier relationships.
• Identify opportunities to improve margins without compromising the guest experience.
• Present regular performance updates and strategic recommendations to ownership or the executive board.

Brand and reputation

• Safeguard and enhance the venue’s position as one of Milan’s leading luxury destinations.
• Ensure all guest touchpoints reflect the venue’s identity, values, and level of prestige.
• Collaborate with marketing and communications teams on brand positioning, partnerships, events, and public relations.
• Maintain strong relationships with the local luxury, fashion, business, cultural, and hospitality communities.
• Monitor guest feedback, media coverage, social reputation, and market developments.