Stéphane Gauthier

Stéphane Gauthier is 47 years old, married, and a father of 3 children. He joined Best Western France in 1999 as Commercial and Marketing Director. In November 2002, he became General Director of Best Western France, and in this capacity, he fulfilled several roles: - Adaptation and implementation of the Best Western International policy - Definition and application of the 3-year strategic plan for Best Western France - Management and organization of the cooperative and its two subsidiaries (60 employees) - Ensuring compliance of the network with the Best Western quality charter - Development of the brand in France and Morocco - Growth of revenue for the reservation center and loyalty club - Financial control and management of the cooperative During his 12 years at the helm of the Best Western France cooperative network, he held several other positions: - Manager of Best Western Voyages (travel agency subsidiary) - Director of Proachat (supplier referencing subsidiary for hoteliers) - Member of the global IT and Marketing committee Holder of a Master's degree in international general management from ESSEC, Stéphane Gauthier has focused his entire career on the tourism and hospitality sector. He is now a professor and speaker in Master's programs in Service Marketing / Tourism / Hospitality / Revenue Management & Distribution / Web marketing and e-reputation / Franchise Network Management at several universities and business schools in Paris and the provinces. He advises investors on hotel acquisitions for turnaround targets with a new positioning that creates value for the buyer. He is a speaker at seminars on topics linking customer satisfaction impact and brand profitability, as well as the development of new hotel concepts. He is the owner of the Marguerite hotel in Orléans, which he operates with his wife.