Double Duty: Balancing Two Careers

Lars, like many people at Maritim Hotel Amsterdam, holds a dual role. He works as both a Duty Manager and an IT Executive.

“I grew up in beautiful Limburg, where I also completed the Hotel Management School Maastricht. When I was about 15, I worked as a dishwasher in a small restaurant. That’s when I fell in love with our wonderful profession. I enjoyed chatting with the chefs and sneaking behind the bar to make a few drinks for guests. One day, there was a staff shortage. Of course, I had no choice but to grab a tray and get to work. After hotel school, I ventured a bit further south and joined MCI, a marketing agency in Brussels. There, I realized I missed the hospitality industry too much, so I couldn’t pass up a challenge like this one.”

Split Personality

“Through Mart, our Head of Convention Sales, I found my way to Maritim. I know him from the wine club Caves d’Amphitryon of the HMSM student association. When I saw on social media that he started at Maritim Hotel Amsterdam, I called him right away and applied immediately. When I was hired as a Duty Manager, I was asked if I could support our IT Executive Joost during the pre-opening. I saw this as a great opportunity to step outside my comfort zone. This turned out so well that I now work as both a Duty Manager and IT Executive. Since both roles are mainly operational, I think dividing my attention between the two will happen quite organically. Do I have a split personality, haha? No, fortunately not. I always stay true to myself, both at work and outside of it. I think my colleagues can confirm that. By the way, there are more people within Maritim Hotel Amsterdam with dual roles. I’ve always been a proponent of cross-training and cross-departmental teams because it adds even more variety to the job. In a large hotel like Maritim, it’s also very useful for people to be multi-skilled.”

I’m the type who always brings my own container with food to work

Boot Camp

“My biggest passion outside of work is hockey. I played as a kid and continued during my student days. I’m always involved in sports and health. I’m the type who always brings my own container with food to work. In addition to my two roles, I am also a boot camp trainer at Maritim. Once a week, I conduct a boot camp with the team to make them fitter and healthier.”

Future Dream

“My future dream? I would love to become a Director of Operations, or COO, of a hotel. The operational side of a hotel fascinates me so much that leading it seems amazing. At Maritim now, I want to fully immerse myself in operations. In a few years, I hope to lead a team of motivated and cheerful people and look back on an incredible start for one of Amsterdam’s most beautiful hotels!”

Picture: Lissy Witte / text Vincent van Dijk