SPECIAL REPORT
He makes sure to get to work early , before meeting with his staff at 9:15 a . m . to go over what worked and what didn ’ t — “ moments of delight and moments of opportunity ,” as he refers to them .
What if the moments that didn ’ t work dominate ? His personal assistant , Sophie Verneuil , says Leboeuf knows how to strike the right balance .
“ He ’ s quite cool about this , but he is quite firm , also ,” says Verneuil , who has also been with the property since its opening . “ When things have to be solved , they have to be solved . And it ’ s not about asking about what happened . It ’ s taking immediate actions .”
“ I say walk the talk , don ’ t talk the walk . I ’ m more about doing than speaking ,” Leboeuf says .
In his office at the Mandarin Paris , there sit three hats from the three “ C ’ s ” – the Crillon , The Carlyle and Claridge ’ s . There are piles of books that emphasize growth as an individual and a poster of the 2008 Owen Wilson film “ Marley & Me ” with
Leboeuf ’ s face superimposed over Wilson ’ s and his 9-year-old border terrier , Archie , subbing in for the golden retriever .
“ They ’ re really big buddies ,” says Verneuil of Archie , whom Leboeuf first got as a puppy while working at Claridge ’ s . “ Every Friday we have Archie , and it ’ s nice to have a dog . Because it soothes tension , breaks barriers . Guests come , they have little kids who like to see Archie . He ’ s our little mascot .”
There ’ s also a small meditating gold frog on his desk . The frog isn ’ t just for show . Meditation , and in turn , time management , is important for Leboeuf and he tries to prioritize it every day , even if for just a small moment .
“ Sometimes he does take five minutes , and we don ’ t disturb him . No phone calls , nothing . And it ’ s important just to refocus ,” Verneuil says .
Like many well-trained GMs , he walks through the rooms daily , especially the VIP ones . He checks the towels , turns on the TV and takes a look under the bed .
“ Let ’ s say that we have opportunities and shortcomings from clients and everything else ,” Verneuil says . “ But at the end of the day we are both in the office , and we say , ‘ OK . Job ’ s done . Everything is fine . Everything went smoothly .’”
“ I WANT MY SON TO DO BETTER ” Though Leboeuf has managed some of the world ’ s most prestigious hotels , he also has worked as head of housekeeping and understands the importance of seeing the property from all angles .
Born in Alsace , Leboeuf grew up in the countryside , “ the boondocks ,” as he puts it , with his mother , a brother and a professional soccer player – his father , who went on to open a diner-style restaurant later in life .
Like his father , Leboeuf had his sights set on sports , at the time volleyball . His mother , Maud , had other thoughts . “ My mother said , ‘ I want my son to do
22 hotelsmag . com November 2018