Exercise helps ‘clear the mind and naturally provides some alone time to think’ – COO Edmond Bonett

A full-time job can be taxing both mentally and physically, requiring individuals to focus on their workload for a large portion of the day.

Business leaders in particular are faced with such an issue, as their working hours often extend beyond working hours, given they are responsible for whole teams and businesses.

Despite this, Corinthia Caterers Chief Operating Officer (COO) Edmond Bonett states that it is important to find time to be active and give oneself a mental break from work life.

In the latest instalment of this year’s MaltaCEOs.mt summer interview series, we spoke to Edmond about his personal and professional goals for the summer, together with what he enjoys doing the most during the hotter months.

He joined Corinthia Caterers last April, having amassed various years of experience within the hospitality and catering industry, both locally and abroad. As a hospitality industry veteran, summer is often the busiest part of the year for Edmond, yet this year, he is keen to make his physical and mental wellbeing a priority.

Are you a summer person, or do you prefer winter? Why?

I believe both have their pros and cons but if I had to choose, I’ll be more inclined to choosing winter, simply because of the heat we are exposed to on the island in the summer months.

However, in my years working and living in the UK, I did thoroughly enjoy summer, considering the temperatures reached were nothing like what we experience locally.

Are you looking forward to this summer in particular? Why?

Yes, children are on holidays, it’s nice and busy at work and I’m hoping to achieve some other personal goals I have set for myself.

What’s your favourite thing to do in the summer season? Why?

Switching on the air conditioning! Jokes apart, there isn’t anything in particular I can put my finger on. As mentioned earlier on, I’m one who prefers the winter months as opposed to the summer ones.

Do you prefer going out or staying inside during the hotter months?

I guess it has to be indoors for me as the heat at times is excessive. Considering how late summer started this year in terms of weather and the temperatures reached, I was hoping for an unusual season this year – and am possibly still hopeful!

Will you be going abroad this summer? If yes, where to and why? 

Nothing on the books as yet…

What’s your dream summer destination? Why?

A rather lengthy cruise with the family visiting particular parts of the world like North and South America would be nice, as it’s an area of the world I have personally never been to before. In my opinion cruising is great as apart from enjoying the many facilities on board, you’re most probably visiting a handful or more countries within a relatively short period of time.

What’s your best holiday experience?

A two-week Spanish Mediterranean Cruise with the family back in 2014. It was truly special for us at the time.

What’s your worst holiday experience?

This cannot be anything else but when a number of years ago I was traveling back to Malta following a holiday in Spain with some friends and ex-colleagues when a guy attempted to steal one of my suitcases at Madrid Airport. It remained an attempt though as I chased him all the way out of the airport and thankfully managed to claim it back!

Companies are encouraged to invest to stay ahead of the curve. As a business leader, how will you be investing in yourself this summer?

As mentioned earlier on, I have set some personal goals for myself and I am hoping to achieve them. The main one would be to get back to working out and following a healthier lifestyle as for one reason or another, I’ve gone off track recently. Apart from the obvious benefits tied to working out, it also helps clear the mind and naturally provides one some alone time to think, reflect, and possibly even relieve some stress.

From recharging your batteries to taking on a huge task – do you have any particular goals for the summer?

Nothing I haven’t mentioned already, although I’ve recently taken on a new role within my professional life which is a challenging one but at the same time, it’s proving to be very satisfying and also rewarding so that in itself is right up there on the rather short and very concise list I have.