What do you always carry in your bag?
I always have to be ready to go anywhere in the world, so I always have my passport with me.
Do you have a mantra?
Getting out of my comfort zone all the time. It is important for me to do things that I have never done before. If life gives me this opportunity, I will jump at it.
Your best investment?
When I bought a plane ticket to New York in 1986, I went there for inspiration while looking for ideas. No internet! I was with my brother and we saw Morgan's Hotel on Madison Avenue, the world's first boutique hotel that opened two years ago. It started there.
Your greatest sporting achievement?
When I climbed M'Goun in the Central High Atlas of Morocco 10 years ago. It is not the highest mountain in the world, but walking on the surface is difficult and I climb it every evening by setting up my own tent. I've done other mountains, but M'Goun Peak was my biggest physical challenge.
How do you unplug?
I take a sauna, then go into a frozen lake. Unbelievable! When you're in the snow, I guarantee you won't think about anything else. Getting into water, experiencing thermal shock, your brain disconnects. It's a good feeling and good for everyone. Otherwise, a walk in the woods helps me unplug. I try to set an example for my grandchildren and put my cell phone away when I'm with them.
Ideal retirement?
I don't think much about retirement. Of course, as we get older, we think about slowing down and three words come to mind: health, happiness and sharing. Sharing knowledge and friendship. Throughout my career, things happened quickly, my life went by quickly. I haven't had much time to share moments with my friends over the years and I'm reaching a time in my life where I wish I could have that time with them. I also support entrepreneurs and I really enjoy it.
Who do you admire in the business world?
Lise Wattier. When she arrived in Quebec, she made an appointment at the same hair salon as me. I saw her and I was very impressed! If you look at what she did and when she did it… For example, being named “Businessman of the Month” in 1983, you have to! I know her a few years back and I see her occasionally. She is a great lady, she is always available and gives good advice. I admire him a lot.
What do you do when you need an idea?
I will drive. I love driving. I love the road. I like being in my car. I can only do one thing and maybe this is the only one. I'm not the kind of person who goes to stop, who writes on paper and says: I have to come up with an idea about this. I left it in my head. Then when I drive, the ideas come.
What sentence can you no longer stand?
It won't work. You want to do something and the person tells you: it won't work. This is often because people are resistant to change. So I say to them instead: Let's try to find a solution to make it work.
A good boss is someone who…
listen I'm not sure I always knew how to listen… When I started, my models were men and we weren't in listening mode, but in “do what I tell you” mode. I have developed a lot. However, whatever exists and what is given to me by my family should be fair and just. This is important. When it comes back to listening, the employer will know aspects of the organization that the employee is more or less aware of, but from the moment you listen and record what people are saying, you can adapt your decision so that employees follow you. A good boss is someone who brings people with him to grow the company and creates jobs that help people grow.
Who is Christian Germain?
Christiane Germain co-chairs the family business Germain Hotels with her brother Jean-Yves, which owns 19 hotels in Canada under the Le Germain, Alt and Escad brands.
She is also President of the Board of Directors of the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec.
She comes from a family of entrepreneurs; His parents, Victor and Huguette, became the owners of a tobacco shop and lunch counter, Buffet Henri-IV, in 1957.
In the mid-1970s, their father created Cassot, a real estate company with more than 1,000 homes (sold in 2003) and 600,000 square feet of commercial buildings, while Christian and Jean-Yves learned their skills at various restaurants, including Fiacre, St. Honoré, Cousin and Cousinier.
Together with her brother, she founded Germain Hotels in 1988 and opened Canada's first boutique hotel, the Germain-des-Prés (now the Alt Quebec Hotel).
Le Germain Québec Hotel (formerly Dominion 1912) opened in 1997, the first outside the province in Montreal in 1999 and in Toronto in 2003.
Alt Hotels, eco-responsible and avant-garde, launched in 2007.
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