See below for staff bio's and photos
We know that our staff are crucial to being successful - and feedback from previous guests' questionnaires reinforces this with comments like:
"The staff you encounter in any service industry can make or break a holiday. The warmth, courtesy, charm and dedication of the team..was second to none."
"The staff's attitude and friendliness was what made the holiday special. Nothing was too much trouble. Your staff always speak very highly of you and the way they are looked after - they are clearly very happy working for you and that transmits to the guests."
"Staff could not have been better. The best service we have received, even in Leading Hotels of the World."
"A superb team who really know how to get the balance right between service and friendliness."
We take pride not only in making sure that our guests have the best possible skiing holiday, but also on being a great company to work for. We hire people based on their skills, experience and attitude and expect the highest standards of work from them, but in return, we make sure that they are well rewarded and get to spend the most time possible enjoying themselves. Our staff often return for more than one season!
Details of the new team so far are below:
| Head Office | |
| Michael Broom Smith, Owner and Founder | Karen Broom Smith, Operations Director |
| Laura Egan - Admin Assistant | Laura Petch - Chalet/Admin Assistant |
| Sarah O'Dwyer - Personal Assistant | Dave O'Neill - Supplies Manager |
| Chalet Chopine | |
| Clint Bowen, Chef, Chopine | Emma Pullan, Chalet Manager, Chopine |
| Chalet Iamato | |
| Robert Hume, Chef, Iamato | Hayley Allen, Chalet Manager, Iamato |
| Kerri Hook, Chalet Assistant/Driver, Iamato | |
| Chalet Kouneli | |
| Daniel Hughes, Chef, Kouneli | |
| Dan Simpson, Chef, Rousillon | Peter Hughes, Chef, Olympie III |
| Leesa Hughes, Chalet Manager, Olympie III | |
| Sarah Kay, Chalet Manager, Rousillon | James Goddard - Chalet Assistant/Driver, Olympie/Masseur |
| Gareth Martin, Chalet Assistant/Driver, Rousillon | Lucy Trotman, Chalet Assistant, Rousillon |
| Daniel Hughes, Chef, Kouneli | Kerri Hook, Chalet Assistant/Driver, Iamato |
| Alex Irvine, Chalet Manager, Kouneli | |
| Emily Smith, Chalet Assistant, Kouneli | |
| Richard Smith, Chalet Assistant/Driver, Kouneli | Lucie Noble, Chalet Assistant/Driver/Masseuse, Chopine |
| Max Broom Smith, Purple baby! | |
| Sarah Bowker, Relief Chalet Person | Bernadette Smyth, Relief Chalet Person |
| Jenny Buggie, General Assistant | Louise Ashton, Chalet Assistant/Masseuse |
Michael Broom Smith, Owner and Founder - Age 46
I first skied in Méribel in April 1987 and remember learning on the Altiport. From that week on I was in love with skiing, the mountains and the way of life in the valley. In 1991 I was lucky enough to join David Williams in partnership at Chalet Le Crêtet in Mottaret, having holidayed in the chalet in the intervening years. In 1993, after 13 seasons in various ski resorts, David decided that he had had enough and I continued to run Le Crêtet (and "Ski Crêtet") with the aid of various chefs and chalet girls.
In 1997 (and coincidentally, at the same time as meeting Karen) I took on my second chalet, Crêt de la Neige in La Gittaz. Since then we have grown further, gradually acquiring more lovely chalets that suit the excellent service we provide (and occasionally dropping those that don't..). We have always wanted Purple Ski to stay "small and special" - as some of our guests have described us - and so remain at just 5 chalets, 67 beds and a small and focussed team - and we are, as ever, very confident that we can deliver a very personal and high quality service, and also have some time to enjoy the mountains too! Yes, even after 16 seasons I still love the life here and find the skiing exciting...
Karen Broom Smith, Operations Director - Age 42
Karen joined Michael full time in 2001 from the Dell Computer Corporation, where she was the Director of Audit for Dell Europe. Before that, she worked at Heinz and Mars in various general management, manufacturing/people management and engineering roles. She has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bristol University and is a Certified Management Accountant.
Her first association with Purple Ski was in March 1997, when she was a guest in Chalet Le Crêtet. She has now completed 6 seasons. She focuses mainly on operations, primarily recruiting, training and working with the superb team of staff...
Laura Egan, Admin Assistant - Age 22
Laura is from Co. Sligo, Ireland. A good friend of Sarah O'Dwyer, she has a degree in European Commerce with French from University College, Cork. During university, she spent a year in the city of Grenoble which, luckily for her was near many ski resorts and she got a taste of the mountain lifestyle, spending many weekdays and every weekend on the slopes (she's a snowboarder). She had an amazing experience in the Alps and is a keen sportswoman (she rows, swims and sails competitively) and is delighted to be working with us this year.
She has previous experience in customer service, hospitality and administration which she gained while working for the Radisson Leisure Club and Spa in County Sligo where she and her team welcomed guests and members and maintained high standards of service, also at a small hotel in Newquay, England where she worked as housekeeper and bar staff. She has also worked for her father's accountancy firm from time to time doing administrative work and planning and organising events.
We know she will be a huge asset to the business, helping Michael and Karen with the smooth running of the "back office" operations - the accounts, booking taxis, ski lessons and so on. She will also arrange your lift passes and ski equipment, and support the drivers and chalet people when needed.
Laura Petch, Relief Chalet / Admin Assistant - Age 21
Laura Petch is from Sydney, Australia; she heard of Purple Ski through Gareth Martin; their mothers are good friends. She is spending some time travelling in Europe and had planned to work in London until she heard about us from Gareth. Laura will be working in most of the chalets in the mornings (on the day off of the dedicated chalet teams) as housekeeper/waitress, and helping us in the office in the evenings.
She has some good admin experience, having worked in a real estate agency and the offices of several companies in Australia in reception and general administrative roles. She has also got cleaning/housekeeping experience. She has excellent customer service skills and a lovely smile - and will be a real asset to our team.
Sarah O'Dwyer, Personal Assistant - Age 22
Sarah O'Dwyer is also from Co. Sligo, Ireland. She has a degree in English and Psychological Studies and has extensive hospitality experience including positions such as bar manager, waitress and night club hostess, also as a technical service agent, sales assistant and several months teaching experience. She has also worked as a nanny for some babies and infants and loves children.
She's charming - really enthusiastic, relaxed, smiley, also diligent, hard-working and versatile, and very much looking forward to spending the winter with us and learning to ski. We're delighted to have her helping us this season - admin assistant and back-up chalet assistant.
Dave O'Neill, Supplies and Maintenance Manager - Age 29
Dave was referred to us by Yseult Whitaker, who some of you may remember as she worked for us for 3 seasons from 2002 to 2005 as our Admin Assistant; Dave and Yseult used to kayak together...
He graduated in 2005 with a degree (First Class) in Process Engineering, and since then, and until joining use, worked for the North British Distillery Company (a whisky manufacturer) in Edinburgh, as a systems development engineer. Before that, he also worked a summer season as an activities instructor. He loves skiing and has been hoping to do a ski season for a while, and we are really pleased that he, and his girlfriend Kerri, are joining us this season.
Dave is responsible for making sure that all the chalets have whatever food, drinks and other provisions that we need, as well as keeping all the buildings and equipment in good order. He's very practical, also has had stock management experience before and is organised, patient and easygoing - all qualities that should serve him well in his role with us! Though mainly working "behind the scenes" you may meet/see him during the season - probably most likely on changeover day as he helps with luggage etc…
Sarah Bowker, Relief Chalet Person - Age 27
A qualified (2001) Occupational Therapist, Sarah joins us from Southern Australia where she held a senior occupational therapist position for a company specializing in people with mental illness. Her experience also includes work with children - she really enjoys being around children, babysitting for friends often and just "getting down and giving fun" with them. A competent cook and housekeeper, she is really looking forward to working with us this season to provide housekeeping cover in all the chalets on the day off of the dedicated chalet teams, also providing children's tea and babysitting where needed.
Sarah is very smiley and friendly, also caring, thoughtful and professional. Though this is her first season working with us, we know her well (and she knows Purple Ski too) as she is a good friend of one of our 2005-2006 chefs and ended up staying in one of our staff flats for several weeks that winter! We're really looking forward to having her on the team "properly" at last!.
Bernadette Smyth, Relief Chalet Person - Age 24
Bernadette has previously worked two winter seasons, both in the Porte du Soleil region, firstly as a nanny for a nanny agency and then as chalet assistant within a chalet-hotel. She also has extensive experience working in restaurants, bars and cafes, has also worked as a cleaner in places including a doctor's surgery and also a multi-million pound villa in the Cote d'Azur, and joins us from St Tropez where she has been working as a full time, live-in nanny, looking after a 9 month old girl
So she is ideally qualified to be our relief chalet person; she will be working in many of the chalets on the day off of the dedicated chalet team, as chalet assistant, and then cooking and baby-sitting in the evenings when the adults/parents go out to dinner.
She adores being in the mountains and loves winter sports, but also takes huge pride in her work, has very high standards, is flexible, reliable and hard-working. She's very artistic, bubbly, enthusiastic, also very polite, confident and independent… we are delighted that she is joining us this season.
Jenny Buggie, General Assistant - Age 25
Jenny is from Co. Laois, Ireland; she graduated in History, Ancient History and Archaeology from the University of Dublin in 2004 and has been working as an archaeologist ever since; she joins us from the Archaeological Company where she was Project supervisor during archaeological excavation and assessment. She also has 7 years of retail experience - which she loved, waitressing experience and also lots of time working with children, both as a teacher but also in theatre workshops.
Her role will be to provide cover for the chalet and driving staff on their day off, and provide whatever practical support is needed to keep Purple Ski running smoothly.
A great team player, a resourceful, hard worker with very high standards, Jenny has been planning a year long career-break for a while, and after a skiing holiday last year, decided that a ski season had to be part of her time out. We are delighted that, when researching ski companies on the internet, she came across us and was struck by our enthusiasm and focus on a personal and excellent standard of service - which she wants to be part of delivering.
Louise Ashton, Chalet Assistant/Masseuse - Age 35
We are thrilled to have Louise on our team this year - she joins us from the Devonshire Arms Hotel and Spa in Yorkshire (a Small Luxury Hotel of the World), where she has been one of their leading spa therapists. She obtained her diploma in Holistic Therapy (a 1 year full time course) in 2003 and since then has been working as a massage therapist both in her own business and with others, and has a growing and loyal following of clients. She specialises not only in Swedish massage but also sports massage, Indian head massage and reflexology. She is also a trained aromatherapist - so her guests are in for a treat!
Her work experience also includes several years in the travel industry in sales/travel consultancy and administrative roles, in the mortgage industry. While she has never worked as a housekeeper, she is fanatically clean and tidy and, having stayed and worked in many 5* establishments, is confident that she will easily be able to deliver the chalet assistant side of her duties too.
She's very energetic and entrepreneurial and really excited about this new adventure; she's very sporty and loves outdoor sports. She has only skied once before, but knows she's going to love it in Meribel. Louise is a very caring person, passionate about whatever she does, but really keen to work with us to bring an unrivalled ranged of massage treatments to our guests.
Dan Simpson, Chef, Rousillon - Age 31
We're delighted to have Dano ("Captain Canada") back with us - after 2 years absence; Dano first worked with us in our chalet "Crêt de la Neige" in La Gittaz in 2003-2004 and then in Rousillon in 2005-2006.
He has English parents, but was born and educated, and trained as a chef in Canada. He completed his apprenticeship at a bistro/fine dining restaurant, and since then has had a great deal of high level experience including a winter season at the Chateau Lake Louise in Alberta (a renowned luxury hotel and ski resort), 2.5 years at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club as chef de partie, also running the banqueting section, a year at the Savoy Hotel in London as junior chef de partie, and the Aston Resort and Spa in Toronto, where he held the position of Executive Sous Chef.
Since he left us, he spent nearly 2 years setting up and opening up the kitchen and restaurant at an up market, new golf club near Toronto, to rave reviews - and loved his time there. He came to the UK in November, to be nearer his fiancée, Sarah (Chalet Girl, Rousillon - 2005-2006 - yes, they met when they were working with us!) and joins us from his job as Senior Chef de Partie at the Belfry in the UK.
He's delighted to be back with Purple Ski- and those of you who have met him will, I'm sure, remember not only his great cooking but also his great character and big personality!
Tommi Liekkala, Chef, Rousillon - Age 27
Tommi is our first ever Finnish chef. After a 3 year apprenticeship, he graduated from catering college in 1999, then after a year's (compulsory - but apparently enjoyable) military service, he started working full time as a chef. His cheffing experience includes a year at a the Castle Hotel in Windsor, UK where he started as commis chef but was promoted to chef de partie, 3 years as sous chef at a much respected conference centre in Finland and then a French-style restaurant, and also a year as chef de partie at one of the best catering companies in Finland, working under one of the best chefs in Finland and catering for groups from 2 to 4000. He joins us from a fine dining restaurant, Restaurant Vesilinna/ Jyväskylä (mixed Scandinavian and European cuisine), from which he has excellent reviews and references.
He has applied to us as he's now looking for more and new challenges; he's a very innovative chef with experience of many different styles of cooking and loves to keep pushing himself. He's also very open and fun-loving; he's a good skier (of course, being Finnish!) with a fantastic (very dry) sense of humour. A real character - I think he and Dano will make an excellent pairing and guests in Chalet Rousillon will very much enjoy his food and getting to know him...
Sarah Kay, Chalet Manager, Rousillon - Age 22
Sarah has just graduated from University College, London with a degree in Mathematics. Before and during university, she has worked for several months as a silver service waitress for a catering company, also as housekeeper in a small, high level hotel in her home town of Stratford-upon-Avon, waitress in an "ASK" restaurant in Leamington Spa and in a sales/food preparation role in the café team at Marks and Spencer. She has also worked in the ski resort of Montgenevre as waitress/housekeeper in a hotel, and as a resort representative.
Sarah is very approachable, friendly and chatty, also very positive, hard working and efficient. She is a keen skier and snowboarder, and generally loves outdoor sports and activities, as well as being an accomplished musician (mainly clarinet). She also thrives on challenges and achieving high standards in whatever she does - so as well as wanting to improve her own skiing and snowboarding skills, Sarah is looking forward to the challenge of helping her guests enjoy their time in the mountains as much as possible…
Lucy Trotman, Chalet Assistant, Rousillon - Age 22
Lucy is a good friend of Sarah Kay; they met in 2003 when they worked together in the ski resort of Montgenevre and have kept in touch since. She loved her season and fell in love with snowboarding and the mountain way of life, and has been looking forward to repeating her experience ever since.
She has just completed her degree in Communication Studies; during and before university she has worked extensively in hospitality including waitressing to a high level, housekeeping, bar and kitchen work. She has also held several nannying positions and was once a camp counselor at a children's camp in the US.
Lucy is very personable, open, friendly, kind, easy to talk to and be around. She's always up-beat and enthusiastic and rarely gets rattled. An excellent team player, she loves being around others and we know that she will be a very popular member of our team.
Gareth Martin, Chalet Assistant/Driver - Rousillon Age 29
From NSW, Australia, but with Welsh origins, Gareth is a qualified electrician. Since completing his trade qualifications at 21, he has managed to combine both work and travel, and joins us with several years experience in the electrical and communications industry, where he has held various positions, including that of foreman with a crew of up to 10 people working under him, and also hospitality work, both bar work and also teaching water skiing in children's summer camps in the US.
He has a passion for out-door sports including surfing and skiing (on water and snow!). He also loves music - he plays the acoustic guitar and apparently sings pretty well too…. A very laid-back, likeable, funny and chatty guy, we are confident that he will be a strong and very entertaining member of the team!
Pete Hughes, Chef, Olympie - Age 36
Having been a guest of ours in Chalet Jolie in Chandon in 2004, Pete was inspired by the quality of food and service. He had always wanted to work a ski season and with his wife, Leesa also a recent convert to skiing, he joined us in 2005-2006 to run Olympie III. He thoroughly enjoyed his season with us - despite fracturing his shoulder and ribs early on; after leaving us, he and Leesa emigrated to Australia, doing some traveling en-route; while there he has been working as chef doing "power breakfasts" and other functions for corporate clients. But he and Leesa both loved their time with us so much that they felt that they just had to come back and work with us for at least one more winter season, so here they are - and we are just delighted to have them back with us.
Pete has been a chef for 15 years now and has owned and run two restaurants. He has also worked on luxury super yachts, and catered for celebrities including James Brown, David Bowie, "The Who" and "The Red Hot Chilli Peppers". With a natural talent and passion for cooking, he has also run up-market bistros and fine dining restaurants and has won awards for his cooking.
Pete is very artistic, also very happy, caring and gregarious - he loves the company of others and telling jokes and anecdotes. He and Leesa were among our most popular chalet couples in Olympie III - and the standard has been very high indeed - Olympie III guests are in for a treat.
Leesa Hughes, Chalet Manager, Olympie III - Age 40
Leesa spent the first 10 years of her career working for a printing company in the Southampton area, initially as a receptionist but was quickly promoted to sales coordinator and then, major accounts manager. When she and Pete first bought and started up their own restaurant in 1992, she started helping there at weekends, but after 2 years, joined full time to manage the front of house and help with the overall running of the restaurant. Since then, she has worked alongside Pete in luxury private yachts, in a wine bar/bistro as front of house manager/hostess and, in Australia, after setting up house, she has ####.
An excellent team player, very laid back and with a wicked sense of humour, Leesa has skills that complement Pete perfectly; she has a great organizational brain and is very versatile - superbly competent at whatever she turns her hand to. Together, you couldn't ask for a better team. A good friend now too, and "sounding board" when needed, Michael and Karen are very happy indeed that they have decided that they can't stay away!
James Goddard, Chalet Assistant/Driver, Olympie - Age 23
James is a recent graduate in Aerospace Engineering (with Astronautics and French) and hopes one day to become an airline pilot. (He is already a keen flier and hopes to paraglide while he is with us in the Alps - as well as pursue his love of snowboarding.)
His work experience includes many months waitering, kitchen and bar work at a golf club and a pub, working as a security guard for a variety of events and companies and powerboat instructing.
He has always been interested in doing a ski season and has been to the Three Valleys 3-4 times already. A very active, sporty person (as well as snowboarding, power boating, paragliding, he is also an accomplished sailor [previously on the GB youth topper squad] and freestyle kite surfer), James is very calm, unflappable, easygoing, and sociable. We're very glad to have him on the team.
Robert Hume, Chef, Iamato - Age 27
Robert , a Scot, from Berwickshire (not far from Edinburgh), has recently completed a year's travels in Asia-Pacific, where among others, he spent most of the ski season in Thredbo, Australia, at a fine dining restaurant, where he helping the new owners establish a great reputation.
His love of cooking came from his grandparents, who were cooks at an old country house; he has been cooking since he was 15 and still loves it. His first - and probably favourite so far - job was at a 2AA rosette, Michelin recommended country house hotel on the Scottish borders where he spent 4 years, initially as pastry chef but ultimately as senior chef de partie. Since then, he has worked at The Atrium in Edinburgh (also 2AA rosettes) as sous chef, and at several brasseries (including one of Bill Granger's in Sydney) and other fine dining restaurants, in senior - including many head chef - positions. He also rescued, and then won awards for, a previously-failing bar/restaurant in Edinburgh in just a few months.
Robert loves "upscale" cooking, and the freedom to be creative, and names as his cooking heroes Gordon Ramsay because of his views on fine dining, and Jamie Oliver because of his more rustic style and use of ingredients.
He's a lovely guy: relaxed, enthusiastic, hardworking, active (as well as snowboarding, he also enjoys climbing, surfing and generally keeping fit), reliable and always happy and upbeat. He gets on well with everyone - and Hayley, who will be working alongside him, will be pleased that he's not only very calm and level-headed in a kitchen, but also clean and tidy!
Hayley Allen, Chalet Manager, Iamato - Age 21
Having just graduated (her degree is in Sport and Coaching), and despite never having skied before, being a very sporty, active person (she's a very keen swimmer and rower), Hayley decided this would be an idea thing to do next while she decides where she would like to take her career.
Throughout her 3 years at university and in the months since graduating, Hayley has worked in a very popular restaurant at RHS Wisley Gardens in Surrey, working her way up the ranks until being promoted to restaurant supervisor. In 2004, she also worked for a few weeks at a children's holiday camp as an activity leader - she loves children and so had a fabulous - if tiring - time there!
She is a very hardworking, conscientious (a good organiser), enthusiastic and confident, also generous, sociable and very chatty! She seems lovely and I'm sure she, Robert and Kerri will make a great team.
Kerri Hook, Chalet assistant/Driver - Iamato - Age 27
Kerri is another lover of the outdoors and sports; she has a diploma in Sports Science and a degree (2003) in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She also has qualifications in power boating, mountain leading, kayaking, archery - among others.
For the last few years, she has been working as a development tutor for "Fairbridge" in Edinburgh, a company specialising in running courses for disadvantaged youngsters across the UK, aiming to give them the motivation, confidence and skills they need to change their own lives. She has also worked as an outdoor instructor/activity leader at an outdoor education centre in Ireland (which is when she met Dave - after a mutual friend decided that they might like each other!), an Outward Bound Centre in the Lake District, a bar attendant and a summer camp assistant (chef's assistant, housekeeper, receptionist and general helper) in Wales.
A down to earth, hardworking, sensible person and a great team player; she will be supporting Robert and Hayley in running Chalet Iamato, also in driving Iamato (and other) guests within the resort. We are delighted to have her on the team.
Clint Bowen, Chef - Chopine - Age 26
From Western Australia, Clint and his girlfriend Emma plan to spend 2 years travelling and working in Europe and both really wanted to work in the European "ski fields". He joins us from the Lamb Inn, Burford, part of the luxurious "Cotswold Inns" group, and with a 2AA rosette awarded restaurant, where he was chef de partie.
He started cooking when he was 15, in a pub, but was encouraged by his family to pursue a more technical career path so started studying electronics engineering too. But after completing the first part of his trade qualification, Clint decided that engineering wasn't creative enough for him and so concentrated fully on cooking, and hasn't looked back since! He has now worked in a range of professional kitchens, from pubs to fine dining restaurants, and his experience includes 3 years at the excellent Red Herring Restaurant in Perth, where he was rapidly promoted to chef de partie and then to sous chef.
Clint is very organised and focused in his work, but also laid back and likes to have fun. As well as being sporty, he - like Tommi - enjoys poker … It might be worth watching them together?!
Emma Pullan, Chalet Manager - Chopine - Age 23
Born in the UK, Emma has spent most of her life in Australia. She has a degree in Psychology, and has worked in the psychology field, as a therapist and/or volunteer helper for children with physical disabilities, depression, autism and developmental delay.
More relevant to us, she also has a wealth of excellent hospitality experience, including 3 years at the Red Herring Restaurant in Perth where, after graduating, she was promoted to restaurant supervisor and held this position for 3 years. She has also worked for many months at the Lamb Inn, Burford, where her duties included not only waitressing but also bar and housekeeping work.
Professionally, she is very capable, organised, has excellent initiative, high standards and good attention to detail, and is a great team member. She's also really enthusiastic and energetic, has a wonderful smile and we know she is going to be a very popular member of the team.
Lucie Noble, Chalet Assistant/Driver/Masseuse - Chopine - Age 27
Lucie is a Chartered Physiotherapist, with 5 years post-qualification experience working in the NHS but also supporting a rugby club as a physiotherapist, providing pre and post-match massage treatments. As well as a great deal of musculo-skeletal massage experience in the course of her professional work, she is also trained in sports remedial massage and is looking forward to putting these skills to use with us.
Her hospitality experience has included a number of waitressing and other part time jobs in golf clubs, bars, private catering and country hotels. She is also very practical and has driven extensively, including large vehicles (she lived and worked on a farm).
Lucie is a very kind and generous person, also very smiley, sociable, upbeat and easy to get on with... She is also very active and sporty; back in the UK she plays a lot of tennis, but also loves to snowboard/ski and enjoys windsurfing and sailing - among others.
Daniel Hughes, Chef, Kouneli - Age 27
With over 10 years of professional cooking experience, Daniel, from Ludlow, Shropshire (home to a surprising number of Michelin starred restaurants) has worked in many different establishments varying from Hungarian bistros to five star hotels (Bovey Castle in Devon).
He joins us from Michael Caines' 2AA rosette-awarded restaurant in Exeter (ABode Exeter, formerly The Royal Clarence - the country's first 'hotel') is, where he has held the position of senior sous chef for c. 2 years. There, under chef Ross Melling (previously a chef at the world famous 3* French Laundry in the US) he has been working towards a first Michelin star and 3 AA rosettes… He's now looking for a new direction - and a bit of a break from the hectic restaurant scene, and one that will give a variety of new, challenging and worthwhile experiences - while still pursuing his career as a chef.
His style of food is modern European - and his presentation of food is fantastic; his guests are going to be in for a treat.
Highly organised, calm under pressure, reliable and incredibly committed and serious about his work, he's also easygoing and knows how to have fun outside work. He's very active - restless even, and is looking forward to expending some energy on the mountain. Daniel has some experience of travelling - having spent a year in Australia and Spain (which he loved); he has also skied a little in the past and is looking forward to doing more.
Alex Irvine, Chalet Manager, Kouneli- Age 20
Alex is the youngest member of our team, but comes to us with excellent hospitality experience, most notably having just completed a long (7 month) summer season at the Summer Isles Hotel, a small, family run luxury hotel with a Michelin starred restaurant. There, he started as general assistant but was quickly promoted to become restaurant supervisor and was also trained to serve fine wines. His duties also included regular and meticulous housekeeping - and so Alex is used to extensive and scrupulous cleaning! He comes to us with excellent references - he has very high work standards and is very competent, also very popular with clients and his fellow team members. His previous work experience includes hospitality work at lower ends of the scale - in bars and pubs, and he has also worked in sales for Jaguar cars.
He's very friendly and likeable, upbeat and chatty, also very professional and committed but able to operate in a relaxed style. He is not sure quite where his life/career will lead him but loves the hospitality business (he has a diploma in hospitality and tourism) and likes to work and play hard and wants to continue working at a very high level - hence chose us! A keen sportsman, he is also confident that he will enjoy skiing/snowboarding (he's only been once/twice on dry slopes). We're delighted that he is joining us this season.
Emily Smith, Chalet Assistant, Kouneli- Age 26
Emily graduated from the London College of Printing in 2003 with a degree in graphic media design, but quickly decided this wasn't really for her… Since then, she has been working almost exclusively in the events/hospitality industry, both in the UK and Australia.
In the UK, she has worked extensively with the London-based "Offtowork" company, working in a variety of waitressing roles delivering the highest level of service - from intimate private dinner parties to weddings, large corporate functions, events such as Cartier International Polo, and at venues such as VIP boxes at Wembley stadium, the Royal Albert Hall and the O2 Arena.
Emily also travelled to and within Australia for 2 years; during that time she worked in the hospitality industry at a very high level at huge functions and intimate venues such as corporate boxes at prestigious sports stadia, as a general assistant (housekeeper/cook/hostess/salesperson) at a "roadhouse" on the outskirts of one of Australia's World Heritage sites, and also in the harvest industry!
A great team player, she works hard and applies great enthusiasm and attention to detail to whatever she does. Occasionally quite shy, she nevertheless has an excellent sense of humour, is friendly and fun to have around. Oh - and she'll apparently do anything for a piece of flourless chocolate cake?!
She has never skied (and isn't particularly sporty) but has heard great things about working a ski season, and now feels ready for the challenge and is confident that she'll enjoy herself!
Richard Smith, Chalet Assistant/Driver, Kouneli- Age 33
Richard, who is from Bridlington, Yorkshire, joins us almost directly from Pennsylvania US where for the last 11 years he has worked as an assistant cook and manager in a major children's summer camp. He loves his job there, but it is demanding and stressful, so in the winters, after spending a month back at home running his parents' butchers business - and allowing them some time off - he likes to travel, usually working holidays. He loves to ski and so is hoping that his winter season with us will be just perfect for him.
His very interesting CV includes 5 years as assistant butcher at his family firm, 2 years in sales at an off-licence retail company, 2 months in Indonesia as part of a volunteer group, building a release site for orphaned orangutans, and teaching and performing massage to disadvantaged youths in a juvenile institution and elderly groups in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand - 2004 (he has over 300 hours of massage practice and accreditations from the Thai governments)!
A very active individual, he loves new challenges and enjoys working to the highest level. His interests also include skiing, scuba diving, running, reading, films, food and drink and relaxing!
Max Broom Smith - Purple Baby! - Born 1st July 2006
The youngest (and definitely the least productive!) member of the Purple Ski team - and he is an absolute treasure. He hasn't yet started to ski (perhaps we might try him at the end of the season?) but we are sure he will love playing in the snow and we hope many of you will meet him during the course of the season.
Last updated 4 March 2007 17:06 GMT