Little wonder, then, that Philippe would rarely feel satisfied just standing still and would have his sights set firmly on success in whichever field he was working.
“My first impression when I arrived at Glion was that, all of a sudden, I was surrounded by so many young folks all looking extremely sharp, aspiring to become professionals and filled with motivation, drive and dreams,” he adds. “That was quite contagious.
“And it’s a highly professional environment. We were quickly led to believe we belonged to a group that would go on to become the best in the industry.”
Taking the initiative
That mindset was to stand Philippe in good stead throughout his career. He seized the day and traveled to New York to try and land a role at the first St. Regis Hotel in the city – without waiting for graduation – and was promptly hired. While waiting for the hotel to open and not content to sit still, he interned at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, learning the ropes in various departments before taking up his role in New York, where he eventually worked his way up to night manager. Eager to broaden his experience and see where his ambition could take him, Philippe then opted to move on despite his already impressive progress at St Regis.
“I left there to work in convention services and sales and marketing for Four Seasons, then I joined Salomon Brothers Investment Bank as the assistant general manager of a huge conference center and dining rooms,” he says. “After that, I joined the Tides Hotel in Miami where I was the assistant general manager, then became Director of Banquets at the Westin in Seattle before performing the same function at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose. And after that, I called time on my hotel career.”
Destined for something different
It was a combination of yearning to indulge his creative side and wishing to spend more time with his family that prompted Philippe’s career switch.
“As we all know, the hotel industry involves long, often-unsociable hours,” he says. “And I worked out in 10 years of marriage, I’d spent perhaps two Christmases with my family, so something had to change. I’d also always felt destined to take a different, more creative career path. While at Glion, I often drew caricatures of my classmates and teachers, but that creativity was something I’d repressed in favor of corporate success. So in the year 2000, I bought myself a camera and got into wedding photography.”
Within a short space of time, that fledgling creative business became hugely successful – and one of the most expensive wedding photography agencies in California, which is no mean feat.
“My vision was to create a global, one-stop-shop,” he says. “If you like, I became a St. Regis five-star level studio, providing the best possible services and incorporating so many different offers, including video, graphic design, even bookbinding.
“I was lucky because my images were really good, but the most important thing was that the way I conducted my business was exactly what I did during all my years in the hotel industry. That meant I chased excellence and perfection, I listened to my customers and I always wanted to deliver more than what was expected. So I continued to expand my business by transitioning from a high-end wedding photography studio to a full-service multimedia company catering to the needs of major corporations all over Silicon Valley. I think people quickly recognized I was a provider of the highest level of services – and that corporate clients needed such excellence.”
A change of role
So how did a successful wedding photographer end up starring in a TV series whose second season was ranked number one in 2025 on Netflix shortly after release? According to Philippe, the application of hotel industry principles was a significant factor.
“I’ve always looked after myself physically, even when I was at Glion, and I was scouted by some agents who asked me whether I’d like to switch from being behind the camera to in front of it,” he says. “I did it for a while and became quite successful in commercial and fashion modeling. Then some folks said, the way you perform in front of the camera, why not consider acting?
“Again, the spirit of being part of a team – something drilled into us at Glion – came to the fore. Understanding that it’s not just about you, it’s about the cameraman, the lighting folks, the director, the casting agents and so forth. Having that team ethic helped me stand out, I think, and gained me a lot of respect. And the results were really positive. Then things kind of snowballed from there.”
From small screen to big?
If you thought becoming a star of the small screen would be the point at which Philippe started to scale back his ambitions, you would be mistaken. Far from taking things easier, he is still setting his sights on further achievements – on screen and beyond.
“Honestly, I would like to play a really bad guy,” he says. “I think I’m too old to play a hero such as James Bond and the thing about being a villain is that it allows you to play a broader range of emotions. You can be a bit crazy and that, to me, is much more fun.
“I’ve auditioned as a gangster boss quite often and have done a short film playing one, which enjoyed a good deal of success and won awards. Now I’m in discussions to make that project a feature-length movie, so that’s really exciting.”
As if that was not enough, Philippe has been scratching his creative itch in other directions.
“Last year, I set up another firm designing accessories and have actually signed a pretty big contract with a really well-known French company,” he says. “I’m not allowed to say which one yet, but they will be licensing my creations and the 2026 collection will not only be inspired by my design, it will also bear my name.
“I’ve also designed and patented a fitness machine, so we’ll see where that takes me. I guess this really shows I’m genuinely not interested in settling down just yet.”
Love what you do
While not every Glion graduate will be able to follow the kind of career path Philippe has taken, there are definitely some lessons they can take from how he has approached each new challenge – lessons that are particularly relevant in today’s incredibly dynamic world.
“The difference between my experience and this new generation’s is that they are facing much more change,” he says. “During my hotel career, things didn’t change much. We saw a few things automated and computerized, but today, dramatic upheavals are happening almost overnight. So I think those just embarking on their hospitality careers need to learn how to adapt – and quickly.
“I’d recommend looking after your mental and physical health too. Even at the age of 61, I religiously practice martial arts and take part in all sorts of other fitness activities. This part really fuels my energy and never-ending motivation to always push further.
“Another thing is to be less afraid to do something different. Every time a problem happens, every time you fail at something, that means you’re going to succeed at something else. So it’s important to always pursue your passion, because when you do, there’s no limit to the things you can learn and the changes you can make.
“I’ve taken several different turns in my life that were pretty unconventional and managed to make a success out of them. That’s not because I’m more skilled than other folks, It’s because I loved what I was doing.”
