Newsletter

HVS Southern Europe Expands Services and Welcomes Giovanni Fiorin & Rúben Paula

April 3, 2026
HVS Southern Europe welcomes Giovanni Fiorin as Head of Food and Beverage Services and Rúben Paula as Head of Asset Management and Investment, strengthening its regional platform and expanding its capacity to deliver specialized advisory services across Southern Europe.

Athens, 3 April, 2026: HVS Southern Europe, with offices in Athens, Milan, and Madrid, today announces the appointment of Rúben Paula as Head of Asset Management and Investment (Iberia-based) and Giovanni Fiorin as Head of Food and Beverage Services (Italy-based), reinforcing its regional platform and expanding its service offering across Southern Europe.

These strategic additions strengthen the firm’s capacity to support clients across the region through enhanced advisory capabilities and specialized service lines. The new team members will work across offices in close cooperation with the team led by Managing Director Demetris Spanos and Senior Director Ezio Poinelli.

“Expanding our team with seasoned professionals such as Rúben and Giovanni marks an important step in strengthening our platform across Southern Europe,” said Demetris Spanos, Managing Director of HVS Southern Europe. “These appointments enhance our ability to deliver specialized advisory services and support our clients with greater depth and expertise across the region.”

“We continue to invest in building a multidisciplinary team that responds to the evolving needs of our clients,” added Ezio Poinelli, Senior Director at HVS Southern Europe. “The addition of dedicated service lines in asset management and food and beverage further broadens our capabilities and reinforces our position as a trusted advisor in the region.”

Rúben Paula, Director of Asset Management & Investment for Southern Europe

He is a hospitality and real estate executive with over 25 years of international experience in hotel operations, asset repositioning, and business transformation across Europe, the Caribbean, and Africa. He has held senior leadership roles with organizations including Cedargate, MGM Muthu Hotels, Hipoges (KKR fund platform), JJW Hotels & Resorts, Altis Group, and Vila Galé Hotels. He has also served as COO, overseeing portfolios of more than 50 hotels and leading multi-property turnarounds, brand negotiations, and performance-driven operational strategies.

Rúben is also a board advisor to several family offices, providing investors, hotel owners, and institutional funds with advice on asset strategy, repositioning, feasibility, and value creation, and supporting the alignment of operational performance with investment objectives. 

Rúben holds an MSc in International Hotel Management from the University of Surrey and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. He is a professor of Business Strategy Management, Hotel Development, and Strategic Marketing Management on several Master's degree programmes and General Management programmes. He is also the former Vice President of the Algarve Hotel Owners Association (AHETA) and the Algarve Tourism Bureau (ATA).

“I am pleased to join HVS Southern Europe and contribute my experience to a broad and diverse client base across the region,” said Rúben Paula. “Our focus will be on delivering practical, performance-driven asset management and investment strategies that support value creation and informed decision-making for owners, investors, and stakeholders.”

Giovanni Fiorin, Director of F&B Services at HVS Italy & Southern Europe

He is an advisor, manager, and entrepreneur in the restaurant and hospitality industry with over 25 years of international experience. He started his career at Disney and progressed through senior roles in the Caribbean and cruise industries, followed by an advisory role in China. He then returned to Italy, where he has led the launch and development of several notable F&B projects since 2005, including Café Trussardi in Piazza della Scala and Dry, a pioneering cocktail and pizza concept in Milan.

He has held strategic roles at the Excelsior Hotel Gallia, Lungarno Hotels Collection, Due Lune Puntaldia Resort & Golf, and The Wilde Private Membership Club & Restaurant Milan. He is considered a leading figure in the field of F&B advisory (concept, opening, and management) and is currently involved in several projects in the high-end hospitality, restaurant, and bar sectors in major European cities and holiday destinations in Southern Europe.

Giovanni’s professional background includes delivering management training for Il Sole 24 Ore. He is currently a faculty member on the Food Entrepreneurship and Business Planning course at the European Institute of Design (IED) in Florence.

“Food and beverage is an increasingly critical component of asset positioning and value creation in hospitality,” said Giovanni Fiorin. “Our objective is to support clients with tailored, concept-driven strategies that strengthen competitive positioning and unlock the full potential of their F&B operations across diverse markets.”

About HVS

HVS is the world's leading consulting and valuation services organization focused on the leisure and hospitality industry, offering expertise across all types of hospitality assets, including hotels, restaurants, casinos, shared-ownership lodging, mixed-use developments, golf courses, and resorts (inclusive of spa and wellness components), as well as convention, sports, and entertainment facilities. Established in 1980, the company performs thousands of assignments annually. HVS principals are regarded as reputable leaders in their respective regions of the globe. Through a worldwide network of over 50 offices staffed by nearly 300 experienced professionals, HVS provides an unparalleled range of complementary services for the hospitality industry. For further information regarding our expertise and specifics about our services, please visit hvs.com.

HVS Southern Europe operates from offices in Athens, Milan, and Madrid, strengthening the firm’s presence across key Mediterranean markets. The Madrid office, established in 2025 under the supervision of Demetris Spanos and Ezio Poinelli, represents the first phase of HVS’s regional expansion across Southern Europe. This development, together with the current expansion of service lines, contributes to a more comprehensive platform, enabling the firm to deliver integrated advisory services and enhanced support to clients across the region.

Newsletter

HVS Southern Europe Expands Services and Welcomes Giovanni Fiorin & Rúben Paula

April 3, 2026
HVS Southern Europe welcomes Giovanni Fiorin as Head of Food and Beverage Services and Rúben Paula as Head of Asset Management and Investment, strengthening its regional platform and expanding its capacity to deliver specialized advisory services across Southern Europe.

Athens, 3 April, 2026: HVS Southern Europe, with offices in Athens, Milan, and Madrid, today announces the appointment of Rúben Paula as Head of Asset Management and Investment (Iberia-based) and Giovanni Fiorin as Head of Food and Beverage Services (Italy-based), reinforcing its regional platform and expanding its service offering across Southern Europe.

These strategic additions strengthen the firm’s capacity to support clients across the region through enhanced advisory capabilities and specialized service lines. The new team members will work across offices in close cooperation with the team led by Managing Director Demetris Spanos and Senior Director Ezio Poinelli.

“Expanding our team with seasoned professionals such as Rúben and Giovanni marks an important step in strengthening our platform across Southern Europe,” said Demetris Spanos, Managing Director of HVS Southern Europe. “These appointments enhance our ability to deliver specialized advisory services and support our clients with greater depth and expertise across the region.”

“We continue to invest in building a multidisciplinary team that responds to the evolving needs of our clients,” added Ezio Poinelli, Senior Director at HVS Southern Europe. “The addition of dedicated service lines in asset management and food and beverage further broadens our capabilities and reinforces our position as a trusted advisor in the region.”

Rúben Paula, Director of Asset Management & Investment for Southern Europe

He is a hospitality and real estate executive with over 25 years of international experience in hotel operations, asset repositioning, and business transformation across Europe, the Caribbean, and Africa. He has held senior leadership roles with organizations including Cedargate, MGM Muthu Hotels, Hipoges (KKR fund platform), JJW Hotels & Resorts, Altis Group, and Vila Galé Hotels. He has also served as COO, overseeing portfolios of more than 50 hotels and leading multi-property turnarounds, brand negotiations, and performance-driven operational strategies.

Rúben is also a board advisor to several family offices, providing investors, hotel owners, and institutional funds with advice on asset strategy, repositioning, feasibility, and value creation, and supporting the alignment of operational performance with investment objectives. 

Rúben holds an MSc in International Hotel Management from the University of Surrey and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. He is a professor of Business Strategy Management, Hotel Development, and Strategic Marketing Management on several Master's degree programmes and General Management programmes. He is also the former Vice President of the Algarve Hotel Owners Association (AHETA) and the Algarve Tourism Bureau (ATA).

“I am pleased to join HVS Southern Europe and contribute my experience to a broad and diverse client base across the region,” said Rúben Paula. “Our focus will be on delivering practical, performance-driven asset management and investment strategies that support value creation and informed decision-making for owners, investors, and stakeholders.”

Giovanni Fiorin, Director of F&B Services at HVS Italy & Southern Europe

He is an advisor, manager, and entrepreneur in the restaurant and hospitality industry with over 25 years of international experience. He started his career at Disney and progressed through senior roles in the Caribbean and cruise industries, followed by an advisory role in China. He then returned to Italy, where he has led the launch and development of several notable F&B projects since 2005, including Café Trussardi in Piazza della Scala and Dry, a pioneering cocktail and pizza concept in Milan.

He has held strategic roles at the Excelsior Hotel Gallia, Lungarno Hotels Collection, Due Lune Puntaldia Resort & Golf, and The Wilde Private Membership Club & Restaurant Milan. He is considered a leading figure in the field of F&B advisory (concept, opening, and management) and is currently involved in several projects in the high-end hospitality, restaurant, and bar sectors in major European cities and holiday destinations in Southern Europe.

Giovanni’s professional background includes delivering management training for Il Sole 24 Ore. He is currently a faculty member on the Food Entrepreneurship and Business Planning course at the European Institute of Design (IED) in Florence.

“Food and beverage is an increasingly critical component of asset positioning and value creation in hospitality,” said Giovanni Fiorin. “Our objective is to support clients with tailored, concept-driven strategies that strengthen competitive positioning and unlock the full potential of their F&B operations across diverse markets.”

About HVS

HVS is the world's leading consulting and valuation services organization focused on the leisure and hospitality industry, offering expertise across all types of hospitality assets, including hotels, restaurants, casinos, shared-ownership lodging, mixed-use developments, golf courses, and resorts (inclusive of spa and wellness components), as well as convention, sports, and entertainment facilities. Established in 1980, the company performs thousands of assignments annually. HVS principals are regarded as reputable leaders in their respective regions of the globe. Through a worldwide network of over 50 offices staffed by nearly 300 experienced professionals, HVS provides an unparalleled range of complementary services for the hospitality industry. For further information regarding our expertise and specifics about our services, please visit hvs.com.

HVS Southern Europe operates from offices in Athens, Milan, and Madrid, strengthening the firm’s presence across key Mediterranean markets. The Madrid office, established in 2025 under the supervision of Demetris Spanos and Ezio Poinelli, represents the first phase of HVS’s regional expansion across Southern Europe. This development, together with the current expansion of service lines, contributes to a more comprehensive platform, enabling the firm to deliver integrated advisory services and enhanced support to clients across the region.