Charlie next moved on to become the General Manager of the companies Bull & Bear Restaurant and Bar, before being promoted to the role of Beverage Director, where he was responsible for over 50 employees and maintaining a turnover figure of $19 million. "My role as Beverage Director was very exciting. I was responsible for the purchasing of wine for the hotel and the creation of new cocktails. I ended up attending many great auctions in search of high-price wines. That role was all about understanding the customers needs."

All was going well for Charlie – and then September 11 arrived right on his door step, "a day," he says, "I'll never ever forget". "That morning and the weeks that followed were like something out of a movie script. On the morning of the attacks everyone was walking up the streets. We had opened the bar an hour earlier that morning and were expecting a quiet start to the day. But we were swamped. "People were calling in to make calls to loved-ones, checking to see if they still had homes to go to, or just calling in to talk to someone about what had just happened. I don't think it really hit me until two weeks later. But that morning I learned what we do in this industry is not just feed people. That morning I saw that it was about taking care of people."

The industry was hit hard in the wake of 9/11, and although Charlie considered his options, he ultimately decided to stay. "I remember we had to let go of 250 people in 24 hours and things were looking bad. But in 2002, as a show of solidarity the World Economic Forum was moved to New York. Every world leader was present. I looked after Desmond Tutu and Bono, so that was certainly memorable. Those are the moments when you know why you do what you do."

A move to the Millennium Broadway Hotel followed soon after as Charlie looked to progress up the career ladder and although he says the decision to leave the Waldorf was a tough one, he said the desire to take up a more senior position before heading back to Ireland ultimately helped him to make his mind up.

In November 2004 Charlie decided to move back, when an opportunity with the Clarion in Cork came up. "I didn't want the rat-race of Dublin," he says, "although I'm up and down so much, it sometimes feels like I've never been away." With the world now facing an economic slowdown, Charlie is acutely aware of the need to offer customer satisfaction. "This year is obviously a concern, so it's all the more important hat we provide value and customer satisfaction. We can't be complacent during this testing year. However, the first quarter has been positive and we intend to keep that up."

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