Before rising to prominence in the culinary world, Nando - widely known as Chef Fernando - began his academic journey studying Computer Science at Massey University in New Zealand. Realising the path was not aligned with his passion, he made a bold decision to pursue his true calling and travelled across the world to enroll at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. His professional career flourished there, including a tenure as Executive Sous Chef at Boqueria Soho. Today, Chef Nando is a senior executive at Union Group, overseeing several of Jakarta’s leading restaurants, and serves as Executive Chef at Cork and Screw Country Club. Most recently, he spearheaded the launch of Union Group’s first Indonesian restaurant, Salira, celebrating home-style cooking and comforting local flavors.