a passion for swiss hotel management education · in action ! a passion for swiss hotel management...

In Action !

A passion for Swiss HotelManagement Education

www.him.ch

Spring 2012

NewsletterHIM_juin2012.v3.indd 1 05.07.12 14:57

Every year, the Northwood MBA program run at HIM attracts a dynamic group of students who under the direction of Dr Rebecca Wallace, push the boundaries of their learning. ‘In Action’ met up with Andris Kokts who gave us feedback on his MBA experience.

“Every session in Northwood is different which creates the feeling of a real-time business situation.The courses are built upon each other and cover integral parts of business, which allows me to practice my strengths and also helps me to identify areas for improvement.

Northwood has helped me to push myself outside my comfort zone, which I believe is crucial for a successful career.”

My life as an MBA Student

From the Editor

With so much happening on campus this semester, ‘In Action’ has been busy trying to keep up ! A new series of Masterclasses, banquets, excursions, sports, events and special achievements by HIM students have made for an action packed spring.

A wine trip to northern Italy, Verona and Lake Garda and an Easter trip to Paris as well as trips to Geneva and Zurich allowed students to explore some of the best that Europe and Switzerland have to offer.

HIM students love competition and in this edition you can read about students entries in table-setting, wine-tasting, global business and Accor innovation competitions.

The Internship Diaries feature students working in Switzerland, Barcelona and Istanbul and our featured alumni in Lebanon, Neuchâtel, Paris and Bangkok.

Enjoy reading this edition and remember if you have a story about what you have been doing, please share it with us. We would love to publish it in the next edition of HIM ‘In Action.’

Kirsty Arnison-NicoleEditor

[email protected]

Tel: +41 21 965 4018

John DalyAcademic Dean

Contents

News from HIM 1 – 3

Activities and Events 4 – 5

Internship Diaries 6 – 7

Where are they now ? 8 – 10

Front Cover : HIM student

‘In Action’ at the IRF

“What an ‘In Action’ time we have been having in HIM recently ! So many positive things, most notably HIM's reaccreditation with ASEH and NEASC and new accreditation with eduQua ; guaranteeing the integrity of HIM and indeed your degree. Other recent highlights for me have been Christopher Tseng receiving the world number one prize in the ‘Globus’ management simulation competition, Professor Zanker and our students representing HIM at the ‘TEDx Lausanne’ conference in IMD and of course we are watching eagerly as Khoa Tang, Henry Su and Dollar Artnarong go forward to the final 15 in the ACCOR student global challenge 2012, not forgetting our volleyball team who took first place at the SEG sports day ! It is wonderful working with such a group of aspiring individuals placing HIM clearly on the world platform.

Next semester sees the introduction of Mandarin to our curriculum, additional Masterclasses including fruit carving and table decoration, a fresh menu in coffee beans and newly renovated bedrooms to mention just a few.”

Dean’s Corner

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Andris Kokts, MBA student


The Touzeau Table Challenge !

International Blind Wine Tasting Competition

Sonja Pennanen with her partner Alexandra Perekliyskaya represented HIM in a table-dressing competition organised by the Touzeau shop in Montreux and won 3rd place, a fantastic success! Sonja explained the competition to ‘In Action.’

“My friends usually call me the elephant in a porcelain shop, so when I told them that I would be participating in the Touzeau Tables & Ambiances Decoration competition, I could understand their expressions immediately !

Alexandra Perekliyskaya was my partner and she was in charge of creating the table decoration, while my part was to create an ambiance in a living room.We were allowed to use anything from the Touzeau shop and were amazed by the opportunity to work with such fine sets of porcelain. I wanted to implement my Finnish cultural design roots : stripped-down, simple, but elegant, and a black and white theme was the first to cross my mind. The inspiration for use of round shapes I got from a beautiful black vase, which had golden circles on one side. The final outcome was black and white wintertime using decorations made of glass, with Christmas elements through red and gold colors.

I would like to thank the decoration department of HIM, who were very supportive and offered this once in a lifetime chance. Also, a big thank you to the various HIM faculty members for their constant support.”

Competition was tough at the International wine tasting competition held by the EHL Millésime Group. HIM was proudly represented by, Ioana Grigore, Hana Faltjeskova, Ken Choi, Carl Strom and Saahil Khandwala. The competition included general questions on winemaking and growing and the pairing of food and wine.

For each wine that was blind-tasted, the teams had to find the type and origin, not an easy task when under pressure ! Congratulations to the HIM team for their effort !

Mandarin Classes at HIM

With spectacular growth predicted in the hospitality industry in China, HIM is responding to demand for managers in this region and from September 2012 will offer Chinese language courses. Mandarin will join French, German and Spanish as an additional offer for second year and PGD students.

A Winning Business Strategy

As the winner of the recent Globus International Business competition, Christopher Tsang is rightly proud of his achievements. The competition in which students from around the world compete, is by invitation only, and puts the best strategists in a head to head competition over two weeks. Christopher took control of a fictive camera company in their 5th year of business and with each day representing a year of business, took the company to its 15th year. Using a long-term strategy Christopher relied on forecasting and the comprehensive analysis of reports before making his daily decisions. The attention to detail paid off and at the end of the competition his company was on solid ground and in a winning position !

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News from HIM

TEDx Experience

Iulian Ban was a member of a team of eleven students who volunteered to assist at a TEDx event in Lausanne. Iulian told ‘In Action’ that from the outset he realized that this was a fantastic opportunity not only to gain experience in service, but to also attend the TEDx conference. The conference brought together over 350 people under the theme of ; The Future Doesn’t Just Happen. For Iulian it was an inspiring day where the conferences on environmental issues and finance reminded him that in order to succeed you have to be proactive – a good lesson for us all !

Christopher receives his award


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News from HIM

Accor Challenge

HIM Receives eduQua Accreditation

Competing against more than 80 projects from 30 schools in 10 countries, HIM team, The DHK Minds, was selected to continue the adventure in round 2 of the Accor Student Challenge.

In round 1, teams submitted projects based on the theme of ‘Sustainable Development in the Hospitality Industry’ and with 2330 votes, the HIM team were clear winners. The DHK minds proposed the use of paper hangers to combat the waste caused by the 8 billion hangers which go into landfill every year.In round 2, teams have the job of producing a short video and text based around the subject: “From reservation to departure, imagine the different steps of a 100% sustainable hotel experience, for a business client of a mid-to-upscale hotel in a capital city.”Voting for round 2 will be open in May with the 5 winning teams to compete in the final in Paris ! Good luck to The DHK Minds.

After many months of in-depth review of its operations, HIM has been awarded the prestigious Swiss eduQua accreditation. It is a recognition of the quality of the programs, academics and facilities that full certification has been awarded to HIM.

Eduqua is a Swiss quality label that certifies institutions offering adult education.During the eduQua certification process different criteria are analyzed, keys to the quality of an institution. The criteria are ; the academic courses on offer, academic staff, learning success, communication with clients, value performance, quality assurance and development. Specific standards must be met in each of these criteria in order to distinguish an institution with the eduQua label. eduQua certification is renewed every three years and yearly intermediate audits are conducted to ensure continued quality.

HIM Celebrates its Graduates

It is an important step in the life of any student and at HIM, the graduation ceremony is a true celebration of student’s success. The Montreux Casino provided a magnificent setting for students of the class of 2012 to receive their awards and celebrate their achievements. Special congratulations to the students who achieved outstanding results in areas of their study and were chosen to receive one of the HIM awards.

Best Academic Performance at Higher Diploma Level ; Mr Peter Alexander Lindblad

Best Academic Performance on the Post-Graduate Diploma Program; Ms Michal Ben Dror

Best Professional Attitude ; Ms. Desiree Overage

Outstanding Graduate in Food and Beverage at Higher Diploma Level ;Mr. Andrei Florin Cantacuz

Outstanding Graduate in Food and Beverage on the Post-Graduate Diploma Program ;Ms. Valentina Domenyuk

Best Academic Performance at BBA Level ; Mr Thomas Wikstrand

Special Award for Citizenship and Leadership ; Ms Tamara Milojevic

Finance and Economics Achievement Award ; Mr. Thomas Wikstrand

Special Globus Achievement Award ; Mr Christopher Tsang

« HIM Celebratesits Graduates »


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Activities and Events

Out and About

Festival of Crepes !

Easter Lunch a Chocolaty Treat !

Thanks to HIM’s Sports and Leisure Manager, each semester there is a fun-filled program to keep students entertained.

Over the Easter weekend, HIM students had the opportunity to join a trip to the French Capital, Paris. Sightseeing in the city, including of course the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysées, a day at Disneyland Paris and a trip to the Palace at Versailles gave students a fantastic experience and plenty of memories to bring back with them.

Elementary French is not just about the language, it’s about living the culture ! Tuesday the 6th of March saw students from the elementary French class preparing the traditional French crêpe to raise funds for the Yaowawit School in Thailand. Crêpes with sugar, fruit, chocolate, vanilla and caramel were on offer and all those who tasted them agreed they were delicious !

A celebratory lunch that was as delicious as it was beautifully arranged ! The Easter weekend was a great opportunity for the F&B staff at HIM to use their creativity and surprise students with a gorgeous Easter luncheon. Thanks to the HIM F&B department for such a tasty treat !

What Can You Make with a Simple Piece of Fruit ?

HIM Masterclasses went bananas this semester with a fruit carving masterclass run by Mr Mambriani, lecturer in service at HIM. After an impressive demonstration, students put their knife-work and artistic talents into action. The enthusiasm was catching and

students were amazed by what they were able to create from oranges, bananas, apples and kiwi fruit !

Other masterclasses this semester included ;

• Leadership• Champagne

• Human Resources• Les Concierges

• Mixology• Public Speaking

• Biodynamic Winemaking• Cigars

• Whiskey


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Activities and Events

Fair Play – the word of the day SEG Sports Day

Cultural Night Banquets, Banquets and more Banquets !

The 3 on 3 basketball tournament organized between SEG schools was conducted with a spirit of fun and fair play between 8 teams. The HIM team managed a very respectable 3rd place behind teams from Cesar Ritz Brig.

The SEG sports day brought together teams from each of the SEG schools to compete in volleyball, basketball and indoor soccer. A great day was had by all and HIM students were proud to win a silver medal in soccer and bronze in volleyball.

The tradition continues and Cultural Night in April was once again an event to remember. With so many nationalities represented on campus, guests were taken on an international culinary journey at the food stands with taste sensations from Romania, Japan, Russia, Bulgaria, Sweden, the Middle east, China, Vietnam, Switzerland, Korea, Ireland, Italy and Greece. Students also showed their talents in a show combining traditional costumes, dance and songs from many of the continents.

One of the highlights for students in second year is their banquet – an event that is also much awaited by the rest of the student body ! Work starts early in the semester with the selection of a theme and distribution of roles within each team. This is followed by weeks of planning, fundraising, marketing, a practice banquet and finally in week fourteen the big event. The standard is always set very high and this semester was no exception with stunning decoration, entertainment and food over four fantastic nights. Themes were creative and ranged from, Men in Black, Disco the place 2B, Harry Potter and Michael Jackson “Is this it?”

« Fair PlaySports Days »


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Internship Diaries

A 5-Star Internship

Karim Almidani says that “success without honour is an unseasoned dish” and his hard work at the Grand Hotel Kempinski in Geneva followed this motto.

“It was with pleasure that I started my first internship in the F & B Department. I worked in the Food Production Kitchen, starting with the most basic tasks and finishing with the challenge of being responsible for 3 kitchens and a variety of sections of the famous New Years Eve buffet. During my 5 months I became a valuable member of the fastest team of chefs in Geneva.

As I knew the owner of the hotel, I think that it was in many ways more difficult for me to be accepted as a team-member and I really had to work hard to prove my worth. I learnt the hard way that the only thing that can prove you is your work! My hard work and patience helped me to gain the respect of my colleagues and boss. I really felt their trust and they gave me a great opportunity to be a Sous Chef Oriental.

I would like to thank HIM & my lecturers who encouraged me to do my job professionally.A special thanks to Mr Eyer and my unconditionally supportive family.”

Cultural Night

Karim and the fastest team of chefs in Geneva


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Barcelona and a Hotel for the Stars !

At the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos, one of Barcelona’s only 5-star luxury hotels and a member of Leading Hotels of the World, Borja Matheu worked as an intern in the Banqueting & Conventions Department.

“My high school graduation was held at the hotel and I loved the way that the staff worked, so really wanted to do my internship there. The biggest event that I was involved in was the Gala Protaganista with over 1200 people attending. There were lots of celebrities and Spanish royalty, so it was a huge challenge to make sure that the event was perfect.

On a smaller scale, I was given the responsibility to organize my own event each week with a Rotary Dinner for 15-20 people which really helped me to learn and I loved making sure that all clients were satisfied.”

A Turkish Palace

The Kempinski Ciragan Palace is one of Istanbul’s best hotels and the place that Adam Benabdeljalil secured his first internship in F&B.

“My goal is to have a career in which I can travel, meet new people and work in a role where every day is a new challenge. The biggest challenge I have faced during my internship is to be able to always satisfy the guest, as sometimes their expectations are quite broad. But, this is also the most satisfying aspect, making them happy and satisfied with the service we are providing. It is also extremely satisfying to receive your first paycheck !”

A Boutique Experience

Johannes Hohn describes his time at the Grand Hotel du Lac in Vevey as being a bit of a challenge ! But, with perseverance and hard work he can now look back and realize how much he learned from the experience.

“Working in the F&B department, I was the assistant to the Banquet Manager which meant that I was helping to organize weddings, conferences and other events for up to 120 people. It was a challenge for me to learn to always work to the levels of perfection required in a 5-star hotel. The hotel is quite small which was a benefit for me as I got a lot of responsibility and saw a lot of different parts of the hotel. I learned flexibility, to cope with stress and what hospitality is really about.”

Internship Diaries

Grand Hotel du Lac Kempinski Ciragan Palace Hotel Rey Juan Carlos


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Where are they now ?

Shyamla Nath

Céline Weckerle

CEO Wit and Founding Director, SN DesignsMumbai, India

“It was a natural choice for me to study hospitality as I have always travelled widely staying in fine hotels and enjoyed interacting with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Following my graduation from HIM, I worked in the industry for several years in banqueting and catering. After the birth of my son, I was inspired to establish and manage a children’s centre, one of a kind in Mumbai, that was featured in a food magazine for its uniqueness.

After the success of this business, I realized that the education and skills I had learned at HIM could be used in many other fields and I decided to work in the development sector in India. For the past 12 years I have been providing managerial input at all levels and hundreds of women have benefitted from our livelihood and vocational skills programmes. At WIT, I have also been able to use my knowledge of food production.

Recently, I have established SN Designs, a company providing interior design solutions and manufacture of textiles and soft furnishings. In 2009 I was featured as Smart Business Woman on CNBC Awaaz, India. In the hospitality industry, each day is a new day which brings with it new opportunities and challenges and students should learn from these. My advice is to study with an open mind, always aim for excellence, be innovative and committed to whatever you undertake.”

Assistant Guest Relations ManagerRitz Hotel, Paris, France

“Hospitality has been my dream job since I was a little girl, with the passion being brought to me by my father. He had always wanted to work in this business but was never able to, so I decided to take on the challenge.

When I graduated from HIM, I started off as a rooms division management trainee at the Ritz in Paris. After a year of intense training acquiring an extensive amount of rooms division knowledge, I was promoted to Assistant Guest Relations Manager. One of the most important things I learned at HIM was how to handle complaints. Listening, apologizing and acting upon a complaint is something I do every day !

The highlight of my career so far was receiving flowers from an extremely difficult guest. After a month where she complained every day to each department manager, she told me I was extremely professional and that she would gladly recommend me to any other palace in the world !

The most important thing needed by someone if they want to work in the hospitality industry is passion. Long working days, rough guests and working over weekends and public holidays is not as easy as it may seem at first. Without passion for their work, any hospitality professional will lose their motivation and drive to please the guest at any cost. So, my professional motto is “Always be passionate”.

“My advice is to study with an open mind, always aim for excellence, be innovative and committed to whatever you undertake.”

“So, my professional motto is “Always be passionate”.

Logo Hôtel


| 9 |

Mălina Rotaru

Ina Issa

Commis de Rang, O'terroirs RestaurantBeau Rivage Hotel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

“There are many factors that guided me towards hospitality in general and the food & beverage department in particular. First and foremost, I have a passion to work for people and this profession gives me the opportunity of a direct contact with guests at all times ; it also allows me to enrich their gastronomic experience by catering to their specific needs and wishes. I have always been fascinated by an exquisite dining experience and my current work allows me to discover the many ways in which different ingredients may combine in order to make a delicious dish. The most rewarding aspect of my job is to see that our guests have a good time at the restaurant, leave with a good memory of their meal, and wish to return for a new culinary adventure.

I believe that the profession that I chose is not an easy one. Those who are interested in following the same career path have to be passionate about more than one aspect of the hospitality industry. They should always have a positive attitude and smile at their guests, willing to respond to their wildest demands and doing the best they can to see them happy. They should be very flexible and be able to work long hours, even on holidays. My professional philosophy is : passion, smile and motivation.

The most remarkable moment of my career was when I had to move from the bar to the restaurant and one of my loyal customers wrote to me on a comment card : “Mӑlina is a very friendly person. We admire a lot her work, her smile and her kindness. We regret her leaving the bar and moving to the restaurant. I found it very touching. Knowing that my personality and work are so highly appreciated by one of our guests meant a lot to me and gave me an impetus to carry on in the same spirit.”

Lecturer in Hospitality and Tourism, University Saint-EspritKaslik, Lebanon

“I chose to study hospitality management because of the career opportunities that exist within the industry. Hospitality is fun and fascinating, and it offers exciting career opportunities in a variety of fields ; from travel and tourism to lodging, event management, restaurants, and recreation.

After graduating from HIM I worked for some time in the hospitality industry and then decided to continue my studies. I finally achieved an MSc in International Hotel and Tourism Management. This gave me the opportunity to teach at university level. Today, I am a lecturer in Hospitality and Tourism at USEK in Lebanon ; where the hospitality management program is operated by Le Cordon Bleu. Teaching aspiring hospitality students gives me enormous satisfaction, because it means I am contributing to someone’s career and development ; much in the same way the dedicated teachers at HIM contributed to my progress.

Every day I am reminded and inspired by the professionalism and courtesy exhibited by my teachers at HIM. The time I spent at HIM was one of the best in my life ; I met interesting people from different countries and experienced truly remarkable moments both professionally and personally. I even met my husband at HIM !

The hospitality industry is an exciting industry to work in; it offers excellent career advancement opportunities, but it is not an industry for the faint hearted. To succeed in the industry you have to be dedicated, flexible and passionate. My advice to new students is to keep an open mind and never stop learning.”

Where are they now ?

“My advice to new students is to keepan open mind and

never stop learning.”

“My professional philosophy is :passion, smile

and motivation.”


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A selection of our partners :

SEG was proud to welcome motivational speaker, Richard St John, to the IRF where he gave an inspirational speech sharing with students the eight traits that he believes are shared by successful people.

1. Passion2. Work3. Focus4. Push5. Ideas6. Improve7. Serve8. Persist

Skills and ideas to keep in mind !

8 to be Great !

HIM Students Shine at the IRF

The International Recruitment Forum held in March was a great success for students from HIM with 70% of students who attended being given at least one job offer and in many cases the offers were multiple.

“My experience at the IRF was extremely good and allowed me to present my true self to the recruiters rather than just sending them a C.V like hundreds of others. I consider the IRF as an opportunity where you are able to put yourself out there and get valuable offers and contacts.”Francisca Seabra

“It’s a great opportunity to get your first step into the hotel industry. You get the opportunity to meet representatives from all the famous hotel chains around the world. I left the IRF with a good feeling and a lot of networking with people from the hotel industry... and now I’m looking forward to start my internship which I got through the IRF.” Nadja Gadelius

Richard St John

Francisca Seabra

H O T E L G R O U P G E N E V A


HIM, Hotel Institute Montreux

Avenue des Alpes 15, 1820 Montreux

Switzerland

T. +41 21 966 46 46

F. +41 21 966 46 00

[email protected]

www.him.ch

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