50 Shades of Hospitality
By: 50 Shades of Hospitality
Language: en-us
Categories: Business, Careers
A global podcast dedicated to learning from industry players around the world. Our podcasts are a series of interviews with international hospitality and tourism industry professionals. We prompt our guests to share their personal experiences, as well as analyse the current trends, technology and innovations.The podcast’s goal is to inspire people in the field and to encourage young people to join this exciting industry. We are committed to evaluating the current educational and training opportunities for industry professionals in the hopes of finding solutions to the challenges the industry is now facing.
Episodes
Saving our Blue Planet
Oct 27, 2025Khulan Berger is currently the Director of Development at CLIMATE BRIDGES and the Founder and President of OUR IMPACT MONGOLIA. When we recorded this podcast, Khulan was the Head of Communication & Community for MY BLUE PLANET. In this podcast, Khulan explains why sustainable tourism has become such an important endeavor and how MY BLUE PLANET is working closely with companies to transition and implement sustainable practices.
Khulan describes what tools are being used to engage and inspire the hospitality and tourism sectors and what areas are particularly challenging. She also explains why it is impo...
Duration: 00:23:36Sensory leadership & Luxury Hospitality Expertise
Oct 20, 2025In this podcast, Sara Abdel Masih describes her unique career path from climbing the career ladder in the luxury hospitality industry to teaching in hotel management schools and writing a book on mobbing and harassment in the workplace based on her personal experiences.
Sara has worn many hats and has studied not only hospitality management but criminology and forensic science. She is the Founder of Sensory Academy Management, a holistic approach to hospitality management through coaching, care and leadership. In this podcast Sara describes her in-depth knowledge of the hospitality i...
Duration: 00:28:28How Discretionary Effort Fuels Revenue in Hospitality
Oct 13, 2025In this episode, we speak to Geoffrey Toffetti, who is the CEO of Frontline Performance Group and a veteran in the hospitality field. We talk to Geoffrey about Discretionary Effort and why it is so important for hospitality businesses to encourage, motivate and engage their teams. Geoffrey explains what discretionary effort is and how it can be the link between excellent service, motivated staff and revenue increases.
Geoffrey also gives some very clear advice on how managers can improve organizational excellence and he shares some personal stories on how...
Duration: 00:30:35The Art of Hospitality and "l’Art de la Table", French Version...
Oct 06, 2025Chantal Wittman is an educator, a hospitality expert, a competition judge and received the MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) Maître d’Hôtel award. In this podcast, Chantal gives our listeners some background information about the French MOF competitions and what this means for the people who have been given this title. Chantal has taught in some of the most prestigious hospitality institutions including Lycée Hôtelier de Strasbourg, the Glion Institute of Higher Education, the Ecole Ducasse. In addition to teaching, Chantal also teaches Master Classes around the world and has participated as a judge in dozens...
Duration: 00:41:17Concierges: Holding the Keys to a Hotel’s Success
Sep 29, 2025Originally from Ankara, Turkey, A. Burak Ipekci was fortunate enough to realise that the hospitality industry was his calling in his late teens. Already doing seasonal work in the industry, Burak went ahead to study Hospitality Management at Bilkent University, the country’s first private university. A career that spans three countries and over 30 years, Burak has worked at Soho Grand Hotel, Hilton New York and Le Parker Meridien in New York before relocating to London.
After serving many years on the Board of Directors of the New York City Association of Hotel Concierges, at the time of h...
Duration: 00:45:18A Closer Look at Hospitality in India
Sep 22, 2025In this podcast, Puneet Baijal talks to us about the current tourism and hospitality trends in India and more specifically in the Gujrat region where he is currently the General Manager of the five-star Hyatt Regency Hotel in Ahmedabad. He shares his passion for hospitality and describes how Indian culture plays a big role in the way Indians welcome guests and tourists to their country. We ask him to explain why India has always been a popular tourist destination and continues to capture so many travelers’ hearts.
Puneet also explains how India is preparing young people for the...
Duration: 00:37:23Developing Expertise in Hospitality Management and Leadership
Sep 15, 2025Julia Krebs is a Senior Lecturer at Les Roches Marbella Global Hospitality and Hospitality Consultant, based in Marbella, Spain. In this podcast we ask Julia about her international career and how it has shaped her approach to working in diverse environments. Julia is passionate about helping to shape the next generation of hospitality professionals and leaders – she speaks about the importance of adapting pedagogy to the quickly changing hospitality sectors
We also ask Julia how she sees the relationship between the current industry needs and expectations and what hospitality management schools are offering and she explains how acad...
Duration: 00:34:11Women’s Empowerment & Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia
Sep 08, 2025Amna Alyamani has turned her childhood passion into a successful career and she is a woman fueled by her passion for baking, which she discovered at the tender age of 7. She has since pursued her dream, scaling heights and enjoying success in the culinary industry. In this podcast, Amna retraces her passion for baking and answers our questions about entrepreneurship, the current situation in Saudi Arabia for young female entrepreneurs and how she manages the everyday stress of running a business.
Growing up, Amna always knew that she wanted to open a bakery, and by the time...
Duration: 00:29:13The Art of Negotiation
Sep 01, 2025In this podcast, Tatjana Kniazeva describes her amazing, inspirational and challenging story of having to create a life for herself in London and how she went on to become a successful hospitality negotiator. With over two decades of experience in the global hospitality industry, Tatjana currently leads a high-performing team of hotel negotiators at Miki Travel one of the world’s leading B2B wholesalers.
We discuss the importance of communication skills and cultural intelligence and how she teaches the art of negotiation by focusing on these valuable skills. Tatjana tells our listeners what it takes...
Duration: 00:24:15Lebanese Hospitality and Managing an Iconic Hotel in Beirut, Lebanon
Aug 25, 2025In this podcast Manrique Rodriguez talks about Lebanese hospitality and compares Lebanon to other countries in the Levant and Middle East and shares his extensive, global insights into the hospitality field. He touches on the topic of hospitality changes and challenges and the importance of moving towards more sustainable practices and eco-tourism.
Manrique Rodriguez recently became the General Manager of the JW Marriott Guanacaste in Costa Rica and he was the General Manager of the iconic Intercontinental Phoenicia in Beirut, Lebanon. He has a strong background in hotel operations with ove...
Duration: 00:36:25The Evolving Role of the Revenue Manager
Aug 18, 2025In this podcast Linus Fredberg answers our questions about Revenue Management and Optimization and walks us through his educational and global career paths. Linus also talks about what a typical day looks like in his current position as the Regional Director of Northern Europe for Revenue Management for Accor’s MGallery, Sofitel, Sofitel Legend and Emblems collections.
We also ask Linus why he chose to follow a hospitality path and in particular, revenue management. Linus also explains to our listeners how working in the US, The United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Europe helped shape his ideas...
Duration: 00:29:00When Hospitality meets Technology…
Aug 11, 2025Andrey Parshukov is currently the Head of Business Growth at JetRockets, a forward-thinking company specializing in custom web and mobile application development across various industries. In this podcast, Andrey talks about his career path from studying hospitality in Switzerland and working in the hospitality field to teaching in Vietnam and developing his passion for technology and AI.
Andrey gives our listeners some insight into how AI is revolutionizing the hospitality field and what to expect in the coming years. Andrey assures our listeners that AI will never replace the “human touch”...
Duration: 00:34:07Hospitality Training in Cameroon – Preparing for Future Hotels and Tourism
Aug 04, 2025In this podcast, Laurence Toudjui gives our listeners a glimpse of Cameroonian hospitality by describing the current projects that are underway in her native country. Cameroon is currently catching up with other African countries that attract tourists. With its 400 km of Atlantic coast, Cameroon has fabulous sites for beach loving visitors and the country has many natural attractions that are not found anywhere else in the world, making it possible to have various categories of tourism. Cameroon is one of the oldest countries of Africa and therefore has a lot of sites that can claim to be labelled a...
Duration: 00:26:56Know Yourself: Lessons Learned from a Sports and Events Career Path
Jul 28, 2025Margaux Michel is currently the Alumni Relations Manager at Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland. In this podcast we ask Margaux Michel to describe her varied experiences working in the Sport and Event Management field. An athlete herself, Margaux explains how her multi-cultural background helped shape her career and why she was eager to welcome different experiences with UEFA, the International Committee for the Red Cross and UBS. Margaux shares her reasons for pursuing positions with these famous organizations and why she decided to leave the corporate world to pursue other paths.
We also discuss what it...
Duration: 00:28:27Turning Great Locations Into Iconic Properties: Hospitality in Portugal
Jul 21, 2025In this podcast, Alexandre Maia de Carvalho tells our listeners about his hospitality career in Portugal and why it continues to be one of the top-ten destinations for European tourists and is gaining popularity for travellers coming from the US, China and Canada.
Alexandre’s specialty is luxury hotels and resorts, and in this podcast he describes this growing field and how it has evolved over the past 10 years and what the future holds for this niche. He also discusses the current challenges that the hospitality field is facing and how it can adapt to a...
Duration: 00:39:46Turning Creative Hospitality Storytelling into ROI
Jul 14, 2025Scott Eddy has made hospitality and tourism storytelling his field of expertise and he helps hospitality brands and destinations thrive in a fast-evolving digital world. With over 20 years of digital marketing and entrepreneurship under his belt, he has honed his brand strategy skills, Scott now travels year-round professionally as a video globetrotter, and he is an avid cruise aficionado.
Scott begins this podcast by telling us how he eventually ended up in digital marketing, hospitality and tourism and he recounts an emotional story of why, after wanting to become a police officer, h...
Duration: 00:26:26Hospitality Education in Luxembourg
Jul 07, 2025In this podcast, Claudine Thoma talks about her professional path from hospitality to education and why she decided to pursue her passion for the hospitality field as a young woman. She also discusses hospitality and hospitality education in Luxembourg, her native country and how she successfully stepped outside of her hospitality business passion into her new passion for hospitality education.
In addition, Claudine shares her insights into how the hospitality field is evolving and why hospitality education needs to keep up with these changes. Claudine also explains how young people can...
Duration: 00:34:04Future of Hospitality: Where Innovation Meets Education
Jun 30, 2025In this podcast, Krisztina Soreg, PhD talks about her educational path as an Economist and her career choice to become a professor at Les Roches Hospitality Management School in Marbella, Spain. She answers our questions about the role of education in shaping the current hospitality field and the importance of disruptions and challenges to the status quo. Krisztina describes why innovative approaches to education are vital and putting students in the centre of pedagogy is a no-brainer.
We also discuss entrepreneurship and start-ups, something that young graduates are often passionate and...
Duration: 00:43:50Norwegian Hospitality and a Scandinavian Approach to Hospitality Leadership
Jun 23, 2025In this podcast, Andrès Reyes Gjerme talks about his career choices and what he considers to be the main challenges in hospitality leadership today. He describes the importance of finding balance and adapting to an ever-changing, diverse working environment. He describes the hospitality and tourism industry in Norway and answers our questions about why Norway has become such a popular tourist destination. Finally, he shares his views on how hospitality businesses can recruit and retain talent in an industry that is undergoing significant changes.
Andrès Reyes Gjerme is curren...
Duration: 00:38:10Creating Cocktail Magic at The Chapel Bar in Vienna
Jun 16, 2025
Robin Salem, who works at a The Chapel Bar, a speakeasy in Vienna, Austria, is the first bartender that 50 Shades of Hospitality has interviewed for our podcast. Robin explains to our audience how he went from working as a chef to becoming a barman.
The Chapel Bar offers over 30 signature cocktails and mocktails presented in a beautiful book offered to their guests. Robin explains to us how he and his team come up with the concepts and recipes. We ask Robin about how this remarkable bar started, the kind of guest...
Duration: 00:34:46Hotel and Hospitality Development in Central and Eastern Europe
Jun 09, 2025In this podcast, Christian Michel tells our listeners about hotel development and in particular, the continued growth and development of the Central and Eastern European markets. Christian describes his long career with Wyndham Resorts and how he has honed his knowledge of hotel development in Central and Eastern Europe.
Christian also speaks to our audience about why Central and Eastern Europe have become such popular destinations. Finally, he talks about hospitality education in Switzerland and how hospitality schools must continue to train and educate for an ever-changing hospitality reality. He also...
Duration: 00:39:33Finding Your Hospitality Path and Exploring Options
Jun 02, 2025Winner of the Best Swiss Receptionist Bucherer trophy in 2015, Judith Malavallon went from working in an iconic BEAU RIVAGE Palace to becoming a teacher at the school she attended in Switzerland. After a management change, she continued teaching at another prestigious Hospitality School in Lausanne. But Judith is a firm believer in having a healthy work/life balance and having children has allowed her to see other options available to someone with a hospitality background.
In this podcast, Judith discusses what it was like to compete for Best Receptionist and wha...
Duration: 00:27:40Exciting News About 50 Shades of Hospitality
May 26, 2025After more than two years and 10,000+ downloads of 50 Shades of Hospitality Podcasts, your producers and hosts, Egidio Marcato and Crystal Forest Cavin discuss their motivation and passion for creating a global hospitality podcast.
In this podcast Egidio and Crystal are pleased to announce their future collaboration with Mauricio Schuler and his company, Schulering HUB.
Schulering HUB, is all about passion for the hospitality industry, education, life-long learning and using strong networks to share information and inspire. Their mission statement says it...
Duration: 00:19:36When the Hospitality path leads you to become a Business Angel
May 19, 2025In this podcast, João de Saldanha describes his path from hospitality to the world of finance and investment. Despite some early disappointments, João was able to move forward and he shares his insights into how difficulties can be turned into opportunities for growth and success. He also explains how his hospitality training was a powerful tool for his future career and how a hospitality education gives you the transferable skills that can be used in many industries and fields. In addition, João describes the common characteristics between hospitality and finance.
João also spe...
Duration: 00:29:21Winning Gold! World Skills Champion of Hotel Reception
May 12, 2025In this podcast, we speak to Carmen Többen who won the WorldSkills Gold Medal for best receptionist in Lyon, France last year. After winning the Gold Medal at the SwissSkills competition in Bern in 2022 and the EuroSkills Gold Medal in Gdansk, Poland in 2023, Carmen used those exceptional experiences to win gold in Lyon.
Carmen walks us through the prestigious WorldSkills competition by describing the different tasks she had to perform and explains how she trained for these four, very intense days. We question Carmen on how she trained and managed to stay focused under immense pressure and...
Duration: 00:43:24San Leonardo - An Italian Wine Estate with a Rich History
May 05, 2025In this podcast, Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga shares the extraordinary history of his family-owned winery, Tenuta San Leonardo, which is an estate of historical significance where great wines are created in Trentino. It produces San Leonardo, a Bordeaux-style red wine which was described by the wine journalist, Jancis Robinson as "surely the most successful Bordeaux blend of northern Italy".
For our oenology enthusiasts, Anselmo describes the kind of grapes and wines made at San Leonardo and gives a colorful historical background to this winery founded in 1724. And for our history buffs, Anselmo shares some of th...
Duration: 00:35:49Exploring Mexico’s Culinary Heritage
Apr 28, 2025In this podcast, Philippe Rey-Westlund and Byron Rey-Westlund talk about their culinary adventures in Mexico and what has and continues to inspire these explorations of Mexico’s culinary history.
Both Byron and Philippe talk about their initial experiences with Mexican cuisine
Byron grew up in the Cupertino, California (Silicon Valley) surrounded by fruit orchards. Cupertino, before becoming the Apple Corp. headquarters, was a small village one hour south of San Francisco populated mostly by Italian and Mexican immigrants. There he was introduced early to the delicious tasty layers of ancestral Mexi...
Duration: 00:29:15Making idealistic culinary dreams come true
Apr 21, 2025Walter el Nagar is a passionate Chef with a multicultural background and a strong desire to make not only a culinary mark but a social one as well. In this podcast, Walter describes his passion for creative culinary arts and his professional path across the globe.
Walter was born in Milan in 1981 to an Egyptian father and Italian mother, both of whom are restaurateurs. Known for his creative flair and self-taught culinary skills, Walter embarked on a transformative journey in 2008 when he traveled to Los Angeles and discovered his love for Latin American cuisine. This exp...
Duration: 00:34:34Surfing and Community Tourism
Apr 14, 2025In this podcast we speak to Bastian Barnbeck who is a social entrepreneur and the founder of Waved, a non-profit organization that empowers students from rural coastal communities in Panama, using surfing a tool for social change. With a background in Hospitality, Management Consulting and Corporate Social Responsibility, Bastian discusses how he has used all of his experiences for this forward-looking social adventure.
We ask Bastian about his motivations for creating Waved and how his career path in hospitality, finance and education, not to mention, surfing, led to his passion for social change. Bastian explains to our...
Successful Business Results Through Engagement, Learning and Development
Apr 07, 2025Ursula Connolly is the founder and Managing Director of People Skills Business. She has more than 30 years experience in developing and motivating individuals and companies to achieve successful results. In this podcast, Ursula tells our listeners about how she works with internationally respected organisations to help them align the development of their employees with their brand and strategic business objectives. She describes how her main focus is to help organisations engage and develop their people so that they in turn deliver great customer service and achieve desired business results.
In 2004, Ursula established People Skills Business. P...
Duration: 00:32:22Invest in Your Team, and They Will Invest in You
Mar 31, 2025In this podcast, Tobias Cornet and Raad Masarwah from The Right Balance, a hospitality consulting and training company that helps hotels across all their revenue generating departments to increase sales, enhance guest experiences and boost their team’s skills & motivation. Tobias and Raad discuss their company’s mission and how their experienced staff support hotels with change management, employee retention and team motivation.
We ask pertinent questions about how management can invest in their teams and what are the benefits of doing so. Tobias and Raad also give our listeners food for thought concerning the cu...
Duration: 00:36:58Hospitality and Tourism Opportunities in Romania
Mar 25, 2025In this podcast, Razvan Pirjol, CEO of Turism Felix and the owner of Leading Choice, a global hospitality counselling company in Romania, answers our questions about the hospitality and tourism industry in Romania and gives his insights on current hospitality education and training opportunities. A Glion Hospitality graduate, Razvan ended up spending several years in Switzerland and he talks to us about this unique experience, how it influenced his career choices and why he still has a strong connection to the Montreux region.
Ro...
Duration: 00:36:36Becoming the WorldSkills Vice-World Champion of Hotel Reception
Mar 24, 2025Tim Oberli is currently the Front Desk Manager at the world famous Bürgenstock Resort near Lucerne, Switzerland. He is also the current World Skills Vice Champion of Hotel Reception. In this podcast, Tim describes first becoming the Swiss Skills champion and subsequently his participation in the World Skills competition last year in October in Montreux, Switzerland.
Tim describes his experience in Montreux and the lasting impressions he has from participating in this important event. He recognises the importance of his support team and family during a increasingly demanding preparation for t...
Duration: 00:32:36Beyond Service: Inspiring the future of hospitality, with Maxime Blot, Best Craftsman in France
Mar 17, 2025Maxime Blot, Meilleur Ouvrier de France (French Best Craftsman) for Hotel Reception, talks to our listeners about this professional honor and describes the demanding process of competing and winning this prestigious award. Maxime has worked in some of the most prestigious and luxurious palaces in the world and in this podcast, he describes his first few years of honing and perfecting his skills.
Maxime also talks to us about his current job as a hospitality consultant and the Hospitality Insiders podcast producer and host. We find out more about what motivated Maxi...
Duration: 00:33:41Swiss4Afrika – a sustainable hospitality training model
Mar 10, 2025In this podcast, Brigitte Lawler from Swiss4Africa describes the work that their non-profit organization, registered in Bern, Switzerland, is currently doing in South Africa. They work with small NPO’s in South Africa to break the cycle of poverty,addressing four of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
They were founded by 5 members a year ago and at the time of founding, three of its members were based in Switzerland while the other two are on the ground in South Africa.
They work with local communi...
Duration: 00:30:13Leading in Times of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity
Mar 03, 2025In this podcast, we interview Evan Tzivanakis, author of ‘’Leading In VUCA Times’’. In this insightful work, Evan delves into the complexities of modern leadership, offering valuable strategies to navigate the ever-evolving business landscape successfully. His book has become a go-to resource for executives and aspiring leaders seeking guidance in an increasingly turbulent world. With a wealth of experience and expertise in leadership and organizational dynamics, Evan explains to our listeners how he has been instrumental in empowering countless individuals and businesses to achieve their full potential and thrive in the face of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity...
Duration: 00:29:24Is Hospitality a good starting point for a career in peacebuilding?
Feb 24, 2025Vanessa Kellerhals currently works in Iraq for the UNDP (United Nation Development Programme) but little in her career path would hint at her one day working in peacebuilding and development.
In this podcast, Vanessa explains how she went from working at the Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich, winning the AICR world’s best receptionist in 2010 and then onto Lebanon to learn Arabic. From there, she moved back to Switzerland to pursue her studies in Social Sciences. After finishing her Master’s degree and trying to gain a foothold in peacebuilding and development during the pandemic...
Duration: 00:28:48Building a Legacy of Lifelong Learning
Feb 17, 202550 Shades of Hospitality is happy to introduce our new collaborator and producer, Mauricio Schüler. Life-long Learning is Mauricio’s passion and his career path has revolved around how to inspire other professionals to embrace this ethos. For this podcast, Mauricio who is the founder of the Schulering HUB hospitality platform, responds to our questions about how hoteliers can improve and innovate in the current hospitality business environment.
Mauricio’s focus is on independent hoteliers, who lack resources to keep pace with rapid changes. By creating the right space and bringing...
Duration: 00:34:14When Hospitality rhymes with French Pastry…
Feb 10, 2025Jacquy Pfeiffer embodies the French pastry chef’s persona with style and grace and shares his many career choices and experiences across the world. From his native Alsace to Chicago via California, Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Brunei and Hong Kong, Jacquy has brought his pastry magic to the many places he has worked. He explains how he started as a young apprentice in the Alsace region and the importance of hard work, a strong sense of perfectionism and a good dose of humility when it comes to creating his signature pastries. He also describes the artistry and creat...
Duration: 00:36:59Next generation Hotel Equipment by Brandon Burnett, Hospitality Futurist
Feb 03, 2025In this podcast, entrepreneur Brandon Burnett describes how his next generation of hotel equipment is poised to improve and transform the hotel industry. He also describes his career path from completing a hospitality management degree in Switzerland to working for some of the major hotel chains in different capacities. Brandon shares his views and opinions about the hospitality industry, tech trends and staffing challenges.
Brandon in the founder of Abellcart LLC, a hospitality tech startup. Abellcart’s first product in the self-driving luggage cart that is trying to profoundly impact produc...
Duration: 00:35:19Air B&B: Innovation and disruption in the Hospitality World
Jan 27, 2025In this podcast we speak to Aoife McArdle, an Innovation & Disruption Expert. Aoife was an early leader in the most disruptive industries the world has seen in the last 20 years. She was a key initiator and driver of rapid growth at Airbnb (travel and hospitality), Skype (telecommunications) and Apple (music, e-commerce).
Aoife shares her personal stories as a host on Airbnb before she began working there and how the company’s mission and values won her over. It’s hard to think of a more quintessential story in disruption than Airbnb...
Duration: 00:30:56Creating equitable and sustainable food systems
Jan 20, 2025In this podcast, Nicola Gryczka informs our listeners about equitable and sustainable food systems in the hospitality industry and how she became, in her words, “a change-maker, dreamer and social entrepreneur”.
As co-founder and leader of the Social Gastronomy Movement (SGM), Nicola connects communities globally to drive equitable and sustainable food systems. Her background includes pioneering solutions to combat food waste, advancing educational content for underserved communities, and consulting in the social enterprise space.
The Social Gastronomy Movement cultivates connections, collaborations and partner...
Duration: 00:26:02What would Hospitality be without Concierges?
Jan 13, 2025With over 40 years-experience as a luxury hotel concierge, Robert Watson shares his career path and choices along with some unforgettable experiences with our listeners. Starting as a page boy at the InterContinental Hotel in London, Robert has also worked at some of London’s famous hotels such as Mayfair Hotel, the Park Hyatt Carlton Tower and the Grosvenor.
In this podcast, Robert describes what a concierge does, why this position is still important for prestigious hotels and for their role in satisfying demanding client requests. Robert explains the importance of having...
Duration: 00:32:27Reaching for excellence – Running an Amalfi Coast luxury boutique hotel
Jan 06, 2025In this podcast, we interview Estelle Vassallo, who is the General Manager of the Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel in Italy. Estelle answers our questions about crisis management in the hospitality field and about what it takes to become a GM.
We ask Estelle to describe what it is like to manage a hotel in an iconic location like the Amalfi Coast and she explains what kind of clients the Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel attracts. We also discuss the selection and hiring process for a luxury hotel GM...
Duration: 00:29:17Working in an exclusive London Private Club
Dec 30, 2024Claude Achaume has been working as the private rooms manager for the exclusive 5 Hertford Street Private Club in London for several years and in this podcast, he shares his experiences and some interesting anecdotes that have made headlines! Claude describes how his years at the iconic Connaught Hotel in London shaped his sense of hospitality and taught him the importance of discretion and tactfulness.
While working at the Connaught, Claude met actors, royalty, celebrities and politicians and he describes some of his most memorable moments. He tell...
Duration: 00:34:58Being the first Ambassador of Hospitality in France (MOF)
Dec 23, 2024Claire Dupleix is a Hospitality and Hotel Reception Ambassador in France and a MOF (Mellieur Ouvrier de France / Best Craftsman of France). She was the first to receive this prestigious honour for Hotel Receptionist in 2015. In this podcast, Claire describes her passion and enthusiasm for the hospitality industry and elaborates on her educational and career paths.
In this podcast, we learn more about what it takes to be a MOF and how this competition is run. The title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France is a unique and prestigious award in Fra...
Duration: 00:36:45It’s time for Hospitality “accessibility” to mean accessible
Dec 16, 2024In this podcast, Cathleen Cain, explains why many hospitality businesses are not accessible for people with limited mobility and what they can do to improve this. In her opinion, some simple, inexpensive changes can make a world of difference. Cathleen has travelled around the world and in this podcast, she describes the particular challenges she has had to face as a paraplegic in a wheelchair.
As a California native living in Switzerland, Cathleen went from an accessibility friendly environment in the USA to limited accessibility in Europe. She also explains that...
Duration: 00:42:46The Impact of synergies & interactions between Media and Hospitality
Dec 09, 2024Podcast Description:
In this podcast, Chris Horn who is currently the General Manager at Gold Key Media, discusses his career path and answers our questions about the synergies between the Media and Hospitality. Gold Key Media has a hard earned and formidable reputation for quality and credibility in the industry for providing a reliable, competitive service and consequently represent all of the world’s leading hospitality brands with the world’s most respected and trusted publications. In addition to supplying some of the finest hotels in the world, the company now als...
Duration: 00:27:45Managing Operations on the Iconic Venice-Simplon Orient Express
Dec 02, 2024Francesco Bonotto has been the manager of the legendary Venice-Simplon Orient Express for over five years. In his own words: “I am the Hotel Manager of a 5 star hotel moving on rail tracks across 5 different countries with an international luxurious clientele looking for a lifetime experience. A very wide knowledge and a multitasking mind set are necessary tools to cover such a role. Additionally, the variables involved in the operations are many and most of the time, unforeseen.” Francesco discusses the importance of making sure the guests have a unique, unforgettable and once in a lifetime experience.
The Finance Doctor Is In!
Nov 25, 2024Romain Faure is the founder of itsRomainFaure, an up-and-coming YouTube channel focused on personal finance in the United States. Originally from France he has spent the last decade in the US, honing his expertise in personal finance through experience with some of the largest US corporations. In this podcast we ask Romain to describe his career path from obtaining a degree in Hospitality Management and Finance at a prestigious Swiss Hotel Management school to his current You Tube success. Romain also explains how his background in hospitality has shaped his career and explains what motivated him to pu...
Duration: 00:35:33Sweet Success: The Delicious Journey of a Chocolatier
Nov 18, 2024In this podcast, chocolatier Aditi Malhotra Ahooja shares her unique path from her childhood in New York City, to a Swiss hospitality school and onto becoming a successful entrepreneur. Aditi talks about her family’s love and support, learning to become a pastry chef, some inevitable bumps along the way and her passion for chocolate. She describes how her labor of love, Tache Chocolates, came into being.
Tache Chocolate was founded by pastry chef Aditi Malhotra Ahooja. Her delicious and unique chocolates draw inspiration from her travels around the world and h...
Duration: 00:26:50Creating a Dynamic Career Path in Hospitality Management
Nov 11, 2024In this episode, Andrra Berisha describes how she has dynamically created an envious hospitality management path for herself after her hospitality studies in Switzerland. As the Business Development Manager at Lighthouse, the leading commercial platform for the travel & hospitality industry, Andrra uses her hospitality acumen to drive revenue growth and foster long-term client partnerships.
We ask Andrra to describe her hospitality education and how it has helped her to succeed in the hospitality sector and she gives our listeners some insights on how to creatively and dynamically approach a successful m...
Duration: 00:33:36Love is the main ingredient – Underground Dining at Naglee Park
Nov 04, 2024In this podcast, Philippe Rey-Westlund and Byron Rey-Westlund talk about their labor of love and fine dining with the creation of Underground Dining at Naglee Park in the Silicon Valley. We learn about how this idea was born, how it blossomed into a full-time job for its creative chef Byron and how Philippe’s family history of running a hotel and restaurant in Crans-Montana, Switzerland helped him to become the welcoming host for an eclectic clientele.
Both Byron and Philippe talk about their travel and dining experiences and how cuisine from different places influenced Byro...
Duration: 00:40:26Myth or Reality? The allure of becoming a Hotel General Manager
Oct 28, 2024In this podcast, Philippe Clarinval discusses the role of the Hotel GM and what makes this role appealing and challenging. He also shares his passion for life-long learning and why continuing educational pursuits are important in our ever-changing world.
Philippe’s role as General Manager of the Carlton Hotel in St.-Moritz Switzerland and the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois in Basel allowed him realise the importance of transformational leadership. In this episode, Philippe delves into what transformational leadership looks like and how the hospitality sector must encourage and support service excellence by inspiring and c...
Duration: 00:39:34Insights of hospitality in Saudi Arabia
Oct 21, 2024In this podcast, Mohammed Marghalani, currently the Saudi Chief of Franchised Assets Operations for PIF Hospitality Projects, talks to us about the enormous changes that have occurred over the past five years in the Saudi hospitality field. With over 18 years in the hospitality field and an MBA from the Ecole Hotelière de Lausanne, Mohammed also discusses Swiss Hospitality education and how the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is bringing best educational practices to hospitality schools there.
Mohammed also shares his passion for hospitality and describes how the Kingdom of Saudi Ara...
Duration: 00:26:45An overview of Hospitality education, training and expertise needs in China
Oct 14, 2024Rebecca Li is a force to be reckoned with and some of the many hats she wears include entrepreneur, hospitality expert, investment banker and educator. Rebecca was born into a Chinese hotelier family and left China in 2003 to pursue her studies in England and China. In 2011 she became an investment banker and returned to China in 2014. In this podcast, Rebecca shares her educational and career path choices and how she juggles her career with having two young children.
Rebecca also describes her family’s hotel business and how it has evolve...
Duration: 00:46:41Understanding and optimizing the business impact of customer experience strategies
Oct 07, 2024In this episode, we talk to Yannick Bouyidou, whose hospitality career with Ritz-Carlton led him to work on four different continents in different leadership positions. Currently, Yannick wears several hospitality hats including entrepreneur, mentor, guest speaker, philanthropist and educator. Yannick has a 360 -degree vision of the current hospitality trends and business stakes and understands how business, performance, excellence in customer service, technology, and innovation can go hand in hand with philanthropy and giving back to society.
Yannick also discusses how to interest and motivate young people to join the ever-changing hos...
Duration: 00:44:38Hosco: The one-stop solution for Hospitality recruitment
Sep 30, 2024In this podcast, Olivier Bracard, the co-founder and CEO of the highly successful hospitality recruitment platform Hosco, describes how this platform was born and why it is the go-to website for people looking for job offers in the hospitality field. As an EHL graduate, Olivier describes his time at the famous Swiss Hospitality School and how his international networking skills began there. He also gives insights on Hospitality Education in Switzerland and apprises us on the current educational trends.
In addition, Olivier discusses the fallout from the COVID pandemic, how the hospitality industry was strongly hit, and...
Becoming the WorldSkills Vice-World Champion of Hotel Reception
Sep 23, 2024Tim Oberli is currently the Front Desk Manager at the world famous Bürgenstock Resort near Lucerne, Switzerland. He is also the current World Skills Vice Champion of Hotel Reception. In this podcast, Tim describes first becoming the Swiss Skills champion and subsequently his participation in the World Skills competition in October 2022 in Montreux, Switzerland.
Tim describes his experience in Montreux and the lasting impressions he has from participating in this important event. He recognises the importance of his support team and family during a increasingly demanding preparation for this three...
Duration: 00:32:36How to make access to hospitality luxury easier and in tune with our times
Sep 16, 2024In this podcast, Robert Recupero shares his extraordinary career path with our listeners and explains how this path led to the creation of Moomenti, a high-end marketplace for booking luxury hotel experiences. This entrepreneurial adventure was Robert’s answer to making hospitality luxury easier to navigate and enjoy.
Early in his career, Robert worked at Swissport, which enabled him to learn essential service and leadership skills that have helped him throughout his career and triggered his passion for travel and hospitality.
His move to Thomson Reuters, the multinational information corporation, as the...
Duration: 00:41:41Musical Hospitality – bringing musical joy to hospitals and senior care facilities
Sep 10, 2024This podcast was by far one of our most popular and features Tom Su, a former hotelier who has found a unique way of combining music with hospitality. After working several years in the hospitality industry in Taipei, Tom chose a different path in telecommunications. But his love for music and his desire to share this passion has finally led him to bringing musical joy to hospitals and senior care facilities. Listen to this episode to learn how he combines music, hospitality, communications, counselling and volunteering in his life.
Tom Su i...
Duration: 00:33:03Hospitality and Tourism Opportunities in Romania
Sep 02, 2024In this podcast, Razvan Pirjol, CEO of Turism Felix and the owner of Leading Choice, a global hospitality counselling company in Romania, answers our questions about the hospitality and tourism industry in Romania and gives his insights on current hospitality education and training opportunities. A Glion Hospitality graduate, Razvan ended up spending several years in Switzerland and he talks to us about this unique experience, how it influenced his career choices and why he still has a strong connection to the Montreux region.
R...
Duration: 00:36:36Croatian Hospitality and New Hospitality Concepts
Aug 26, 2024In this podcast, Marina Franolic talks about hospitality in Croatia, a popular Mediterranean destination with rave reviews. Marina explains why Croatia has become a favourite tourist destination and why so many tourists return there for their holidays.
Marina also discusses her work at The Bench, a global investment event organization and hospitality trends and innovations such as long-term stay that are focused on travellers that would like to be more comfortable in their accommodation, or are staying for a week, a month or more in the city.
...
Duration: 00:36:00Mamalu Kitchen: Feeding families and enabling lifestyle changes
Aug 19, 2024In this podcast, Lama Jammal Houssami describes her educational and career path and why she was inspired to create a cooking school, Mamalu Kitchen, in Dubai. Mamalu Kitchen was inspired by her 3 boys and the need to help fellow mums and families simplify their day-to-day lives without having to worry about feeding their family fuss-free healthy food.
The first concept launched under the Mamalu Kitchen brand in 2016 was cooking classes for nannies and housekeepers. Using recipes in their native language from traditional Arabic cuisine, Lama taught them how to cook for...
Duration: 00:34:47Why we need Gender Equality, Diversity and Corporate Responsibility more than ever
Aug 12, 2024In this podcast, Mary Mayenfisch-Tobin discusses gender equality, sustainability and corporate responsibility in the hospitality and tourism fields. Using her lifetime experience as a lawyer, educator and activist, Mary looks at the current global situation with a critical eye and explains why it is in the interest of hospitality and tourism companies to ensure that they put ethical and sustainable business practices into practice.
Mary also touches on why it is important for business to be inclusive and the disastrous consequences of making decisions without all the stakeholders around the tab...
Duration: 00:30:08The future of retail in the hospitality industry
Aug 05, 2024Filippo Perricone is the co-founder and Managing Director of Back label, a line of Italian lounge, athletic and leisure wear sold exclusively in luxury hotels and resorts. In this podcast, we ask Filippo about his educational and career path from a History and Philosophy student to working in the textile industry in Hong Kong. In 2010, Filippo co-founded Back Label with his wife Amy and they have successfully continued to grow their company with exclusive clothing lines for the luxury hotel and resort sector around the world.
Filippo explains why quality loun...
Duration: 00:35:32Women in hospitality leadership – career choices and creating opportunities
Jul 29, 2024Andrea Obertello is currently the General Manager of the Four Seasons Hotel in Milano, Italy. In this podcast, Andrea talks about her career choices and how she became General Manager in an industry that is predominately male. She talks about working in the iconic Milano Four Seasons Hotel, located in a 15th century convent, the second oldest Four Seasons hotel in Europe. Andrea compares hospitality in Italy to other places she has worked and analyses the changes she has seen in the hospitality industry over the past 10 years
Originally from Arge...
Duration: 00:48:55Saving our Blue Planet
Jul 22, 2024Khulan Berger is currently the Regional Director at MY BLUE PLANET and the Swiss Coordinator of The Climate Reality Project Europe. In this podcast, Khulan explains why sustainable tourism has become such an important endeavour and how MY BLUE PLANET is working closely with companies to transition and implement sustainable practices.
Khulan describes what tools are being used to engage and inspire the hospitality and tourism sectors and what areas are particularly challenging. She also explains why it is important to reduce CO2 emissions before trying to compensate for them. In ad...
Duration: 00:23:36The importance of networking, education and mentoring in the hospitality industry
Jul 15, 2024Arian Röehrle is the former president of AICR, The International Association for Deputy Managers and Front Office Managers of Luxury Hotels. In this podcast, Arian tells our listeners about this important networking organization and how it has grown into a well-established professional and educational entity. He discusses the importance of networking in the hospitality industry and why AICR has its place in this ever-changing field.
Arian also talks about his own career choices and path and why young people today should embrace the hospitality field. He gives our listeners insig...
Duration: 00:49:01Female Hotel General Managers - Drivers of success for a global hospitality career
Jul 08, 2024In this podcast, Marie-Berengère Chapoton, who is currently the General Manager of the award-winning Raffles Al Areen Palace in Bahrain, describes her global career path and how she met not only challenges but opportunities that came her way. Marie-Berengère’s career path has led her toNew York, Montreal, Paris, Milan, Rome, Uruguay, The Bermudas, Rio de Janeiro and now to Bahrain. In this podcast, Marie-Berengère tells our listeners about her move up the hospitality management ladder and how she has embraced the role of a General Manager in a luxury hotel.
...
Duration: 00:38:50Hospitality in Australia – the Crocodile Dundee effect
Jul 01, 2024In this podcast, Luiz Prebianca discusses how he ended up working in Australia, what he loves about working there and how Australian hospitality differs from other places. Originally from Brazil, Luiz moved to Germany as a teenager to attend high school and then onto Switzerland to attend a Hospitality Management school. He has worked in Brazil, the USA, Dubai and began working in Australia in 2010. With his signature sense of humour, he discusses what kind of tourists come to Australia and the how the Crocodile Dundee effect has made Australia such a popular destination.
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Duration: 00:42:19Hospitality HR recruitment in South East Asia
Jun 24, 2024In this podcast, Victor Mogilev speaks to our audience about Hospitality HR recruitment in South East Asia and explains how this region has its unique challenges and opportunities. Victor traces his educational and career path to explain how his Swiss hospitality management background allowed him to pursue a global career and landed him today in Bangkok working as a partner for LHC International. LHC is an international hospitality and operating real estate executive search firm with a core team of professionals focusing on recruitment of senior management roles.
He also shar...
Duration: 00:34:54Recruiting and retaining talent in the hospitality and luxury sectors in Morocco
Jun 17, 2024In this podcast, Sophia Mounib talks about recruiting and retaining talent in the hospitality and luxury sectors in Morocco. Sophia gives our listeners insight into running a hospitality / luxury sector talent business in Casablanca and the challenges she has faced, especially after the COVID pandemic.
In addition, Sophia talks about the hospitality and tourism industry in Morocco and how it differs from other North African destinations. Finally, Sophia shares her experiences with associations that she is actively involved in including AICR Morocco and Disciples Esco...
Duration: 00:35:44Discover the Epigenetic World
Jun 10, 2024Xavier Rambaud describes himself as a “serial entrepreneur” and in this podcast he speaks to us about his latest entrepreneurial adventure, Maison Epigenitic in Paris, France. Maison Epigenitic’s mission is to keep people in good health and it is a place dedicated to the adoption of an epigenetic lifestyle, a preventive and holistic method that encourages individuals to become actors in their own well-being and health. This approach aims to personalize health strategies based on each individual’s unique needs to optimize health and performance.
...
Duration: 00:29:09A Canadian approach to Hospitality education and training
Jun 03, 2024In this podcast we talk to Yahya Shakhshir about Hospitality education and training in Vancouver, Canada. Yahya is currently the President at Cornerstone International Community College of Canada, one of the top private Colleges located in Vancouver. He is a passionate, driven and dedicated hotelier with 18 years in the Hospitality and Education industry. He has international experience in 9 different countries, with expertise in the field of Rooms Division.
Yahya shares his experience in hospitality education and his insights into how hospitality education in Canada is different from other countries, and how private hospitality coll...
Duration: 00:35:40Sensory Leadership & Luxury Hospitality Expertise
May 27, 2024In this podcast, Sara Abdel Masih describes her unique career path from climbing the career ladder in the luxury hospitality industry to teaching in hotel management schools and writing a book on mobbing and harassment in the workplace based on her personal experiences.
Sara has worn many hats and has studied not only hospitality management but criminology and forensic science. She is the Founder of Sensory Academy Management, a holistic approach to hospitality management through coaching, care and leadership. In this podcast Sara describes her in-depth knowledge of the hospitality industry and why sh...
Duration: 00:28:28Sustainability Solutions for the Hospitality Sector: Tourism and Event Management Case Studies
May 20, 2024In this podcast, Clémence Gillier and Neil Beecroft from the sustainability consultancy agency, The SHIFT, now called bloomUP, talk about how businesses can develop and improve their sustainability practices. Clémence and Neil describe what sparked their interest in this important field and how their careers have evolved into creating and running this sustainability agency. They also speak about pragmatic and real-life sustainable practices that any business can adopt and how to engage key stakeholders starting with upper management. Neil and Clémence also touch on the challenges and road blocks that can make tack...
Duration: 00:29:35The Golden Keys that Open All the Doors to the World of Hospitality
May 13, 2024Michael Romei has been dubbed "The Ambassador of Hospitality" and he practices his brand of statecraft on both a local and global level. In this podcast, Michael invites our listeners to retrace his brilliant career as a Les Clefs d’Or concierge, and in particular, his time as the former Chef Concierge of the Waldorf Towers/Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.
Michael walks us through the kinds of duties performed by a Chief Concierge and relates some anecdotes with the diplomacy and discretion that is expected of someone with his experience and position. He also tel...
Duration: 00:37:59Opportunities for Women in the Saudi Hospitality Industry
May 06, 2024In this podcast, Johanna Fagerberg, who is currently the Hospitality Senior Manager at Diriyah Company, talks about working in Saudi Arabia and the vast plans that the Kingdom has for hospitality and tourism. She previously was the Guest Experience Manager at The Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Johanna also talks about her career choices and what it’s like for a European woman to work in the Middle East and in Saudi Arabia in particular. Johanna is originally from Sweden and graduated in 2011 from Glion Institute of Hospitality in Sw...
Duration: 00:25:34Making idealistic culinary dreams come true
Apr 29, 2024Walter el Nagar is a passionate Chef with a multicultural background and a strong desire to make not only a culinary mark but a social one as well. In this podcast, Walter describes his passion for creative culinary arts and his professional path across the globe.
Walter was born in Milan in 1981 to an Egyptian father and Italian mother, both of whom are restaurateurs. Known for his creative flair and self-taught culinary skills, Walter embarked on a transformative journey in 2008 when he traveled to Los Angeles and discovered his love for Latin American cuisine. This exp...
Duration: 00:34:34Running a hotel in a War Zone
Apr 22, 2024In 2016, Vasily Grogol was hired by an investor to create a feasibility study on a hotel project in Kyiv, Ukraine. In 2017 he moved to Kyiv and worked on opening not only a boutique hotel called BURSA but also a gallery for young, Ukranian artists. At the age of 24 he became the Executive Director of BURSA Hotel and gallery and his goal, in his own words “is to change the perception of Ukraine on the international level. BURSA design is simple and unpretentious, yet our service is friendly and tactful. We want everyone who comes to Kyiv to experience the cit...
Duration: 00:37:20An insight on hospitality, education and entrepreneurship in Kenya
Apr 15, 2024In this podcast, Lucy Grace Maliki, a dual citizen of Kenya and Switzerland, describes her career path from teaching French and English in a Swiss Hospitality Institute to becoming an entrepreneur in Kenya. Her years of living and teaching in Switzerland brought her to appreciate the fine art of making chocolates and when she moved back to Kenya a few years ago, she decided to create her own chocolate company, Grace Chocolaterie.
Lucy also answers our questions about hospitality in Kenya and the some of the challenges the hospitality and tou...
Duration: 00:32:43The Velvet Touch: Effective best practices in the luxury hospitality world
Apr 08, 2024Ivan Artolli is the kind of hotelier you dream of meeting in a luxury hotel. He shares his lifetime experience with our listeners and talks about the people who have been role models in his life. He is charming, cultivated and he talks candidly about his youth and his dream of one day becoming a General Manager.
A lifetime career of working in some of the most luxurious hotels in Europe, Ivan has comprehensive international experience at senior levels in planning, marketing, sales, administration and direction of operations in a wide range of luxurious properties. He...
Duration: 00:38:38The art of hospitality and "l’Art de la Table"
Apr 01, 2024Chantal Wittmann is an educator, a hospitality expert, a competition judge and received the MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) Maître d’Hôtel award. In this podcast, Chantal gives our listeners some background information about the French MOF competitions and what this means for the people who have been given this title. Chantal has taught in some of the most prestigious hospitality institutions including Lycée Hôtelier de Strasbourg, the Glion Institute of Higher Education, the Ecole Ducasse. In addition to teaching, Chantal also teaches Master Classes around the world and has participated as a judge in dozens...
Duration: 00:41:17Evolution or Revolution? - Reflections on a lifetime of global hospitality
Mar 25, 2024William Mackay is an internationally experienced executive with over 45 years of experience in luxury hotel, spa and F & B management, operations, and development. He has a proven track record of assembling and leading highly motivated, diverse, and mutually accountable teams and a true passion for quality as the primary means to profit.
We have invited William as our guest because he has a great understanding of European, Asian, and Middle Eastern culture and business protocols with considerable breadth of global expertise, gained through numerous leadership positions with some of the world’s finest hospitality brands includ...
Duration: 00:34:41San Leonardo - An Italian wine estate with a rich history
Mar 18, 2024In this podcast, Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga shares the extraordinary history of his family-owned winery, Tenuta San Leonardo, which is an estate of historical significance where great wines are created in Trentino. It produces San Leonardo, a Bordeaux-style red wine which was described by the wine journalist, Jancis Robinson as "surely the most successful Bordeaux blend of northern Italy".
For our oenology enthusiasts, Anselmo describes the kind of grapes and wines made at San Leonardo and gives a colorful historical background to this winery founded in 1724. And for our history buffs, An...
Duration: 00:35:49May the only pain in your life be champagne
Mar 11, 2024With over 20+ years experience in the hotel industry, Annie Boslem has been working for some of the most prestigious international companies such as Starwood, Inter-Continental, Shangri-La and Taj Hotels. She also works with many small and exclusive privately-owned properties, both in the UK and overseas. She moved from luxury hotels into hospitality recruitment in 2000 and works closely with many of the major 5-star hotel properties in Europe, Middle East and Asia - specializing in management recruitment for deluxe hotels.
Her passion for the hospitality industry is contagious and she shares her experience and insights with us...
Duration: 00:31:32Women’s empowerment & entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia
Mar 04, 2024Amna Alyamani has turned her childhood passion into a successful career and she is a woman fueled by her passion for baking, which she discovered at the tender age of 7. She has since pursued her dream, scaling heights and enjoying success in the culinary industry. In this podcast, Amna retraces her passion for baking and answers our questions about entrepreneurship, the current situation in Saudi Arabia for young female entrepreneurs and how she manages the everyday stress of running a business.
Growing up, Amna always knew that she wanted to open a bakery, and by t...
Duration: 00:29:13Mega-sporting events and hospitality challenges
Feb 26, 2024In this podcast, Peter Cross talks about the challenges of working in the Sport Management field and specifically, Mega-sporting events like The Olympics, Youth Olympics and FIFA World Cups. He also discusses his personal and professional impressions and experiences in Qatar, Russia, France and Switzerland. Finally, he talks about the Sport Management field and gives advice to young people who are interested in this field.
Peter is British and was born London in 1963 and grew up in Northern Ireland. Since 2016 Peter has worked on a range of consultancy contracts including the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russ...
Duration: 00:38:04Hospitality Education in Thailand
Feb 19, 2024In this podcast, John Lohr, who is currently theDirector of External Affairs at Dusit Thani College in Bangkok, talks to us about Thai hospitality and hospitality education in Thailand.
John’s decision to study hospitality at a prestigious Swiss hospitality school enabled him to understand the importance of a solid, practical and multi-cultural hospitality education and he has successfully used this experience on his career path. He also shares his experience of being an American studying in Switzerland and discovering classmates that came from over 90 different countries.
After several hospitality positio...
Duration: 00:35:13Hospitality Education: What about more vocational and practical training?
Feb 12, 2024To celebrate our one year anniversary, 50 Shades of Hospitality producer, Egidio Marcato is re-releasing his podcast.
The global hospitality industry is still feeling the effects from the COVID pandemic and trying to find solutions to the many challenges that it is facing. Lack of qualified staff as well as staff retention have been causing havoc in many hotels and restaurants. But are we doing enough to face these challenges? Egidio analyses the current situation and pinpoints the lack of vocational education and training for young people interested in entering the field.
From the Vene...
Duration: 00:52:46A Chinese Stand-Up Comedian in London
Feb 05, 2024With a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality from a prestigious Swiss hotel school, Alvin Liu has followed an atypical career path. Over the past years, when his day job as a Senior Recruitment Consultant for a Data and Analytics company allows him, Alvin hones his stand-up comedian talents and regularly hits the stand-up comedy circuit in London and other British destinations, including the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh.
In this podcast, Alvin talks about his inspiration for his comedy sketches and what it is like for a Chinese native to break into...
Duration: 00:32:41What would Hospitality be without Concierges?
Jan 22, 2024With over 40 years-experience as a luxury hotel concierge, Robert Watson shares his career path and choices along with some unforgettable experiences with our listeners. Starting as a page boy at the InterContinental Hotel in London, Robert has also worked at some of London’s famous hotels such as Mayfair Hotel, the Park Hyatt Carlton Tower and the Grosvenor.
In this podcast, Robert describes what a concierge does, why this position is still important for prestigious hotels and for their role in satisfying demanding client requests. Robert explains the importance of having...
Duration: 00:32:27The man from Bangkok who creates hospitality vibes
Jan 08, 2024Vadim Bekker is currently the Managing Partner at Vibe Hospitality in Bangkok, Thailand. In this podcast, Vadim talks about his experience in the Thai hospitality field and why he has no plans to leave this beautiful country. After working in the Maldives as a Guest Relations Officer, Vadim chose Thailand to pursue his career path and has been working there for over 10 years. He describes the hospitality scene in Thailand and why the country continues to attract tourists from all over the world.
Vadim also explains the r...
Duration: 00:31:51When Hospitality meets Technology…
Dec 25, 2023Andrew Parshukov is currently the Head of Business Growth at JetRockets, a forward-thinking company specializing in custom web and mobile application development across various industries. In this podcast, Andrew talks about his career path from studying hospitality in Switzerland and working in the hospitality field to teaching in Vietnam and developing his passion for technology and AI.
Andrew gives our listeners some insight into how AI is revolutionizing the hospitality field and what to expect in the coming years. Andrew assures our listeners that AI will never replace the “human touch”...
Duration: 00:34:07Successful Business Results Through Engagement, Learning and Development
Dec 18, 2023Ursula Connolly is the founder and Managing Director of People Skills Business. She has more than 30 years experience in developing and motivating individuals and companies to achieve successful results. In this podcast, Ursula tells our listeners about how she works with internationally respected organisations to help them align the development of their employees with their brand and strategic business objectives. She describes how her main focus is to help organisations engage and develop their people so that they in turn deliver great customer service and achieve desired business results.
In 2004, Ursula established P...
Duration: 00:32:22Is Hospitality a good starting point for a career in peacebuilding?
Dec 11, 2023Vanessa Kellerhals currently works in Iraq for the UNDP (United Nation Development Programme) but little in her career path would hint at her one day working in peacebuilding and development.
In this podcast, Vanessa explains how she went from working at the Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich, winning the AICR world’s best receptionist in 2010 and then onto Lebanon to learn Arabic. From there, she moved back to Switzerland to pursue her studies in Social Sciences. After finishing her Master’s degree and trying to gain a foothold in peacebuilding and development during the pandemic...
Duration: 00:28:48Innovation and disruption in the Hospitality World
Dec 04, 2023In this podcast we speak to Aoife McArdle, an Innovation & Disruption Expert. Aoife was an early leader in the most disruptive industries the world has seen in the last 20 years. She was a key initiator and driver of rapid growth at Airbnb (travel and hospitality), Skype (telecommunications) and Apple (music, e-commerce).
Aoife shares her personal stories as a host on Airbnb before she began working there and how the company’s mission and values won her over. It’s hard to think of a more quintessential story in disruption than Airbnb — the global platform that changed the way we t...
Duration: 00:30:56Swiss4Afrika – a sustainable hospitality training model
Nov 27, 2023In this podcast, Brigitte Lawler from Swiss4Africa describes the work that their non-profit organization, registered in Bern, Switzerland, is currently doing in South Africa. They work with small NPO’s in South Africa to break the cycle of poverty,addressing four of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
They were founded by 5 members a year ago and at the time of founding, three of its members were based in Switzerland while the other two are on the ground in South Africa.
They work with local communities to identify their greates...
Duration: 00:30:13When the Hospitality path leads you to become a Business Angel
Nov 20, 2023In this podcast, João de Saldanha describes his path from hospitality to the world of finance and investment. Despite some early disappointments, João was able to move forward and he shares his insights into how difficulties can be turned into opportunities for growth and success. He also explains how his hospitality training was a powerful tool for his future career and how a hospitality education gives you the transferable skills that can be used in many industries and fields. In addition, João describes the common characteristics between hospitality and finance.
João also speaks to our l...
Duration: 00:29:21