CONNECTION ALUMNI NEWS

Transcription

February 2011 | No. 47
Connection
alumni news
le Bouveret expands!
Who’s who at César Ritz colleges?
Jobs, jobs & more jobs!
www.ritz.edu
editorial
contents
your friends and happy family news.
In terms of other changes, in order to further develop our alumni and career services,
we enlarged the department. The Director
of University Centre César Ritz, Daniel
Gutzwiller, has been appointed as the
Director of Industry Relations responsible
for all industry contacts as well as all César
Ritz Colleges career and alumni activities;
and Katharina Eyer has been appointed as
the Career Services and Alumni Manager
to work in close collaboration with our
Career Services Manager, Trude Konrad,
and myself. I’m sure that our dynamic
team will continue developing alumni and
career activities.
What have we been up to in 2010?
Well for a start, one of the first changes is in
your hands! How do you like the new look
of the Connection Alumni Magazine?
César Ritz Colleges Switzerland developed a
new communication concept to strengthen our position as an international leader
in hospitality education and inspire students looking to make and advance their
career in the global hospitality industry.
In the range of new promotional material, you’ll discover the César Ritz passport stamp representing the combination
of our core values – excellence, service,
leadership, care and innovation – and
your career journey. And so, Connection
also has a new look with the same sort of
content you want: news about the school,
pictures and stories of worldwide alumni
reunions, success stories, updates from
I would also like to take this opportunity
to thank the alumni who contributed to
the new César Ritz website and film (visit
www.ritz.edu). While you’re online, please
visit and register with the alumni database
‘NetCommunity’ by clicking on ‘Alumni’.
And for jobs, don’t miss the Job Board
that will provide you with job opportunities
and the possibility to post job openings to
attract qualified employees among our
César Ritz graduates. You’ll also have
online access to the Alumni Directory that
will provide you with contact details of
thousands of our graduates around the
world.
I hope that you’ll enjoy reading this edition
of Connection.
Stay in touch!
Michèle Patry
Alumni Network Manager
alumni@ritz.edu
www.alumninews.ch
Connection alumni news
Editorial
2
Campus News
Switzerland
Global Partners
3–7
3–6
7
Alumni Gatherings
8–9
People ‘n’ Stuff
Success stories
Javier Munoz-Calero
Antoine Rajeh
Katja Marshall
Photo gallery
Updates
8–15
10–11
12–13
14–18
Family News
Weddings
Babies
18–23
18–20
21–23
credits
We would like to thank everybody who has contributed to this magazine,
including our partner colleges, staff, and graduates. We’re looking forward
to your future participation. The next “Connection” is scheduled for February 2012.
The editors take every care in presenting
the correct details at the time of printing
but take no responsibility for contributions from third parties.
“Connection” is prepared for you by:
César Ritz Colleges Switzerland
1897 Le Bouveret
Switzerland
Tel: + 41 24 482 82 82
Fax: + 41 24 482 88 99
alumni@ritz.edu
www.ritz.edu
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Editorial management, production
and graphic design:
Paul English/Heather Dittmar
English Communications Pty Ltd
4387 Inglewood
Queensland, Australia
info@englishcommunications.com
Printing by: Imprimerie Saint-Paul
1705 Fribourg, Switzerland
Dear Alumni, please let us know your
career moves and changes of address
that can be updated online under
www.alumninews.ch – User Login –
Update Your Profile. Don’t forget to
check our website regularly. This edition and further news about César
Ritz Colleges are published on our
website: www.alumninews.ch
The People ‘n’ Stuff and Family News
sections were collected by Michèle
Patry, Alumni Network Manager, and
Marga Cretton, Ambassador for International Relations.
Cover photo: Inger Rimestad, Iva Vukelic,
and Leda Bace during the Annual Alumni
Reunion in Switzerland in May 2010
No. 47
CAMPUS NEWS | SWITZERLAND
MARTIN KISSELEFF TAKES RETIREMENT
AFTER 27 YEARS WITH César RITZ
COLLEGES GROUP
Mr Martin Kisseleff, President of the Board of U.C. César Ritz Colleges AG is proud to announce
the change of ownership of the César Ritz Colleges Group, to Invision Private Equity AG,
a leading Swiss Private Equity firm.
Mr Schwestermann and Mr Kisseleff on the new construction site in Le Bouveret
Invision’s new ownership guarantees
the sustainability and further growth
of the Colleges in the Canton of Valais
and around the world. Mr Kisseleff’s
health does not allow him to continue
at the required rhythm for the future.
Invision is the right partner for many
reasons with more than 12 years
of experience in running successful operations in different economic
environments.
Mr Kisseleff and Mr Schwestermann will
remain on the Board of Directors thus
ensuring a smooth transition for the new
management and ownership.
Extension at Professional Centre
César Ritz
Invision also takes over the student accommodation buildings Themis and Xenius
(T&X) in Brig. César Ritz Colleges will make
significant investments to enhance the qua
lity of education and further develop and
expand facilities for the students. 2010 has
been the year to start major improvements
to the facilities in the Le Bouveret Campus,
especially for the Food and Beverage
department, accommodation and student
services. Construction of the additional
facilities commenced in November 2010
and should be completed by October 2011.
Mr Kisseleff and Mr Schwestermann will
remain owners of all the real estate in
Le Bouveret and have signed a long term
rental agreement with Invision.
Here then, is an overview of what the new
building will include:
• One hundred deluxe single rooms of a
similar standard to the T&X rooms at
Brig with a 120cm wide bed, WC and
shower, TV, fridge, wireless internet and
lots of working and storage space
• A student cafeteria for 200 students
• An application restaurant (with Chef’s
table) seating 80–100 people
• A student club with professional disco
and sound system
• A ultra-modern training kitchen
• A high-tech demonstration kitchen
• A pastry and baking kitchen
• A production training à la carte kitchen
• A production training facility for self
service
• A fitness room with professional-level
equipment and a view of the lake
• A student café and lounge
Naming Competition
And what about a name for this new
building? At the moment we use the
name Bellevue 2 because the new facilities
are connected to the Bellevue, however,
we would like to propose a competition
among students, alumni and staff to find
a more original and attractive name.
So if you have some bright ideas, please
send your suggestions by 25 March 2011 to
Christian Konrad (christian.konrad@ritz.edu).
A nice prize will be offered to the winner!
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WHO’S WHO AND WHO’S NEW?
FACULTY AND STAFF UPDATES
Loyal service to students
Diana Vicari has been teaching English,
public speaking, French and humanities
over the past 20 years (to around 8,000
students). Mrs Vicari has not only been a
teacher of languages but also a life coach.
George Cocker joined the Brig faculty as
a lecturer in law 15 years ago. Known to
present interesting challenges in terms of
subject matter, Mr Cocker continues to
maintain the highest expectations from
his students.
Thank you both for all your hard work and
dedication.
Diana Vicari
George Cocker
Mr Ronan Fitzgerald has been appointed as Managing Director of César Ritz
Colleges Switzerland. He took over management of the group’s activities
in mid-January 2011. Mr Fitzgerald brings great experience in hotel mana
gement education. For the past three years, he has managed Hotel Institute Montreux. With over 15 years of management experience in various
fields, Mr Fitzgerald is someone who is highly skilled in managing people
in an international environment.
2010 has been a big year for César Ritz
Colleges and there have been quite
a number of staff changes. After 22
years of dedication and loyalty, Hervé
Fournier decided to leave César Ritz
Colleges in December 2009 to begin
a new orientation to his professional
career. He is now working as Project
Manager and Managing Director
for Business Valais – Antenne Valais
Romand for the State of Valais. Mr
Fournier was a leading member of the
management team and I would like to
thank him for all his efforts.
With the departure of Mr Fournier, we
decided to implement some organizational changes within the company and
appointed Christian Konrad as Director
of Operations and Student Affairs, responsible for all student matters at both
locations in Le Bouveret and Brig including all the organization and supervision
of accommodation, Food and Beverage
and bars, student services, student activities and facilities management.
While remaining the Director of University
Centre César Ritz, Daniel Gutzwiller was
also appointed as the Director of Industry Relations responsible for all industry
contacts, as well as all César Ritz career
and alumni activities. Mr Gutzwiller’s
department includes the internship co
ordinators for the Swiss intraining placement and assessment. Within this department, Katharina Eyer was appointed in
August as the Career Services and Alumni
Manager to further develop those activities
and now works with Trude Konrad as
Career Services Manager and Michèle
Patry as Alumni Network Manager. In
May 2010, the Director of Marketing
and Enrolment Management, Jonathan
Hilton, left César Ritz after 11 years of
service.
I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Susan Fournier
for her outstanding achievement of
being elected Vice President of I-CHRIE.
Mrs Fournier also obtained her Master
of Science in International Hospitality
Management with distinction.
On a personal note, I am happy to announce
that Marcel Kisseleff is now working on
special projects within the marketing department together with his fiancée, Jenai
Oliveira, a BIB graduate and currently a
work-study student in the MSc programme.
Jenai undertakes projects in sales and promotes César Ritz in Brazil, her country of
origin. Tanja Kisseleff Florenthal started
as BIB Programme Director in October and
her husband, Uri Florenthal, works as
Area Manager for Spanish speaking countries and specialized projects. I am proud to
see my children and their partners taking
such an interest in César Ritz Colleges.
César Ritz is a strong brand with an excellent
worldwide reputation for producing professional, entrepreneurial, efficient, disciplined
and multifunctional graduates. This reputation will continue to strengthen and expand
and I would like to thank you, the alumni,
for your success. I would also like to thank
all the faculty and staff (present and former)
for having prepared you so well, academically and professionally.
Martin Kisseleff
Passing of Mrs Monique Ritz
It is with great sadness that César Ritz Colleges bids adieu to Mrs Monique Ritz,
daughter-in-law of the famous hotelier, César Ritz. Mrs Ritz passed away on
15 January 2011 at the age of 88. We will forever remain in her gratitude
for her kindness and support. Mrs Ritz touched our hearts and the times
we had the privilege of spending with her, will stay with us forever.
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The pleasure to please
Georges Ortiz
“Teaching at César Ritz Colleges has not been a job for me; it has been a great experience
in human relations that has left me with so many joyful and happy moments.”
That’s part of how Georges Ortiz recently summed up his 14 years
of teaching at the University Centre César Ritz in Brig. According to
George, “the contacts with colleagues, students and even the top
management have all been a great human dimension to my work
and many of those became friends.” George told us that he “learnt
a lot while teaching, not only from colleagues and research, but also
from students,” and that “it is very pleasant to read and hear about
their successes all around the world and I feel proud thinking that I
might have contributed to this success in a very humble way.”
“Humble but dynamic”, “giving a lot more than class room experience” – these are just some of the comments showing how students
have enjoyed the multiple nuances of Georges Ortiz’ personality and
competencies. The management, staff and students thank him for
his great contribution, which he describes as: “hospitality is service –
good service is the pleasure to please”.
We are proud and pleased that Georges Ortiz received the Nestlé
Pro Gastronomia Foundation Award to honor a professional who
has demonstrated excellence in training, education and developmental work in the hospitality industry. This distinction was awarded
to him during the EuroChrie Conference 2010 in Amsterdam. With
our best wishes for his future, we hope that we will still see Georges
from time to time in our Colleges.
multiculturalism study
Dear Alumni,
Go back and remember your earliest experiences as an international student at
César Ritz Colleges. Certainly you were
excited at the idea of studying in a multicultural environment and, I’m sure, you
may have even wondered from which
countries your new friends would come.
But perhaps you also had mixed emotions: perhaps some anxiety, confusion
or even a touch of homesickness. Now
remember how you felt a few months
later once you had settled in! What were
those factors that helped you overcome
your initial difficulties?
Because the internationalization of students is considered the greatest issue in
high school this century (Seddoh, 2001),
institutions and researchers are throwing
themselves into relevant studies. Your
school is no exception! In effect, we
undertook research related to the intercultural integration and adaptation of a
significant group of indigenous students
studying hospitality management and
culinary arts at César Ritz Colleges. The
Panamanian government sponsored the
study of the students.
The 23 students in Brig and 90 in Le Bouveret coming from three Caribbean ethnic
cultures provided the perfect case study.
As part of the research, it was possible to
examine their initial difficulties when confronted with a completely different world
and, what is more important, the factors
that helped them to understand and integrate into this multicultural environment.
The yearlong English language programme
prepared the indigenous students from
Panama for their Higher Diploma studies.
Now that the research part of the project has
ended, two international conferences have
accepted this study with the subsequent
findings being presented in Euro-Chrie,
Amsterdam (25 to 28 October 2010) and
in ’Primer Encuentro de Turismo Indígena
de las Américas’ in Argentina (16 to 19
March 2011). The programme created by
the school to help in the adaptation of
these students generated some academic
and social challenges, though for us, it
was an honor to have the opportunity.
Virginia Meza MSc
Lecturer
César Ritz Colleges
Virginia Meza with students from Panama
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César Ritz Job Board
Looking for a new job opportunity? Looking for qualified and motivated hoteliers? NetCommunity is the answer!
Not only does this platform facilitate career
opportunities in the hotel and tourism
industry but you can also post job offers in
different fields.
If you’re looking for qualified staff – senior
managers from the hospitality industry or
management trainees – you can post the
opening on the Job Board. This is free and
only takes two minutes! Make sure you tell
your HR department about this.
If you’re looking for the next challenge
for your career, the Job Board gives you
the opportunity to view job offers that
are being communicated to the College.
All this career information is now available on NetCommunity, a secure platform
linked to our online alumni database and
only accessible to César Ritz graduates
who are members of our Alumni Association. This means that you’ll only reach
qualified César Ritz alumni.
Take a minute now to register on www.ritz.edu – Alumni
To stay updated with all César Ritz Colleges alumni news,
check out www.ritz.edu/socialmedia
Scan this barcode for further information
Need a barcode reader?
Download it on your smartphone
from your appstore.
Search keyword: barcode reader
Many other options are available on NetCommunity, including the online alumni
directory, articles, photos of events, and
dates of alumni reunions.
real Projects needed
Working on real projects for the industry is the best way
to learn about how the industry works in reality, rather
than just in theory. Do you have a project idea that could
help our students?
We would like to appeal for help from our alumni to help our
Bachelor students find good topics for their individual Industry
Projects (IP). As some of our alumni already know, these are research projects that are supposed to be of value to the industry.
Students have to pass the IP to be able to graduate.
Unfortunately, some good students find it difficult to get the
cooperation of people in the industry for one reason or another
and this is a real pity for the students as these IPs can produce
very valuable results for the industry. We are therefore appealing
to all alumni to see if they have suitable IP projects.
What sort of project would constitute a good IP? Basically, it
could be an issue or problem that you would like to see investigated or perhaps research that you would like to see done but
haven’t had the time to do. The actual formal project lasts for
eleven weeks but students can work on it for several months
(or longer). All they need from you is access to the relevant data
and you can be assured that confidentiality is guaranteed. Please
help today’s students prepare for their future careers.
If you have any suitable projects, feel free to contact Tanja
Florenthal, the Undergraduate Program Director, or myself to
discuss your ideas.
Professor John Swarbrooke and student Varvara Makarova 6
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No. 47
John Swarbrooke
Academic Director
john.swarbrooke@ritz.edu
tanja.florenthal@ritz.edu
CAMPUS NEWS | GLOBAL PARTNERS
Go the extra mile!
ICMS Graduation ceremony on 15 October 2010
Martin Kisseleff congratulated the graduates upon receiving their
diplomas from the International College of Management Sydney
(ICMS) in collaboration with César Ritz Colleges Switzerland. During the ICMS graduation ceremony on 15 October 2010 Mr Kisseleff
gave the graduates some personal advice for lasting success:
“Do not choose a job but a career! Salary and title are not as important as loving your job because when you love your job, only then will
you be motivated and perform in exceeding expectations”
“Care about your relationships – colleagues at work and loved ones
at home – find a good life balance, care about your families and
friends”
Mr Kisseleff congratulating the winner of the Annual César Ritz
award for Academic Excellence, Lisa Nussbaum
“Be better than your competitors, pretty good is not good enough,
go the extra mile!”
EIC and César ritz partnership
The European International College Hotel Management & Tourism
(EIC) was established with a mission to provide world-class hospitality education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). To fulfill this mission,
the EIC established an academic partnership with our very own César
Ritz Colleges Switzerland. A memorandum of cooperation between
the two institutions allows graduates of EIC’s two-year programme
to transfer to University Centre César Ritz to complete a Bachelor
of International Business over four terms. From the inception of this
agreement, César Ritz has fully assisted the EIC by providing training and consultancy services to its faculty and staff. This partnership
has significantly contributed to strengthening the educational links
between the two countries.
César Ritz alumnus Jin Deng (MSc 2008) currently works at the EIC
as Student Placement Coordinator.
Statements from transfer students Usman
Saleh Suri (left) and Binny Varghese (right)
César Ritz and EIC students during the 2010 Career
Development Trip to the UAE
Binny Varghese
Transferred from Jindal School of Hotel Mangement (JSHM) in India:
“The school and atmosphere are both nice and the people very
friendly including the faculty and staff who help make such
transfers so smooth. All this goes to make a very good experience. Plus, the exposure you get here is fantastic, not only in
terms of placements but also in terms of the type of work. I
worked for the UNWTO TedQual conference at Brig. Through
these sorts of placements you learn so much!”
Usman Saleh Suri
Transferred from the European International College (EIC) in
Abu Dhabi:
“It has been a great experience living among people from all
over the world, understanding their behavior, learning how to
interact and sharing a part of my life with them. It has been very
uplifting for me in terms of my confidence and motivation. I
have acquired a lot of experience at César Ritz and I’m sure my
learning isn’t over. César Ritz and Switzerland have really given
me the best experiences in my life so far.”
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Alumni gatherings
La’Chaim! Israel alumni meeting
The alumni meeting of César Ritz hospitality students
was held at the five-star InterContinental David Hotel in
Tel-Aviv in October 2010.
Not surprisingly, four of our graduates just happen to work in the
hotel. Among our alumni were a hotel chain owner, a vice president
of a five-star hotel chain, front desk managers, a manager of a desert
hotel, an expert in wines, a manager of food and beverage in hospitals, and many others with exciting positions. With more than
30 alumni participating, one could see the strength of the César
Ritz alumni network, one that is a truly global network with
connections all over the world.
Uri Florenthal
Area Manager
SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES TODAY
AND TOMORROW
Maintaining professional and ethical standards was identified as being one of the key
competencies required by hospitality managers in order to succeed in today’s industry.
This insight into the challenges within the hospitality industry was revealed at the
César Ritz Colleges Switzerland Hong Kong Hospitality and Alumni Reunion held at the
Hyatt Regency in Hong Kong, on 12 August 2010.
César Ritz Colleges’ Director of Teaching and Learning, Charles
Hains presented the findings at the event where many senior managers from the hospitality industry were gathered. While the findings of the extensive survey conducted by César Ritz Colleges came
as little surprise to those gathered, they did reinforce that the skills
and competencies required by today’s managers have changed little
than those of ten years ago: adaptability, embracing and managing
change, people management, cultural diversity, strategic thinking,
problem solving, multi tasking, and being customer focused. All also
agreed that these skills and competencies will most likely change
little in the next ten years!
The research also showed that the number of new employees
needed in the industry is growing annually. “One general manager
told us”, said Mr Hains, “that his chain will be recruiting 50,000
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No. 47
new staff in China alone in the next five years”. For the graduates
of César Ritz Colleges, this certainly comes as good news.
During the event reception, Daniel Gutzwiller, the Brig Campus
School Director in charge of Alumni and Career Services, Placements and Industry Relations, welcomed back many César Ritz
alumni, all of whom praised the College for the skills given to
them for their journey into hospitality management and other
closely related industries.
Congratulations to Evan Chiu who was inaugurated as the new
president of the César Ritz Hong Kong Alumni Chapter. All in all,
the evening was a great success and a special thanks to those
who attended including the seven César Ritz Colleges staff
members.
Journey back in time – Brazilian
alumni chapter launch
Hospitality alumni from César Ritz Colleges Switzerland went back in time during the launch
of the Brazilian alumni chapter in São Paulo in September 2010. Cristhina Lima was elected
President of the chapter.
“With graduates from both Le Bouveret and Brig attending, so many stories were relived about the good old days as
students in Switzerland. But it was the launch of the new
chapter that took the limelight at the cozy and charming
Upstairs Lounge Bar of the Grand Hyatt Hotel where two César
Ritz alumni are currently working in managerial positions.”
Cristhina Lima (grad. 2002)
25 years! our malaysia reunion
In order to celebrate their 25 years of graduation and
catch up with old friends again, a group of hospitality
alumni who had studied in Brig and Lax between 1985
and 1987 decided to organize an event for their former
classmates. All alumni from 1985 to 1987 were invited and
about 40 people in total (alumni and families) ended up
coming to be part of the happy crowd who came mostly
from Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.
The reunion was held from 25 to 27 June 2010 and the reunion
dinner was on the Saturday evening. Lucky draw prizes were given out as well as the major prize offered by César Ritz Colleges:
a voucher for a round trip to Switzerland to attend the Annual
Alumni Reunion in May 2011, inclusive of accommodation. The
lucky winner was alumnus Chee Foo Low.
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PEOPLE ‘N’ stuff | success stories
javier muÑoz-calero
”Again and again,
César Ritz is in my mind
and in my heart, and
I am so grateful to all
of you and lots of love
from all the family.”
Javier Muñoz-Calero graduated in
1999 from the César Ritz Hotel Management Programme in Le Bouveret
before following his passion for
cooking with the Cordon Bleu School
in Paris and the Royal Thai School of
Culinary Arts in Chonburi, Thailand.
Javier has worked in different countries around the world and recently
opened his own restaurant with a
very special concept.
t.a.r.t.a.n. is the place to meet and be
seen (ver y ser visto) in Madrid. It is also
the place to enjoy Javier’s amazing culi-
nary creations. Javier realized the dream
of having his own successful restaurant
right in the heart of Madrid, so successful
that it is always fully booked and he has
to refuse many customers every night.
Since the opening in February 2010, the
national and international press has regularly contacted Javier for interviews. During these, he never forgets to mention
that his success has been based on his
studies with César Ritz Colleges. “Again
and again, César Ritz is in my mind and
in my heart,” Javier told us, and “I am
so grateful to all of you and lots of love
from all the family.”
On a personal note, on 6 January 2010,
Javier’s other big wish came true. He had
wanted a son and received two when
wife Marta gave birth to twins: Javier
and Jacobo.
Javier Muñoz-Calero
Spanish, Hotel Management
Diploma, 1999
Owner
t.a.r.t.a.n. restaurant, Madrid, Spain
javiermcc78@yahoo.es
www.unrestaurantellamadotartan.es
an american dream –
antoine rajeh
Like most of the students enrol
ling in a hotel management school,
Antoine Rajeh (Lebanon), wanted to
become the general manager (GM)
of a luxury hotel and not only a GM,
but also one in the USA. Antoine’s
César Ritz Colleges diploma was
the first step towards achieving this
ambitious goal.
After graduation in 2001, he set out on his
‘American Dream’. While working as concierge at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel,
Antoine discovered that his true passion,
and something in which he excelled, was
in making a guest feel special. This he did
so well while at the famous Setai Hotel in
Miami and, later, at the W Hotel.
While becoming more experienced as a
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concierge, Antoine also started to realize
his entrepreneurial skills and it wasn’t long
before he started to follow that potential.
Today, together with his partner Kristine,
Toni owns and manages the company
Luxury Rentals Miami Beach, a company
renting out hotel condominiums and private villas.
Asked what César Ritz Colleges brought
into his life, Antoine says that he learnt
the importance of “details, service, etiquette and tradition”. “Most important
of all”, said Antoine, “was learning about
real professionalism and patience”. For
Antoine, the time spent at César Ritz
was definitely the key to bringing him to
America and starting his business. “I truly
thank César Ritz Colleges for the opportunities that I received.”
No. 47
Antoine Rajeh
Lebanese, Hotel Management
Diploma 2001
Owner
Luxury Rentals Miami Beach
Miami Beach, FL, USA
tony@luxuryrentalsmiamibeach.com
www.luxuryrentalsmiamibeach.com
career and motherhood –
Katja Marshall It all started in Switzerland when Katja
decided to take advantage of the international
study options with César Ritz Colleges.
Starting in 1993 at the Le Bouveret Campus,
she transferred for her second year to
the sister school in Washington,
Connecticut.
Having learnt to appreciate the details in service and customer
care that the school provides in line with the philosophy of
César Ritz, Katja developed a strong feeling for the well being
of the guests and also discovered her passion for Food and
Beverage. Benefiting from the international contacts César Ritz
Colleges offered, Katja spent a few years with the Ritz Carlton
Hotel Group at Amelia Island and then in Mauii, Hawaii. This
was followed by several years in Arizona with Fairmont Hotels
& Resorts.
Returning to Switzerland and a short time as Restaurant Manager at Mosimann’s Restaurant in Olten, Katja then followed
her wish to get back to a more international career and started
in 2006 as Assistant Food and Beverage Director at the Fairmont Hotel in Monaco. When the position as Food and Beve
rage Manager at the Fairmont Montreux Palace Hotel became
vacant, she applied for a transfer and today, fully enjoys this
new and exciting challenge on the Swiss Riviera.
Katja is passionate about working in Food and Beverage and
the enthusiasm she dedicates to her activities is based on the
pleasure of working not only with people in general, but more
especially, with the guests she serves.
What did she gain from César Ritz Colleges to successfully
implement in her career? Katja says that besides offering her
new international horizons, the College opened her eyes to
details and the diversity of Food and Beverage. It also gave her
the ability to recognize and look after the special wishes of
each guest as a unique individual.
How does she cope with being in an area that is still mainly
in masculine hands? According to Katja, that has never been a
problem and she has always enjoyed doing what she was doing while gaining the necessary experience needed to move
forward. This, she says, works out perfectly well – even in her
private life.
Katja says that besides offering her new
international horizons, the College opened
her eyes to details and the diversity of
Food and Beverage. It also gave her the
ability to recognize and look after the
special wishes of each guest as a unique
individual.
Katja is the proud mother of a three-year-old son, Raphael, and
lives with her life partner on the Swiss Riviera. Katja has, she
says, a perfect symbiosis between motherhood and career with
all the inherent challenges and responsibilities of being a Food
and Beverage Manager.
Katja Ehrensperger – Marshall
Swiss, Hotel Management Diploma
(Le Bouveret Campus) and
Associate Degree (Connecticut Campus) 1995
Food and Beverage Manager
Fairmont Montreux Palace
Montreux, Switzerland
katja.marshall@fairmont.com
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PEOPLE ‘N‘ STUFF | PHOTO GALLERY
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1. Hotel Managers attending the 2010
Annual Alumni Reunion in Switzerland
with Messrs Gutzwiller and Kisseleff
2. Kenya alumni reunion (June)
3. 2010 Annual Alumni Reunion in
Switzerland (May)
4. Weekend ski excursion for the
members of the alumni chapter
in Bulgaria (February)
5. ITB alumni reunion in Berlin (March)
6. Dr Petri at the 2010 Annual Alumni
Reunion in Switzerland (May)
7. Xi’an alumni reunion (June)
8. Oslo alumni reunion (September)
9. Grace Ngan-Mook with her family
visiting the Le Bouveret Campus (July)
10.Portugal alumni reunion (July)
11. Alumni reunion in Vancouver (May)
12. Japan alumni reunion (March)
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13. Will Allan with his family visiting
the Le Bouveret Campus (July) Connection alumni news
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PEOPLE ‘N’ stuff | UPDATES
Graduate personal news.
Who’s doing what, where have they been and where are they now?
Fabiana D’Angelo (grad. 1997) works as General Manager of ‘27 Hotelaria e
Turismo Ltda’ in Brazil.
“It is a small company being established in Brazil. We are building a 41-room charm
hotel by the beach. As the two owners are Italian, live in Europe and only come to Brazil
once a year, I am their administrator handling the project. In addition to that responsibility, I am teaching ‘Menu Engineering’ and ‘History and Culture of Brazilian Regional
Cuisine‘ at a University of gastronomy.”
Fabiana is trying to reach all her PGD former classmates so if that is you, please send her an
e-mail at fabianadangelo@terra.com.br
Prashanth Gurumurthiah
(grad. 2004)
“After my graduation (PGD in Hotel &
Tourism Mgt), I gained hospitality experience working with international chains
in Zurich and England. Then in 2007, I had
an opportunity to move to Dubai where I
joined the Meeting and Events team at the
Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek. In
2009, I moved to Corporate Sales and in
June 2010 I was promoted to Regional Sales
Manager of The Rezidor Hotel Group, one
of the world’s fastest growing hotel companies. I enjoy working in this challenging
position and travelling to many countries.
I like living in Dubai which I believe is currently the most dynamic, vibrant and exciting place to be.”
prash_gr@hotmail.com
“I like living in Dubai which
I believe is currently the
most dynamic, vibrant and
exciting place to be.”
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No. 47
“We are building a
41-room charm hotel
by the beach”.
Philippe Harb (grad. 2001)
Philippe has been appointed Director of Food and Beverage of the fivestar Al Murooj Rotana hotel in Dubai.
Originally from Lebanon, Philippe has
10 years of extensive hospitality exper
ience with specific expertise in Food
and Beverage and had occupied various posts in other five-star properties
across the Middle East. Prior to joining
Al Murooj Rotana, Philippe was the
Food and Beverage Manager at Al Ain
Rotana.
philippe.harb@rotana.com
Claudia Doron-Zahner (grad. 1995)
is involved in humanitarian activities. In
line with the nonprofit foundation, Rivers of Hope, Claudia, her team and sponsors support the project ‘CIPERFOOT
– football is more than just a game’.
They opened a football school in Sanga
Mamba, a suburb of Kinshasa, the
capital of the Democratic Republic of
Congo. In Sanga Mamba, approxima
tely 500,000 people are thought to live
in slum conditions where even basic
needs like drinking water and electricity
are barely met. Most children do not
have the opportunity to attend school
Philippe has been
appointed Director of
Food and Beverage
of the five-star Al Murooj
Rotana hotel in Dubai.
so CIPERFOOT aims to get them off the
streets and offers an education that
they would otherwise not receive and
possibilities for a future. Via football,
children experience social integration,
learn about health and hygiene as well
as qualities like respect, tolerance and
how to deal with anger, frustration and
violence. We take advantage of the special power of football, to give children a
chance to find happiness, discover their
hidden talents, and for a few hours, forget the tough reality in which they live.
claudia.doron@ariverofhope.org
www.ariverofhope.org
“We take advantage
of the special power
of football, to give
children a chance to
find happiness, discover
their hidden talents,
and for a few hours,
forget the tough reality
in which they live”.
Claudia with her God-child Marina together with Carina from Don Bosco (on the left) and Sister Josephine (on the right)
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Register now
Haven’t registered in the alumni
database yet??
Take a minute now and go to:
www.alumninews.ch –
User Login
This will enable your César Ritz
friends to find you!
Avantikka Raghumandan from India
(grad. 2010) was sponsored by César
Ritz Colleges to attend the EuroCHRIE
Conference.
During the conference that was held in
Amsterdam in October 2010, Avantikka
presented a paper based on her final year
project ‘Agri-tourism in India – the potential for sustainable development and economic growth’.
A small delegation from César Ritz Colleges
joined over 200 other delegates from around
the world. Avantikka’s paper received very
positive feedback from the audience and
many were quite surprised to learn this was
an undergraduate project! We’re sure that
this will not be the last time we hear from
Avantikka and about her project.
avantikka.raghunandan@ritz.edu
Stephan Kau (grad. 1997) is back in Brazil working for the Amadeus IT Group in Sao
Paulo. Stephan met his wife, Fabiane, while studying at our sister College in Sydney
and followed her to Brazil. After some years with Amadeus in Germany, Stephan, and
Fabiane returned to Brazil with Felipe (four years old) and Sofia (two years). One of his
colleagues is our alumnus, Fernanda Monasque, and this is how we got in contact again
with Fernanda and gained a few new members for the Brazilian alumni chapter.
stephankau@msn.com
fernanda.monasque@amadeus.com
Alice Disch (grad. 1993) is successfully
operating Alice Teaching and Translation, a
very busy English language school located
in the small Swiss village of Schwaendi.
Besides translating and also selling
language courses abroad, Alice is busy
as president of an organization called
EMBRACE, supporting young Mongolians
in their studies. Why Mongolia? Because
Alice taught English there a few years
ago and was confronted with lots of
intelligent and bright young Mongolians
who did not have a chance of an education
because of lack of money. So she decided to
help and says that “it’s really rewarding and
we have already given many people a start
towards a better life.”
aliceteaching@bluewin.ch
www.aliceteaching.ch
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Omar Ghassan Ehssan Edilby
(grad. 2002)
“I obtained my PGD in 2002. It was a great
experience both academically and socially.
The skills and knowledge I gained during
my time at César Ritz were greatly beneficial
to my career. After graduation, I worked in
some five-star hotels in Amman and Dubai,
then I shifted towards sales and marketing.
To my surprise, the skills and knowledge I
received from the PGD were also very helpful
in different industries other than hospitality.
I am currently pursuing my career in hospitality education as a service instructor at a
culinary school in my home country. So I am
now the new Mr Ortiz of Jordan!”
omar.edilby@ritz.edu
Mr Gutzwiller, Omar, Sanjay Chib and Mr Ortiz at the Brig Campus in March 2010
“It shows that the experience gained at César Ritz Colleges
helps our students to apply their knowledge and cultural
experience and adapt to any industry.”
Michael Museler (grad. 1997), Night
Manager at the InterContinental in Hong
Kong, writes: “It all started a year ago
when my wife Monica was offered a position in Hong Kong with her company to
assist in a merger in which her bank was
involved. We have always moved for my
job but felt that this was an important
career move for her and I knew that with
my experience, I would be able to find a
job in Hong Kong.”
And so he did and now they live not far
away from Hong Kong in a nice town on
Farewell to Heinz Javier Colby
It is with great sadness that we announce
the passing of our former student and friend,
Heinz Javier Colby, who graduated from the
Hotel School Zillwald in Lax in 1986.
In loving memory of Wan Othman Mohd
Noor and Haji Rahman bin Abu Samah
It is with deep sorrow that we announce
the passing of two of our former students,
Wan Othman Mohd Noor and Haji Rahman bin Abu Samah, both from Malaysia.
Heinz was the Group General Manager
of three properties in the Blue Mountains
west of Sydney in Australia. He passed away unexpectedly from an undiagnosed heart
disease condition on 27 January 2011 at the
age of 48 years.
Wan Othman passed away on 15 September 2010, due to heart complications. He was in the Summer Batch 1984
and graduated in 1985.
Heinz will be deeply missed by his wife, two
children and many friends.
Wan worked three years with Malaysian
Airline System, Malaysia’s national airline
(MAS). In 2006, he was Station Manager
at MAS Brisbane and in mid-2009, he was
back at the KL MAS HQ. Haji Rahman (also known as Samah Raman
Abu) passed away in November 2010 after
a long illness. He studied in Lax in 1986
and his classmates will remember him
as a jovial person who was always making fun. After graduating, he worked for
some years running a restaurant in Japan
with his uncle before returning to Malaysia.
Lantau Island, close to the new airport.
They found a domestic helper to look
after their son Max and all is going well.
Michael is in touch with the Hong Kong
alumni chapter and was surprised to see so
many former students working in various
industries outside of the hotel business. It
shows that the experience gained at César
Ritz Colleges helps our students to apply
their knowledge and cultural experience
and adapt to any industry. The Museler
Family wishes everyone the best and success in their travels and work.
mmuseler@msn.com
Wan Othman Mohd Noor
He was a consultant and celebrity chef for
Adabi, a spice manufacturer in Malaysia.
Wan Othman and Haji Rahman will be
missed. May they rest in peace.
Heinz Javier Colby
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family news | weddings
where are they now?
Graduate career news. What jobs have they had and where
are they working now?
Nicolas Tasiounis (grad. 1992). After almost 20 years of a successful career in the
international hotel industry, Nicolas has changed his orientation and is now teaching at the
Institute of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management in Santiago de Chile. “Nevertheless”, he
says, “sometimes I miss the professional career after nearly 20 years of work”.
nicotasiounis@gmail.com
Rahim Azad (grad. 1994), has a long and successful career with Serena Hotels in
Serengeti, Mombasa, Zanzibar, Jaipur, Mozambique, and Uganda. He recently opened
the Polana Serena Hotel in Mozambique as Hotel Manager.
raheem.azad@gmail.com
Tuomas Laakso (formerly Thomas Holtman, grad. 1997). After many years in an
international career in operations and consulting, mainly in the US, Dubai and London,
Tuomas has taken up a new challenge with Marriott International in Zurich as Director
of the International Hotel Development – Europe.
tuomas.laakso@marriott.com
Wolfgang Bendl (grad. 2001). After some exotic experiences in Curacao and
St. Lucia, Wolfgang is now back in Europe and has taken up the role of Financial
Controller at The Augustine Hotel in Prague in the Czech Republic.
wbendl@roccofortecollection.com
Several alumni have tied the
knot since we last heard from
them. Here’s a round-up with
brief news about what the
graduates are up to now.
Mukarram Dadajonova (Mickey,
grad. 2003) and Marcelo Castro Vera
(grad. 2004) met when they were
in Le Bouveret in May 2003 and
have been together ever since.
“We married on 22 August 2009 in
the charming town where we live of
San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato,
Mexico. It was a small, civil ceremony
with 80 guests followed by a delicious,
casual buffet lunch with excellent wines.
The evening finished with a fun karaoke
with our closest friends. The day was
full of emotion and there were many
kind words spoken by our loved ones.
We chose not to do a typical wedding
and went for a small, unique and a
little quirky mood in purple and chocolate
palette. I think we managed to pull it off!”
mukarram.dadajonova@gmail.com
marcelo.vera@realdeminas.com
Natalie Mik – Stadelhofer (grad. 2001) and her husband Joe moved from London
to Geneva. Natalie is happy in her new life and enjoys her new position as Head of the
Geneva Office of Alpine Homes International.
nmik@alpinehomesintl.com
Florian Kittler (grad. 2001) enjoys a new challenge in Shanghai where he is heading
Portfolio’s Hotel Executive Recruitment Business as General Manager for Shanghai &
Greater China. Worldwide, Portfolio employs over 50 consultants in the hospitality,
leisure and travel industries. Florian focuses on senior appointments, like chief
executives, general management and senior executive committee members. Having
worked for five-star chains like Shangri-La, Mandarin Oriental and Hyatt, Florian gained
significant hospitality experience in Europe, Middle East and Asia.
florian.kittler@portfolio-asia.com
Katja Beyer (grad. 2008) from China to Schwaben! Katja met the love of her life while
working in China. She returned with him to Germany and enjoys working in a small town
in the south of Germany for the Tourism Organisation of the Ostalbkreis in Aalen.
katja.beyer@ostalbkreis.de
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Tanja Kisseleff (grad. 2003)
Tanja and Uri Florenthal married on a special
day: 01.10.10. They first had a civil ceremony
with only close family members present and
then a party with friends and family. “It was
a small, elegant and fun wedding!”
tanjakisseleff@gmail.com
Jess Jiyoun Choi – Fanelle
(grad. 2000) “After completing my management training at the Park Hyatt Chicago, I wanted
to specialize in accounting and finance in
the hospitality industry so I went to Hilton
College at the University of Houston to
do a Masters. After graduation, I worked
as Assistant Controller at the Warwick
Hotel, then as Controller at the Forest Club
in Houston, then as a Controller at the Oak
Hills Country Club in San Antonio, Texas
where I have now been working for the last
three and a half years. During this time, I
undertook another Masters in accounting at
the University of Texas. Currently, I am in
the process of becoming a Certified Public
Accountant (CPA).
I’ve learnt so much at César Ritz and also
met so many great people. The experience made a great impact on my life and
I really cherished every moment. I always
wanted to somehow share my student
life with my partner and I did during our
honeymoon during a visit to Brig. My
husband’s name is Frank Fanelle and we
were married on 6 March 2010. Frank is a
wonderful person with a huge heart and
works in the pharmaceutical industry.”
jiyounchoi@hotmail.com
Dima Musharbash (grad. 2006)
“Every now and then the good old days
cross my mind and I miss the great times
we had at school and in the Tonkin and
Student Bars! For those of you who don’t
know, I married on 7 August 2009 to
Saro Assayan with the wedding ceremony
in St. George’s Cathedral. A lovely dinner party followed with family and close
friends, including my César Ritz classmate,
Mira Lawn, who came from Beirut with her
family to attend our big day. After graduation, I pursued my education with an MBA
with a focus on Marketing. Currently, I
am the Assistant Marketing Manager for
Jordan Insurance Company, one of the lar
gest insurance companies in Jordan. I hope
we can always stay in touch and keep
hearing the good news from friends and
alumni from all over the globe.” dimagfm@gmail.com
Liina Pikver Heffernan (grad. 2001) married Jim Heffernan
“Our wedding day took place in the deep Värmland forest in Sweden, on 26 July, 2008.
We were joined by friends and family from Sweden, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain,
Norway and Ecuador. Some very good friends from César Ritz were among those that
shared this beautiful day with us: Julia Hacker (Gruber), Michael Rosenström and Maria
Fernanda Hidalgo Rosenström and their daughter, Emma. We now live in Kristianstad,
Sweden and I work at Kristianstad University. I am always happy to be in touch with
old classmates!”
liinapikver@gmail.com
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family news | weddings
Violeta Dimitrova-Salama (grad. 1999)
Even though Violeta, originally from Bulgaria, was married two years ago (and now has
a baby girl, Isabella), we are delighted to share her happy news.
“My husband Magdy and I met upon my return to Egypt after I had spent seven years
living in the UAE. We were married in 2008 in the picturesque town of Split in beautiful Croatia. We are now settled in Cairo where I work as a publishing executive for the
Egyptian Chefs’ Association.”
queenpurple77@hotmail.com
Katharina Darisse (née Rutz, grad.
2004) and her husband Julian met in
Beijing where Katharina was working
for Kempinski and Julian for Shangri-La.
Being Canadian, Julian did not speak
German but learnt one sentence to propose to Katharina! He must have said
it correctly because her answer was a
definite ‘yes’. The wedding took place
on 3 July 2010 in Katharina’s hometown
of Egestorf, near Hamburg in Germany,
with Julian’s family from Canada and
lots of friends from all around the world.
“We were very grateful to have so many
friends celebrate this very special day with
us and we even had guests from China!
Also my best friends from my César Ritz
time joined the wedding weekend and
that made it extremely special: Barbara
Kahl, Margarita Sannikova, Vanja Lindsay (née Kranjec) and Katharina Franz.
Lubna Ali was dearly missed by all of us
as she was nine months pregnant at the
time and couldn’t travel. After spending
our honeymoon in a beautiful old castle
close to the Baltic Sea in Germany, we
returned to Shanghai and have been
enjoying married life.”
katharina.darisse@gmail.com
Mirasari Halim (grad. 1992)
“My husband Ridwan Judhianto and I
married on 14 February 2010 in Jakarta.
It was a nice and simple wedding. I’m
still running my own business called
‘It’s Brownies Time by The Cookie Lady’
and specialize in brownies and cookies.
Besides that, I am also running ‘pernik
[aikon!]’, that specializes in a natural
material used in handcrafts.”
thecookielady_01@yahoo.com
Elina Murina from Russia
(grad. 2009)
“I was married on 2 October 2009 to
Laurent Damasse and we have been living in Algiers for the past two years due
to Laurent’s work. We are planning to
stay two more years until the end of his
contract. I would like to send my kind
regards to all my wonderful professors
and amazing friends!”
elina.murina@ritz.edu
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Although Belén Gallo-Martinez (grad.
1997) and her husband, Joaquin
Batanero, celebrated their marriage
already in 2006, we would like to share
their wedding photo together with
the information that the happy couple
now lives in Mallorca where Joaquin is
working at the Sol Meliá headquarters
in charge of the openings of Sol Meliá
hotels.
begallovi@hotmail.com
No. 47
family news | Babies & families
Several graduates have welcomed new arrivals. The César Ritz family wishes them a lot of
happiness and joy in their personal lives and success in their professional lives
Sabine Achkar and Philippe Abou Jaoude (grad. 2004)
“Our life has new meaning since we became the proud parents of our first daughter
Tiffany, born on 21 May 2010 in Laval, Canada. Our bundle of joy made our life busier
but definitely more gratifying and momentous. Despite Philippe’s busy schedule in his
restaurant and my new appointment as Coordinator for the Le Cordon Bleu programme
in a reputable university, we always manage to spend some quality time with Tiffany.”
sabinachkar@yahoo.com; philip.aj@ritz.edu
Lubna Ali Rahman (grad. 2004)
Leen Adnann was born in Amman, Jordan
from the love of Lubna and Adnann. Lubna
writes: “we welcomed our baby daughter
into the world on 6 July, 2010 and she really is our little ray of sunshine.” Lubna has
been working with the César Ritz Colleges
team as the Director of Regional Development for the Middle East Region since August 2009. She was very excited to assume
this new job and responsibilities and get
back in touch with the César Ritz family
again.
lubna.ali@ritz.edu
Alexander Schillinger (grad. 1995)
Born on 25 December 2009, Annabel
made a happy Christmas entrance into
the lives of her mum Genie and proud father, Alexander who is currently working
as Director of food and beverage at the
Dusit Thani Hotel in Bangkok.
alexander.schillinger@dusit.com
Violeta Sanchez Dakovic (grad. 2000),
sent this lovely photo of her little daughter
Amalia, born on 30 April 2010. Violeta
writes: “I was living in Cancun, Mexico for
the past two years, married Jorge Sanchez
Rovirosa Sanchez and just recently moved
back to the UK. In Cancun, I worked
as a store deputy manager for Groupo
Ultrafemme, a luxury retail company.
At the moment, I am in the process of
starting a new job back in London.”
violeta.dakovic@ritz.edu
Flor Berman (née Molina, grad. 2007)
from El Salvador
“I married a little more than two year ago
and now live with my family in Hoboken,
New Jersey, near Manhattan. We are
the proud parents of Alyssa Marina, now
two years old. I’m currently doing a Master in Education and, hopefully, will be
graduating next year. I’m also working
as a language teacher in some New York
City public schools. Achieving a Masters is
an important step in my career and it is all
possible thanks to the outstanding teachers
I had at César Ritz. I always keep everyone
from Brig very close in my thoughts and as
a source of inspiration.”
flor_sanchez@hotmail.com
Tina Asamoali-Dammenhayn (grad.
2002) lives and works with her husband
in London. They wish to proudly announce
the birth of their daughter Naomi who
entered their lives on 12 January, 2010.
tinadammenhayn@web.de
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family news | Babies & families
Constanze (née Minten, grad. 2001)
and Boutros Khalil
Khalil Daniel arrived like a Christmas present
in the life of Constanze and Boutros on
21 December 2009. He added 3.6 kg
worth of new happiness to their busy life.
Constanze is back running The Americas
Operations for IFH® – Institute for Hospita
lity Management and conducting training in
U.S. and South America for hotels as well as
managing the team of Mystery shoppers and
callers. Boutros joined Hojeij Branded Foods
as Director of Operations for the Washington
D.C. area. This is one of the leading airport
concessions companies and run restaurants
at airports throughout the U.S.
constanze.minten@ritz.edu
boutros.khalil@ritz.edu
Simone Harms (née Mueller, grad. 1997)
Another happy mother working with the Fairmont Hotel Group is Simone Harms, Director
of Operations at the Fairmont San José. Her daughter, Zoe Hannilisa, was born on 17 May
2009.
simone.harms@fairmont.com
Veronika Ganz (née Schwarzmayr,
grad. 1997), her husband Dave and
little son Leopold, are extremely happy about the birth of Florentina, born
on 19 November 2009 in St. Gallen,
Switzerland.
v.ganz@mac.com
Adalheidur Hannesdottir
(grad. 2005)
Viktoría Dögg arrived in the lives of
Heida and Gummi on 23 June 2010 on
her mother’s birthday! Kristófer is very
happy to have a little sister to look after!
adalheidur.hannesdottir@ritz.edu
Kristian Gundersen (grad. 1994)
“We are back in South Africa after
three years in Chile but with an addition
to the family, our son Neo who was
born in Santiago de Chile on 5 May
2009. The Hotel and Casino project
(Monticello) was completed but suffered
some damage after the earthquake in
February, hence I was asked to stay on
and supervise the repair and construction works. It has since opened and
is trading well. I am back at the Head
Office of Sun International Management Ltd. in Johannesburg as Development Manager.”
kristian.gundersen@za.suninternational.com
Marie Kristiannsson-Bchara (grad.
2001) enjoys spending time with her
boys four year old Yakoub and eight
month old Noah. The family is still living
in Dover in the UK but might be moving
back to Sweden.
mariebchara@gmail.com
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Angel Lobo has been promoted to GM
within Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts. His
challenge now is to open the first Innside
by Melia hotel outside Germany, (open in
April 2011) in Barcelona. Here Angel is with
Marco, his six-month-old son.
angel.lobo@solmelia.com
No. 47
Bjoern C. Loesch (grad. 2002) and fian
cée, Anne-Kathrin are thrilled to announce
the birth of their first son, Maximilian
Christoph born on 27 July, 2010 in Lucerne,
Switzerland. “We’re very proud and happy,
and thank God for our healthy son”.
bjoern.loesch@ritz.edu
Trude Konrad (née Gulbrandsoy,
grad. 2003) and Christian Konrad
“Greetings from Switzerland! 2010 has
been a very special year for us. After
being a couple for over eight years, we
finally decided to make it official and on
13 March became Mr and Mrs Konrad.
Three months later, on 24 June, our lovely
little daughter Sophia Michelle was born.
Christian also changed his job this year
and is now Director of Operations for
both Campuses in Le Bouveret and Brig.
A great responsibility with a lot of challenges and one that he really enjoys.”
trude.konrad@ritz.edu
Heike Schnell
Little Margarita is the newest addition to
Heike’s family. She was born on 13 September 2010. Just like her young family,
Heike’s London based yoga and lounge
wear company, Wellicious, is also growing.
Wellicious is selling in over 100 exclusive
spas, hotels, and yoga and pilates studios
worldwide.
hschnell@wellicious.com
Simona Ritter (grad. 2001) and Mihai
Tudoran are the happy parents of Ana
Emilia, born on 29 September 2009. As students at Le Bouveret in 1999, one Swedish
and the other German, they soon found
out that they both had Romanian roots.
Following the completion of internships
in Geneva, they went their different ways:
Simona continued in Brig before moving to the UAE, while Mihai transferred
to our sister school in Australia and then
moved to Spain and changed from hotel
management to sports management and
a Masters at the FIFA university. After five
years with Radisson Blu and speaking
Romanian, Simona was sent to Bucharest
to be part of the opening team of the
new Radisson Blu. She checked for friends
in Romania and got in touch with Mihai!
They met during César Ritz alumni reunions and then became a couple and their
happiness became complete with Ana
Emilia. Simona is still on maternity leave
from being Director of Sales and Marketing at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Mihai
is a licensing and event manager for the
marketing agency for the Romanian Football Federation.
maria_simona@hotmail.com Christina Wieland, (née Mika, grad.
2002), writes about her son Philip, born
on 2 December 2009: “he is a great boy
who gives us lots of joy while we watch
him grow, is very active and tries to eat
whatever he finds on his way.”
wieland.christina@web.de
Tarsila Fercher-Geis (grad. 2003) and
Matthias Geis (grad. 2005)
Hannah is the name of the little girl who
entered this world on 21 September 2010
and added a new touch of happiness to the
lives of her grateful parents, Tarsila FercherGeis and Matthias Geis.
tarsila.fercher@ritz.edu
matthias_geis@gmx.de
|
February 2011
|
No. 47
|
23
César Ritz Colleges Switzerland
Alumni Office
1897 Le Bouveret, Switzerland
Tel. +41 24 482 82 82
Fax +41 24 482 88 99
alumni@ritz.edu
www.ritz.edu

CONNECTION ALUMNI NEWS

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