50 Shades of Hospitality

Rebecca 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...

In 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...

In 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 al...

Tim 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 i...

In 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 es...

This 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 ca...

In 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...

In 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 sta...

In 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 Mamal...

In 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 sustainab...

Filippo 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 hav...

Andrea 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 hospit...

Khulan 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 in...

Arian 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...

In 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 podca...

In 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 2...

In 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....

In 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 d...

Xavier 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...

In 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 dif...

In 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 Founde...

In 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 abou...

Michael 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...

In 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 wo...

Walter 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...