Download Connection Alumni News 42 - César Ritz Colleges

MANAGER AT ThE END OF ThE WORLD
MORE 25 Th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
RECORD NUMBER OF ChAPTERS
December August 2007 No. 42 41
Connection alumni news
www.ritz.edu

EDITORIAL
Dear Graduates,
The close connections between
“César Ritz” alumni is increasingly
important for many of you and this
is reflected in the increase in alumni
activities around the world as well as
the creation of new chapters – nine
chapters this year alone! In this
edition you’ll find information about
some of these chapters as well as a
host of other information to keep you
“connected” to the alumni network.
In April, we had our very first Latin
American chapter created in Panama,
and then during our very successful
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 April 2008.
Dear alumni, please keep us
updated on your career moves
and changes of address which
can be sent to: alumni@ritz.edu.
Don’t forget to check our website
regularly. This edition and further
news about “César Ritz” Colleges
are published on our website:
www.ritz.edu
May reunion here in Switzerland (attended
by most Chapter Presidents),
Boon Low and Karin Adale found
the inspiration to start chapters in
their respective countries: Malaysia
and Sweden. Also, after the reunion,
Tine Brodnjak decided to launch a
chapter for alumni in Slovenia and
Croatia, and got in contact with two
other “César Ritz” alumni to get the
ball rolling; Arni Solonsson established
one in Iceland; Svea Steinberg
did the same for the Rhein-Ruhr
region in Germany; Momoko Sato
for Japan; Olga Krougliak and Ilia
Vladimirov got together to launch
a Russian chapter, while here in
Switzerland, a second chapter was
launched for our alumni in the
French-speaking part of the country.
So we now offer you the possibility
to be members of 27 different alumni
chapters and even more are coming
soon. We keep on receiving messages
from alumni wishing to organize
reunions or asking when a chapter
meeting will take place in their
area. This shows how the “César
Ritz” network is important to you all!
At the moment, we are hoping one of
“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
Editorial management,
production and graphic design:
Paul English/Heather Dittmar
English Communications SA
62 Ave des Alpes
1023 Crissier, Switzerland
www.englishcommunications.com
info@englishcommunications.com
Tel: + 41 21 635 15 30
you might like to start the first American
chapter (surprising that one has
not yet sprung up) and also one for
Africa. If you’re interested in becoming
a member of a chapter in these
parts of the world, please let us know.
And as you are aware, this year
we’ve been celebrating the 25 th
anniversary of “César Ritz” Colleges.
Our main event was held on
19 October in Brig with staff,
students, alumni and special guests.
Inside this edition, you’ll find
comments from some of our alumni
who explain what this anniversary
year means to them! You’ll also find
our usual roundup of who’s doing
what and where, who’s married,
who’s had babies, handy contact
details and, of course, some pictures
from the present as well as the past.
Finally, as this is the last “Connection”
for the year, let me take the
opportunity to wish you all the very
best for the festive season and wish
you a wonderful New Year, wherever
you find yourself.
Michèle Patry
AlumNi Network mANAger
The editors take every care in
presenting the correct details at
the time of printing but take
no responsibility for contributions
from third parties.
The People ‘n’ Stuff and Family
News sections were collected
by Marga Cretton, Director
of Alumni Affairs, and Michèle
Patry, Alumni Network
Manager.
Cover photo:
hakon gjerde, mustafa Almasri,
Barnabi luna and Fair Suparerk
thongsuk in thailand
CONTENTS
CAMPUS NEWS – SWITZERLAND
editorial .................................................................................................................................2
Campus News ............................................................................................................. 3–5
Switzerland ................................................................................................................3–4
Down under ...................................................................................................................5
Alumni gatherings .................................................................................................. 6–9
people ‘n’ Stuff ......................................................................................................10–19
Profile .............................................................................................................................10
Success stories ............................................................................................................11
Photo gallery ....................................................................................................... 12–13
Updates .................................................................................................................. 14–17
Family News ...........................................................................................................18–19
Weddings ......................................................................................................................18
Babies .............................................................................................................................19
A success story: “César Ritz” Colleges Switzerland
“César ritz” Colleges Switzerland
officially marked its 25th anniversary
on 19 october. it celebrated
in Brig with almost 300 people,
including special guests from
all over the world, staff members,
alumni and current students.
The event was held at the
Simplonhalle in Brig where
students and the Culinary Arts
Academy prepared an aperitif
and gala dinner. A number of
presentations and a retrospective
of the last 25 years livened up
the evening.
To some, a 25th anniversary
may not sound a great deal when
compared to those marked by
some other schools or universities.
But it is quite an achievement
for all those involved in our
small but dynamic college that
has taken on international
dimensions.
Today’s success is down to the
efforts and contributions made
by many employees, including
teachers, administrators, kitchen
and housekeeping teams. They
have always been determined to
impart excellence to our students
and they continue to do so.
The achievement is also due to the
vision of Dr Petri, who took the risk
of founding the school and fought
for its survival and development.
There are also the many officials in
the State of Valais who have helped
in officially recognizing our degrees
and diplomas.
I would also like to thank our colleagues
from the United States of
America and from other universities
for their belief in the quality
of our programmes. I express my
gratitude too to the members of the
Board of Trustees who have given
Dr Petri with Mrs Ritz, Mr Kisseleff and Mr Schwestermann
their time and advice, thus contributing
to the success of our colleges.
My heartfelt thanks and appreciation
go out to Mrs Monique Ritz,
the daughter-in-law of the famous
hotelier, César Ritz, and former
owner and manager of The Ritz
hotel in Paris. She has made an
invaluable contribution to the colleges’
reputation and has always
given encouraging words at our
graduation ceremonies.
Mrs Ritz honoured us with her
presence at the 25th anniversary
2 December 2007 No. 42 Connection alumni news 3

CAMPUS NEWS – SWITZERLAND CAMPUS NEWS – DOWN UNDER
The Simplonhalle, wonderfully decorated, welcomes the 300 guests
Fireworks celebrating the 25 th anniversary were watched by guests and students from the
kitchen and service teams
celebrations in Brig. She expressed
her gratitude to the school and
congratulated the management for
their efforts in ensuring the perpetuity
of the César Ritz name and the
spirit of excellence that is forever
linked to this legendary hotelier.
Thanks to you as well, our 15,000
have you also met “César ritz”
friends around the world?
Share your
news with us!
Send us a story with a good
quality photo for the next issue.
students and your parents for choosing
“César Ritz” Colleges. We know
that you had a choice about where
to continue your education and we
hope that “César Ritz” Colleges has
exceeded your expectations.
mArtiN kiSSeleFF
preSideNt
Come to the Annual Alumni
Reunion in Switzerland held
each year in May!
Why don’t you come to
celebrate your 10 th or 20 th
graduation anniversary?
The next reunion will be held
from 29 to 31 May 2008.
don’t miss it!
did you get your copy
of our special
25 th anniversary
magazine?
if not, here’s what
you missed.
the founder and his idea
1982: the dream comes true
interview with the founder:
dr wolfgang-d. petri (by marga
Cretton, director of public
relations and Alumni)
1986: institut hôtelier “César ritz” –
the move to le Bouveret
1986: mrs monique ritz
1992: international College of
hospitality management – going
west and discovering the uSA!
1992: international College of
hospitality Administration, Brig
1994: postgraduate studies –
master degree
1996: international College of
management Sydney, Australia –
going global
2005: the handover
2005 – 2007: Adjustments,
the global concept, and investments
For your free copy,
send an email to
alumni@ritz.edu
ICMS names
new General
Manager
the international College of
management, Sydney, has
recently appointed mr Frank
prestipino as its new general
manager.
Mr Prestipino, Australian-born,
was most recently the President
of US-based UnicornhRO, a provider
of state-of-the-art software
solutions and services for human
resources and payroll management
departments. Prior to this,
Mr Prestipino spent more than
nine years as the Vice President
of Worldwide Marketing for San
Francisco-based Oracle Corporation
and two years as the Senior
Director for Oracle Asia Pacific,
Singapore.
Mr Prestipino has said, “On
the worldwide stage, ICMS offers
a unique value proposition to
its students by providing them
not only with the highest level
of academic and professional
training, but also with the
opportunity to obtain jobs upon
graduation. These two factors
differentiate the college from
others, enabling it to be a major
player in today’s demand-driven
services economy.”
Dr Petri and Mr Prestipino in Brig,
during the 25 th anniversary event
Queenstown Resort College (QRC)
Executive Education Series popular
with industry professionals
The 2007 leadership course presented by Professor Judi Brownell, Cornell
University, USA.
QrC offers to the hospitality industry far more than diploma programmes.
For the tourism and hospitality industry’s emerging and senior managers,
QrC also offers a dedicated executive programme, which is gaining strong
recognition in New Zealand, Australia and the Asia-pacific region.
held in the QRC Executive Suite
which consists of a well-appointed
boardroom and a stylish lounge
ideal for networking purposes, the
Executive Education series comprises
10 courses throughout the year. The
short courses are led by international
experts from the likes of Cornell
and New York Universities. Courses
range from human Resources Management,
to Rooms Management
for Maximum Profitability, to Tourism
Product Development, to Strategic
Management to name a few.
Terri Godfrey, Regional hR
Manager for the Millennium,
Capthorne and Kingsgate
hotels Group participated in
the hR course. “This course has
given me the inspiration to try
new things with motivation and
development with my hODs
and supervisors.”
The 2008 Executive Education
schedule will be revised shortly.
4 December 2007 No. 42 Connection alumni news 5

ALUMNI GAThERINGS
Launch of “César Ritz” Swedish Alumni Chapter
karin Adale was appointed Chapter president of the newly established
Swedish Alumni Chapter in Stockholm on 6 September. thanks to everybody
who attended and to karin for taking up the presidential challenge.
Many people had been looking
forward to the establishment of a
Swedish Alumni Chapter for several
years. After my return to Switzerland
in May for the school’s 25 th
anniversary, during the Alumni
Reunion I was really inspired to get
the ball rolling. Bit by bit, things
started to happen during the summer.
hundreds of e-mails were
sent out in an effort to contact all
the Swedish alumni!
On the evening itself, Florence
Monnard, Area Manager for
Sweden, was joined at the hard
Rock Café by Charlotte Ekdahl,
Maria Funes, Nina Kilström, helena
Stenudd and Yael Elad. Mattias
Nilsson drove three hours to see
everybody and Eran Lifshitz joined
us as well.
We talked of our memories,
about shared friends, what we
were doing, the future of the
Chapter and the possibilities for
our next meeting. Everyone was
very excited about the Chapter’s
prospects which is good news for
me as President.
I tried to get in touch with as many
of you as possible but if, for whatever
reason, you didn’t receive my invitation
and are interested in joining
the Swedish Alumni Chapter please
e-mail me at karin.adale@ritz.edu.
kAriN AdAle, SwediSh
ChApter preSideNt
25 th alumni anniversary dinner – Kunlun hotel, Beijing
After europe and the middle east, it was time to celebrate the 25 th
anniversary of “César ritz” Colleges Switzerland in Asia. with the
2008 olympics looming and extensive hotel development under way,
Beijing was chosen to host the alumni event to showcase the dynamism
of China and the rest of Asia.
The alumni event took place in
the Kunlun hotel located in the
Chaoyang district in the rapidly
developing embassy area. One luxury
shopping mall has opened under
the Kunlun banner; close by, the
hilton hotel is building an extension;
and opposite the Kunlun, the second
Westin hotel in Beijing will open in
May 2008. It will also have its own
four-floor luxury shopping mall.
The event was deliberately timed
to coincide with the Career Development
trip from Le Bouveret and Brig.
A group of 22 students and 3 staff
came from Switzerland. This was
the second career trip to Beijing and
The Malaysian Chapter is born!
the launch of the malaysian Chapter took place
in August. Boon low, who graduated in 1983, is
the Chapter’s president.
Boon spent weeks organizing the launch event. he
even roped his wife Irene, and Connie, our alumnus,
into helping him out with the preparations.
The venue was the Chalet Suisse. Traditional Swiss
food, such as air-dried beef, cheese fondue and beef
tartar, was chased down with glasses of Fendant wine.
This helped graduates travel back down memory lane
students had a very intensive schedule:
8 hotel visits in 3 days and an
alumni celebration only a few hours
after arriving in Beijing.
Alumni Chapter President Nicholas
Luo Guofeng organized the evening
and selected the menu. It was a
chance for graduating students to
meet alumni and obtain valuable information
about career development
opportunities from former students
now working in China in the hotel
or related service industries. After the
aperitif and dinner, it was time for
the speeches. Afterwards, Mr Kisseleff
cut the birthday cake – not only
for “César Ritz” Colleges but also for
Thai student, Ken Wanlop Rerksantia,
who was celebrating his birthday
the same day.
We were also delighted to share the
celebration with students’ relatives,
showing that the “César Ritz” family
is not only about students but also
about the parents who make it all
possible. Many thanks are also
owed to Mrs Christine Kyburz,
Cultural Attaché from the Swiss
Embassy, for her attendance.
Students and alumni present represented
around 15 nations. Indicative
of the evening’s international nature,
we were celebrating the anniversary
to the good old days at Lax, Le Bouveret and Brig.
As Boon said, “It ended up sounding very much like
the noisy student bar in Le Bouveret! If I had closed
my eyes, I could have sworn I was back in Switzerland
again.”
The surprise of the evening was the cake produced by
a bakery that belongs to one of our alumni, Kok-hong
Tek, to celebrate the 25 th anniversary of “César Ritz”
Colleges. The cake was so beautifully decorated that
it was a shame to cut it. It was the perfect ending to
the meal.
This get-together was eagerly anticipated by the
34 alumni and the 7 spouses who came along as
well as by the two “César Ritz” representatives from
iEduCare Services. Friends were able to catch up
and new friendships were sealed.
The event was a roaring success. Kudos goes to Boon
for doing such a fantastic job.
SuBmitted By: viwAN opANukiJ, AreA
mANAger & BooN low, ChApter preSideNt
of a Swiss hotel school in a Thai
restaurant in a Chinese hotel; the
meal was accompanied by a French
wine, and guests with enough
energy continued the festivities at
the Kempinski hotel’s German bar,
drinking beer served by Chinese
women dressed in traditional Bavarian
costumes while listening to a
group from the Philippines singing
American pop music.
Sometimes when you travel it is difficult
to know exactly where you are!
JoNAthAN hiltoN, direCtor
oF eNrolmeNt mANAgemeNt
ANd AdmiSSioNS
6 December 2007 No. 42 Connection alumni news 7

ALUMNI GAThERINGS
A fiesta latina for the Alumni Association
on the occasion of the 25 th Anniversary of “César ritz” Colleges Switzerland, the worldwide Alumni
Association founded the first latin American chapter in panama.
Breaking the ice – a new chapter opens in Iceland
27 AuguSt 2007
the weather was great on this
late August day: beautiful sunshine
and almost 20°C! the venue
was the Centerhotel, where Arni
Solonsson, our newly appointed
Chapter president, is director of
operations for their four hotels
in reykjavic. on top of his busy
schedule, Arni is the liaison for
faculty members working on the
joint “César ritz” Colleges and
hospitality and Culinary School
of iceland Certificate programme,
“Certificate in hotel and restaurant
operations”.
Around half of the 50 graduates
from Iceland live and work in their
With a growing Latin population
at our campuses in Switzerland,
the Panama Chapter – and hopefully
many more to come in Latin
America – will contribute to the student
network on one of the remaining
“continents” where, until recently
there wasn’t an alumni organization.
The President of the Panama Chapter
is Lourdes Ecker, a 2004 MBA
graduate from University Centre
“César Ritz”. After two local alumni
reunions, one in June and one in
September, Lourdes is now considering
a regional one for Latin America
and the Caribbean. She hopes
that many alumni from different
countries will participate.
At the first reunion in June, George
Ortiz, Service Lecturer in Brig, joined
the group of past, current and future
students at the Champions Bar in
the Marriott hotel. This seemed to be
the perfect place to celebrate this first
home country. Twelve alumni
attended the reunion hosted by
the President of “César Ritz”
Colleges, Mr Kisseleff. All work
in the hospitality industry, many
in top positions.
There is a shortage of qualified
managers and professionals in
Iceland to the point that foreign
labour, especially from Eastern
Europe, is employed in large
numbers. This is why the hospitality
and Culinary School of Iceland
has entered into the agreement to
offer the one-year certificate from
“César Ritz” Colleges. Graduates
will then have direct access to the
get-together for some of our
Panamanian champions.
The second reunion in September
welcomed 10 former and current
students and another special guest:
Tarsila Fercher, former Programme
Director at the Brig campus now in
charge of Academic Relations in Latin
America. This reunion was held at Las
Tinajas Restaurant, an original venue
with traditional food and dance.
If you live and work in Latin
America or the Caribbean and
would like to participate more
actively in our Alumni Association,
please write to Michèle Patry at
michele.patry@ritz.edu. We are
constantly increasing our activities in
your part of the world and are looking
forward to having many more of
you join us in the association.
reto leder, direCtor oF mArketiNg
ANd CommuNiCAtioN
second year of the Bachelor
of International Business in hotel
and Tourism Management offered
at University Centre “César
Ritz”.
how about starting your career
in Iceland? The hilton hotel is
opening this year and many other
hotels are under construction,
among them a ‘W’ hotel by
Starwood. Iceland could be your
opportunity!
SuBmitted By:
mArtiN kiSSeleFF, preSideNt
oF “CéSAr ritZ” CollegeS
SwitZerlANd
Did you know that
60 alumni reunions
were organized for
you this year?
our alumni network is getting
stronger and stronger. Not only
that, but the presidents of our
27 alumni chapters around the
world are working hard to find
exciting ideas and venues for
your alumni reunions. make sure
you don’t miss the gatherings in
your area!
In 2006, we organized 24 alumni
reunions and this year 60 reunions
were organized! Make sure you’re
a part of the reunion! Check our
website for the list of upcoming
events: www.ritz.edu
here’s where our chapters exist:
Australia
Bavaria, Germany
Berlin, Germany
Canada
China
Geneva & Swiss Romande
(since April 2007)
Frankfurt, Germany
hong Kong & Macau
Iceland (since August 2007)
India
Japan (since January 2007)
Jordan
Lebanon
Malaysia (since August 2007)
Norway
Panama (since June 2007)
Rhein-Ruhr, Germany
(since Sept. 2007)
Russia (since October 2007)
Slovenia & Croatia (since Nov. 2007)
South Korea
Sweden (since Sept. 2007)
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Zurich & Swiss German region
8 December 2007 No. 42 Connection alumni news 9

PEOPLE ‘N‘ STUFF – PROFILE
The road to the world’s southernmost city via
“César Ritz” Colleges – Pablo Bazze
i was about 17 years old when i decided to pursue an education in hospitality, with a view to becoming a hotel
general manager. i started by studying business administration and then went on to see what the world’s top
hospitality schools had to offer, so that i could specialize in the business. After a meeting with the Cultural
representative of the Swiss embassy in Argentina, i decided that “César ritz” Colleges was the school for me.
When I started my postgraduate and
Master’s studies at University Centre
“César Ritz” (UCCR) in Brig at the
age of 23, a whole new world opened
up to me. Many of the best memories
of my life come from that time.
Once I had obtained my postgraduate
diploma, I continued my
career path in the Opryland hotel,
Nashville, USA, working in the VIP
Services Department. It was a great
experience and I learned the true
meaning of attention to detail and
southern hospitality!
Next, I had the chance to run a
small hotel in my own country,
Argentina, with all the stress
and excitement that entails, and
to go into teaching, one of my
10 December 2007 No. 42
passions. Then, at a career fair in
Washington, not only did I sign
a contract to do management
training at La Casa del Zorro,
California, I was also inspired, by
Mr Gutzwiller, Director of UCCR,
to complete my Masters of Science
degree from Manchester Metropolitan
University via UCCR. This is
the academic achievement of which
I am most proud.
After leaving La Casa del Zorro it
was time to go into the fitness industry
and to work for the biggest
gym company in the world: Fitness
First. I was General Manager of
their 2,500-strong club in Palma,
Majorca, for about two years. It was
a most beautiful place to work and
an amazing place to live.
By then, the hospitality industry in
Argentina was booming. There have
never been so many hotels under
construction; this year, 280 more
are under way! It was time to move
back and seize the opportunity. And
things couldn’t have been better. I
was offered the position of General
Manager of a brand new five-star
property – Los Cauquenes Resort and
Spa – down in the world’s southernmost
city, Ushuaia, Argentina.
That was two years ago, and I am
still there. Nowadays, however, I
also manage to fly to Buenos Aires
once a month to do some consultancy
work for a small resort by the sea
and to teach masters-level hospitality
management at the university.
And what’s more, in July I became
daddy to a little boy, Benjamin!
God has been extremely generous
in my life, and, without a doubt, the
key to the door of the “César Ritz”
family was one of the best gifts that
he ever gave me!
pABlo BAZZe
pablo.bazze@ritz.edu
PEOPLE ‘N‘ STUFF – SUCCESS STORIES
“It’s all in the shake” – Peter Van Thiel
peter van thiel, who is originally
from the Netherlands, was one of
our first students. he graduated
from hotel School Alpina in Brig
in 1983 and is now a Corporate
mixologist and director of a Catering
division.
After leaving the hotel School Alpina,
I spent five years working on
cruise ships. I then moved to the
world of American “sit-down fast
food”, before heading to Atlantic
City, New Jersey, where I worked
in the Food and Beverage Departments
of several casinos.
I then signed with a company called
Libre Management and created
Nothing to doubt about – Magdalina Chung’s journey to success
“César ritz” – the name says it
all. prestige, quality, professionalism…
the list goes on. Six years
have passed since i left le Bouveret,
but the memories remain
close to my heart. As a transfer
student from the international
College of management Sydney
(then iCthm), i will always cherish
having become part of the
“César ritz” family. the skills i
learned while in le Bouveret fully
equipped me for a successful career
in the hospitality industry.
I graduated from a Florida university
in 2004 with a Bachelor
of Science degree in hospitality
management and started my career
back home in sunny Malaysia as a
Front Office Agent with Pyramid
Tower at the Sunway Lagoon Resort
hotel. Within a year, I had secured
a challenging managerial position
as Guest Relations Manager with
the hilton Kuala Lumpur. Then I
moved to the Boulevard hotel Kuala
Lumpur as a Duty Manager. Later
a brand new concept for them. I
started by designing cocktails and
finding the right wines to complement
our dishes, and was then promoted
to Corporate Mixologist.
I still work for the company and
am now Director of Operations
in the Catering Division. We are
the sole catering provider at the
National Constitution Center, the
Independence Visitor Center, and
the new Please Touch Museum at
Memorial hall in Philadelphia. Life
is hectic as we cater for up to 2,000
people a day, including presidents
past and present!
here’s my message to everyone
on, after returning to my home city
of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, I was offered
the post of Front Office Manager
at Le Mercure Waterfront Kota
Kinabalu, which was about to open.
After only a few months I was promoted
to Rooms Division Manager.
One should never be afraid of rejection
and, in spite of some people
doubting my capabilities, I never
Magdalina, second from left, with members of her family
at “César Ritz” Colleges: don’t be
afraid, be yourself, work hard, ask
questions, read, cultivate an enquiring
mind, and surround yourself
with people from whom you
can learn. Take it from me: it’s all
in the “shake”!
nlch62@yahoo.com
doubted myself nor the education
I received at “César Ritz”. I will
never forget Mr Martin Kisseleff’s
welcome speech when I started at
Le Bouveret: “Success is a journey,
not a destination,” he said, and he’s
right! “César Ritz” has equipped me
with all the skills I need to be successful
in the hospitality industry.
magdalina.chung@gmail.com
« prestige, quality,
professionalism... the list
goes on.»
Connection alumni news 11

PEOPLE ‘N‘ STUFF – PhOTO GALLERY
Alumni reunion in Sydney, September
First alumni reunion in Qatar, September
The Berlin Chapter
celebrating the 25 th
anniversary, September
Swiss-German Chapter President,
Norbert, visiting Turkish Chapter
President, Ayhan, with their wives,
at the alumni reunion in Istanbul
Ulf Bremer and Toni
Hinterstoisser while
working together at The
Grand Hyatt Berlin
Mr Kisseleff with Ludy
Prapancha Suryantoro
and Folker Heim at
the alumni reunion in
Geneva, September
Alumni reunion in South Korea, October
Alumni reunion in Jordan, August
Celebrating our 25th A successful first reunion in Indonesia, August Jamaree Junanunporn and Michelle Lui with Mr Kisseleff,
anniversary in Taiwan, October
Mr Fournier, and our Thai students, during their visit to IHCR
Maria Funes and
Charlotte Ekdahl
Alumni reunion in Munich, September
Fondue night in Sydney!
Patrick Main flew from South
Africa to meet Marianne
Kier and Jürgen Birnkraut
in Munich
Reunion in Beirut with Jolanda
Hains, Florence Monnard and
Mr and Mrs Ayoub, September
12 December 2007 No. 42 Connection alumni news 13

PEOPLE ‘N‘ STUFF – UPDATES
The adventures of the “Fantastic Four”
hakon, mustafa, Barnabi and Fair explain how they came to be reunited in thailand!
the story began in 2006 when
Fair Suparerk thongsuk graduated
from university Centre “César
ritz” (uCCr). he returned to
koh Samui, thailand, and started
working at his parents’ resort,
the brand new four-star-plus Ban
laem Sai Beach resort and Spa.
he helped out in a variety of departments,
but focused on Front
office. Soon, however, there was
so much work that Fair thought
he needed some help. “And what
better than to hire good friends
whom you can trust?” says Fair.
“how soon can you get to Thailand
and start working?” was the
message received by hakon Gjerde,
originally from Norway, only a few
hours after he had landed in Sydney,
Australia. “I was planning to
travel the world after obtaining my
Bachelor degree in International
Business from UCCR, but I wasn’t
sure where to start. Fair offered me
the post of Guest Relations Manager
and I was so shocked by the offer
that I asked him if I could sleep
on it! Of course, I answered yes the
next day and the job has proven
perfect for me.”
After some persuasion, Fair and
hakon managed to get two other
“César Ritz” graduates on board.
Mustafa and Barnabi joined them
in May and June 2007.
Barnabi Luna says: “I love travelling
and am always open to new
experiences. When Fair offered
me the chance to work at his parents’
hotel I was in no doubt at all
about accepting. Working here has
been a great experience. I am the
C.h.I.L.L Manager and my job is
to devise activities for our guests. I
enjoy it a lot. And it’s unusual for
them to see a Peruvian working
in Thailand, because it is mainly
Europeans who work here. We,
however, consider ourselves
“citizens of the world”, which I
think is the main reason we came
to Thailand. It’s true that there’s
no place like home, but I think
that home can be anywhere you
feel happy and comfortable doing
what you do.”
The latest addition is Mustafa
Almasri. Mustafa is a graduate of
the Master degree programme at
UCCR and has had a lot of experience
in kitchen and service, which
made him perfect for the position
of Food and Beverage Director.
“I visited Koh Samui for just a
day shortly after presenting my
dissertation. Although I thought
that I would return one day, I
never dreamed that a year later I’d
be working here! I was employed
in Abu Dhabi in the UAE when
hakon mentioned an opportunity
for me to come and work in Thailand.
Shortly after, Fair then asked
me if I’d be interested in joining
the team. A week later, I won
a round trip to Thailand in a
raffle at a gala dinner! What are
the odds? I’m now enjoying living
and working in Thailand, the land
of a thousand smiles.”
barnabi.luna@ritz.edu
hakon.gjerde@ritz.edu
fair6776@hotmail.com
mustafa_almasri@hotmail.com
on the occasion of the 25 th anniversary, Nacky, Boon and Samer send
wishes to “César ritz” Colleges and share memories from their time
in Switzerland.
Nacky Iu recalls some of her Swiss experiences
Nacky as a student with Mr Kisseleff and
Stephen Coachran, 20 years ago
“i have so many memories after
22 years that could still easily make
me cry and laugh. there are people
who still mean a lot to me.
My Swiss education brought me
to where I am today. It was not
the certificate in my hand but the
attitude that moulded me. Swiss
school life enhanced my decisionmaking
and made me discover that
life is beautiful if you value it every
day. I was 20 then and it was the
shortest year of my life.
“the 25 th anniversary of any
event is always special but more
so for my alma mater. Alas,
Switzerland is so far away from
malaysia where i live! if not for
the constant and gentle persuasions
from the school, i would
have missed the Alumni reunion
in may and would not be telling
you what the College meant to me!
I would have missed seeing
Brig and how it has developed, the
old hotel School Alpina, the University
Centre and the future dormitory,
and how much the school
has achieved in terms of status and
Mr Kisseleff visiting Nacky at her House of
Fine Food in Macao, September 2005
I faced the hardship of internship
alone in a new place but came back
for graduation with tears in my eyes.
School was like home and I knew
I had to leave what I loved. I promised
myself to come back and I have
done so many times over the past
20 years. I went back to show the
people I love part of the memories of
which I am so proud. I have seen the
school getting younger while I and
Mr Kisseleff have gotten older (but
he still has the same pipe smell!)”
nacky.iu@ritz.edu
What the College means to me – Boon Low
recognition. And I had the chance
to see the school at Le Bouveret
for the first time. how magnificent
it looks.
I would have missed seeing
my old classmates, Peter Van
Thiel and Mahes Boopalan,
and meeting other wonderful
graduates who are the driving
forces in the alumni network.
I even met Dr Petri again, who
is still the same man, full of
passion and conviction. In 1982,
he introduced discipline and
professionalism and every stu-
Samer El hajj sends
wishes from Montreal,
Canada:
“i would like to congratulate the
faculty and staff on the 25 th anniversary
of the school. may the
coming years be full of success
and growth to the company.
Being a student at “César Ritz”
Colleges had a big impact on my
personal and professional life.
It helped me create a better
understanding of other cultures.
Being in the Swiss environment,
I learned how to be more organized
and manage my time more
efficiently. Overall, it was a
life-altering experience.”
samer.elhajj@ritz.edu
Boon with Peter and Dr Petri in Brig,
May 2007
dent was whipped and forged into
shape and were changed forever.
happy Birthday hotelconsult “César
Ritz” Colleges! I am extremely
happy and indebted to be a small
part of this global family!”
bylow33@gmail.com
14 December 2007 No. 42 Connection alumni news 15

PEOPLE ‘N‘ STUFF – UPDATES
ikuko iijima recently met up with our Director of Enrolment Management,
Jonathan hilton, and our Japanese President, Momoko Sato.
“After two years working at Front Office at hotel Okura Amsterdam in
the Netherlands, I decided to return to Asia and worked for the Mandarin
Oriental Tokyo in Guest Relations. I then joined The Ritz-Carlton
Tokyo for its opening in the position of Sales Coordinator. Experiencing
the opening of a hotel is just wonderful. All my previous work, skills and
the knowledge gained from UCCR helped me a lot!
The memories of my time in Brig keep me motivated and I miss my
friends and teachers. I would love to be in contact with other alumni in
Ritz-Carlton hotels and hope my friends keep me posted with their news
and experiences.”
ikuko.iijima@ritz.edu
BJoerN loeSCh writeS From JordAN:
“Rami Al Fakes and I enjoy working
together as the F&B leading team
at the Kempinski hotel Amman.
We are heavily recruiting and also
sending job offers to UCCR. Rami
graduated from Le Bouveret in 2000
and I from Brig (WSU) in 2002.
Since graduation, Rami married
Rania and after working in the
States for six years with Loews
hotels in F&B, Rooms and Accounting,
he started off in Kempinski
hotel Dead Sea and then transferred
to the Kempinski hotel Amman as
the F&B Assistant Manager.
After graduation, I worked for
Omnihotels in the States, hilton in
Germany and then the Kempinski
hotel before being transferred here
in May 2007 where I am now the
F&B Manager.
We had a lot of people visiting us on
the occasion of Lubna Ali’s wedding.
Barbara Kahl and Katarina Rutz,
another Kempinski employee from
Bejing, visited us and our sister hotel
in Ishtar, Dead Sea.”
bjoern.loesch@kempinski.com
rami.alfakes@kempinski.com
AlumNi At the hyAtt
regeNCy dAllAS
hervé and Susan Fournier attended
the annual conference of
the i-Chrie held in July at the
hyatt regency in dallas. three
“César ritz” alumni who work
at the hyatt made the stay of
their former school director and
teacher very special indeed.
Riaan Nel, from South Africa
graduated from IhCR in 1999
and most students remember
him as the McRitz supervisor
during his second year in
Le Bouveret. his next move
was to hyatt houston for his
in-training. he was then
transferred to the hyatt Regency
Dallas where he became the
Assistant Restaurant Manager of
The Dome. Now after six years,
he has recently been promoted to
Assistant Food & Beverage Director.
Riaan misses his snowboarding
days in Zermatt but found
love and happiness in Dallas. Yes,
he married in September!
Rahul Bharadwaj has been working
in the Rooms Division since
last January and Rachel Kim
works in the F&B Department
in Dallas. Rachel graduated from
UCCR last December and is now
working in stewarding, settingup
banquets for up to 2,500
covers. She is very happy to
report to a “César Ritz” alumnus
in her department.
riaan.nel@ritz.edu
rahul.bharadwaj@ritz.edu
jin-mi.kim@ritz.edu
riChArd FArr, our ChApter preSideNt iN AuStrAliA, writeS:
“In August, Tobias Kuhlang spent a
week in Sydney for business. Tobi
and I studied in Brig in 1998 and are
very good mates. We also met up
with Dominic Szambowski and had
a good chat remembering the good
old times in Brig. Congrats Tobi, on
your new position as “Vice President
Revenue Development Asian Pacific”
for Accor hospitality. Impressive
title!”
tobias.kuhlang@ritz.edu
richard.farr@ritz.edu
peter mihelCiC explAiNS ABout hiS thAi, germAN, SloveNiAN,
ANd ChiNeSe CoNNeCtioNS ArouNd the world:
June, Pince, June’s friend, Meta and Peter in Thailand
“During our holidays in Thailand
this July, Meta Tomaz and I had the
chance to meet our school friend,
Prangpilai Limcharoen, at the airport.
It was great seeing her after
such a long time. While resting on
a beautiful island in Koh Samui, we
visited June Phetkaew Piyaphorn
and Pince Orapin Chalermtrakulchai.
And on our return, we stopped
in Dubai, where we met Roland
Peter and Tony in China
Dürr at the Burj Al Arab. And then,
during a business trip to China in
June, I met Tony Shi who works
for The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Beijing
as a Sales Executive. I’m glad
I’ve stayed in contact with my old
schoolmates all over the world!”
peter.mihelcic@ritz.edu
iN loviNg memory oF lJuBA peNChevA hriStovA
rajiv Sen gupta proudly informed
us that he and his wife
Roopa participated in an Indian
National Rally Championship
Car Rally (INRC) in Bangalore
in August 2007. They took part
in the Gypsy Class. The rally
involved manoeuvering the car
at high speeds (up to 120–130
km per hour) through three
different terrains – loose mud,
clay and rocky – and they were
placed third on day two in their
very first attempt at driving
in a national event. how did
they finish? Fourth overall and
awarded “Best Local Driver &
Navigator” for the Bosch K1000
Car Rally. Not bad, eh?
rajiv1906@gmail.com
It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our alumni friend, Ljuba
Pencheva hristova. Ljuba tragically lost her life in a car accident on her 24th
birthday. Graduating from UCCR earlier this summer, Ljuba was just about to
start her professional life and was looking forward to it with great enthusiasm.
She will always be present in our memories and hearts and will be remembered
for her friendly personality and bright smile. May she rest in peace.
16 December 2007 No. 42 Connection alumni news 17

FAMILY NEWS – WEDDINGS FAMILY NEWS – BABIES
07/07/07 wAS the hAppy dAy For dAriA rykovA ANd kirill
ZheltukhiN to Commit to oNe ANother For A liFetime.
Martin Kisseleff, his wife Marianne and Marga Cretton flew to Moscow
for the festivities. They were happy to meet some other alumni, friends
and family, like Anton Rykov and his lovely wife Amanda, both living
in Chicago, while Daria and Kirill live in Vancouver, Canada.
daria.rykova@ritz.edu, kirill.zheltukhin@ritz.edu
Bonita Shi married Frank Cui
on 12 May. Bonita is working
at the PricewaterhouseCoopers
Center as an Auditor.
bonita.shi@cn.pwc.com
luBNA Ali got mArried to AdNAN rAhmAN
in a beautiful ceremony attended
by family and friends from around
the world, lubna Ali got married
to Adnan rahman on 21 June 2007
at the grand hyatt Amman.
BooN low got mArried
to ireNe iN mAlAySiA oN
8 July 2007:
“Our wedding was a mix of
traditional Chinese and Western
styles. The photo shows Irene and
me with my nephew who simply
would not let me out of his sight!”
bylow33@gmail.com
“The “César Ritz” alumni who
attended our wedding were:
Isabelle Vromant; Cecilie holst and
husband Shalab Sharma; Katharina
Rutz; Barbara Kahl; Vanja Kranjec;
Margarita Sannikova; Philippe
Abou Jaoude; and Afif Salibi.
They came a week before the
wedding so we had time to catch
up and talk about the nice old days
in “César Ritz”. We showed them
around Jordan, had a good time at
several pre-wedding parties, and
of course, at the wedding. This was
preethi veNkAtrAmANi
ANd dAvid
The traditional hindu wedding
between Preethi Venkatramani
and David was celebrated in
India in August 2007.
“I am very happy to tell you
that the wedding went extremely
well and I am now back in
France. I live very close to
Geneva and am slowly settling
in with my husband.”
preethi.venkatramani@ritz.edu
emma mainwaring married
Chris Jordan on 14 July in Wales.
emmam@howes-percival.co.uk
one of the best reunions and having
my friends around meant so much
to me!”
lubna.ali@ritz.edu
After a few years in Malaysia as
General Manager of Shangri-La’s
Tanjung Aru Resort, ulf Bremer is
about to take up a new challenge as
General Manager in Taiwan.
“After having settled in Kota
Kinabalu for the past three years,
it’s now time for me to pack my bags
and move to my next assignment,
the Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza
hotel, Taipei. I am truly honoured
to have been given yet another
opportunity to move elsewhere
within the company.”
ulf.bremer@shangri-la.com
A lot has changed in the life of
Flavia Sales-holman.
“Paul and I had our first baby,
Victoria, in March this year and
we are very happy as parents!
We have also moved from DC to
England and now live in Lincoln
in the East Midlands.
I am very happy to be back in
Europe near a lot of people I know.
Tobias Schoch came for a visit and
I have also met Frederike Rostock
in London. hopefully now it will
be easier to go back to Switzerland
and visit the school.”
fsholman@gmail.com
In August we had the pleasure
of welcoming to Le Bouveret,
ulli kastner and his wife,
Claudia, and baby boy, Ben,
who was born on 13 July.
Ulli left hilton to join Accor
hotels in Munich where he
is their E-Commerce Manager
for Germany, Switzerland and
Austria responsible for all
brand websites.
ullrich.kastner@ritz.edu
Sylvia wan ying Saw:
“I am happily married to a French
hotelier and have a two and a
half-year-old son. We have just
moved to Morocco after Indonesia
and Maldives and I would
love to be in contact with some
ex-classmates from Le Bouveret
(1992–1993). As I am looking
for some new friends, who better
than ex-“César Ritz” students?”
sylviapascal_m@yahoo.co.uk
Congratulations to Julia hacker
(ex-Gruber) and her husband, who
had a baby girl, Franziska Antonia,
on 24 April 2007.
juliahacker@mac.com
denise Seet Fah montenegro (ex
Wong) is married to James and has
two children, Amber, 6 and Jett,
16 months.
“hi “César Ritz”. It’s been 15 years
already! After graduation, I returned
to Malaysia and joined the Renaissance
Malacca for 2 years in the F&B
Department. After that, I had the opportunity
to join the ‘Datai’ Langkawi
in Malaysia for a year where I also
worked in F&B. In 1996, I received
an offer to work for the hyatt Regency
Saipan and am still there today!
I started as a Supervisor in Room
Service and am now the Training
Manager. My career path has been
very exciting and challenging.”
montenegro.denise@gmail.com
Jill raub (ex-Cettie) sent news
from Everett in Washington
State where she lives with
her husband, Christopher, and
nine-year-old Spencer and
one-year-old baby twins,
Keegan and Tavish.
“I think of my year in Switzerland
all the time and the great
group of people I met in 1987.
I hope my children get to have
an experience like that someday
too. hotelconsult “César Ritz”
Colleges should be a part of
every curriculum!”
jilopher@comcast.net
18 December 2007 No. 42 Connection alumni news 19