A Special Christmas Greetings Card

the link International December 1997From Stockholm we have heardabout the recent beginnings ofAlumni Sweden thanks to theefforts of Sofia Ellhammar.The presence in town from faraway places of a few Alumni,coincided quite by chance withthe date of the meeting. Onewas just back from Singapore,one from the “Four Seasons” in(clockwise): Alexander Kirshakov-Vestersten Chicago, yet another had just(Sum ’94) Manager at the Patrick’s Bar, MadeleineBarck (Sum ’91) Sales Manager at the GrandHotel Stockholm, Jonas Kjellqvist (Sum’90) Barflown in from Los Angeles for awinter holiday, after working onboard the Crystal Cruise LinerManager at the Cadier Bar at the Grand Hotel,Helena Wittlegren (Sum’92) working as a Crew Accountant and responsible for550 employees on board the Crystal Cruisliner “Symphony”, Marika Ander(Win ’95) Reception at the Radisson SAS Strand Hotel Stockholm, SusannaDahlqvist (Sum’93) currently working as F.O. Manager at the Palace Hotel,Sofia Ellhammar (Sum’92) see article, Sofia Hjelmstedt (Win ’95) returningfrom Chicago where she was Assistant Manager at the Four Seasons, MattiasEdlund (Sum’92) Restaurant Manager.Others who wanted to be present but couldn’t make it were LindaSkanberg, Asst. G.M. at the Diplomat, Samuel Nyman, Bar Manager at theVilla Pauli and Linda Abrahamsson (Sum ’95) from Gothenborg.Scandinavia“Symphony” (rated No 1 byCondé Nast). On top of that,Alex von Pachelbel, travellingon a promotional tour for LesRoches in Scandinavia was alsoin town.Vikings have a tendencyto fly far and wide!With such a widely travelledgroup, you can imagine thatthere was a lot to talk about (asalways!) when Les RochesAlumni get together after a fewyears away from Bluche. Well,this branch of the “Les Rochesfamily” did more than its shareof talking that night! Theaccounts of their experiences athome and abroad made the timeslip by very quickly! However,all those who were present decidedthat it would be the first ofmany meetings to come. Nowplans are firmly afoot to makeAlumni Sweden a reality.EditorSofia Ellhammar (Sum’92) wasso kind as to organise the Alumniget-together in the First HotelAmaranten where she is currentlyacting as a Regional Sales Directorfor the hotel chain.After graduation she worked atthe Ritz-Carlton in Phoenix/Arizonaas an F&B Manager, thencame back to Sweden, starting asa Bar Manager in one of the firstclassrestaurants in Malmö, thenmoved to Denmark where shewas G.M. of the Prinsens Hotel,and after managing the ReservationsDept. at the Radisson SASRoyal Viking Hotel in Stockholm,she opened TGI FRIDAYSSofiain Stockholm where she continuedas the Front-of-the-HouseManager.HelsinkiHelsinki - This ‘mini’ meeting came about as the result of somelast minute phone calls. Most of our Finns work outside of Finland.(clockwise): Antti Sakari Sihvo (Win’95) takes care of the Restaurant“La Carte”, Alexander von Pachelbel (Sum ’92) MarketingDept. at Les Roches, Fanny Nylund (Sum ’95) currently doingher Masters in Accounting, and Filippa Bredenberg (Sum’92)who took over her father’s export/import company where she isnow acting as Managing Director.Among the absentees were Miina Elg (we just could not traceher) Kirsti Charlotta Nikander (Sum ’93) who opened “LaCarte” restaurant in a beautiful, old building in Borga and DavidPaajanen is at the Conference Centre at Telia Telecom in Kalmar,Sweden.Tony McInnes is now Cost Controllerat Radisson Resorts of Port Douglas,Australia. This is the largestRadisson property in the world. Hiswife Helena is the General Managerof the same resort. They were marriedin Portugal in 1992, worked atHyatt Regency Dubai for three yearsand then at the Hyatt, Canberra forone year. They have a little sonDaniel, now three years old. Tonyand Helena would like to hear fromanyone who attended LR between81989 to 1991 - both summer andwinter batches. They also hope tocontact other Australian Alumni andsend their greetings to all whoremember them.Lachlan Sleeman says he just wantedto touch base and let us knowthat he is at Stamford Plaza Adelaideas F&B Manager. He adds that if anystudents with a pertinent visa arelooking for employment in this area,they should contact him.AustraliaIn the past months we have alsoheard from Mark Parche in Woollamaloo.There was news too fromsomeone in Mt. Butler ChaletHotel in Victoria, who inadvertentlyforgot to give his name. Quiest-ce? Jospar Hanberg is atthe Regent of Sydney. BeatrizBarrenechea Moraza is F&B Coordinatorat Forum The Grace Hotelat Cherrybrook NSW. Phoebe AHarcourt is Sales Executive with TheSmall Hotel Company, Sydney.Nick Hyans, Laurence and theirlittle Elodie