Success Story *Sami Bentahila

Sami Bentahila, UK and Morocco

Diploma in Culinary Arts 2012, BA in International Food and Beverage Management 2015

Now working as chef-de-partie at Barnsley House Hotel and Spa in the Cotswolds, England

My name is Sami Bentahila. I started out studying hospitality management in Switzerland, but after doing an internship in kitchen in Brussels, I realized that culinary arts was what I really wanted to do. The Swiss university did not offer a speciality in this, so I moved to Alpine Center and I never regretted it.  What was good was that at the same time we did lots of practical work and also the background subjects needed for management. The place is not too big, very friendly, and of course in a great location.  I learned so much, but at the same time had lots of fun and made many good friends. The internships I did in Mykonos and Antwerp were a great chance to see different places and work in different environments.

Since leaving Alpine I have worked in several fine dining restaurants in France and the UK. At present I am at Barnsley House Hotel and Spa in the Cotswolds, England. It was selected by Condé Nast as one of their 100 top hotels in the world in 2016.  The hotel has a huge garden producing all the fruit, veg, herbs, etc for the restaurant, so I have really learned the value of seasonal local ingredients.  The work is very tough,with long hours and a lot of stress, but I get so much satisfaction when I know I have created a really good dish, especially when customers send their compliments. It also keeps you very fit! 

You need patience, stamina and determination for this career, but if this is your thing, you will just keep going pursuing your dream… If this kind of work appeals to you, Alpine Center is a good place to start!

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Success Story * Konstantinos Kyriazis

Konstantinos Kyriazis,  

Alpine for Hotel and Tourism management studies
IHTTI School of Hotel Management Basel
F & B Management, Culinary arts, Food science and nutrition, with Honors, 1994 – 1998 
Operations Manager - Caffe Nero Cyprus

 

 

 Career Path

* 1996 Culinary arts graduation (8,8/10 with honours).
* Two summer seasons trainee cook Athens Hilton and Athens Ledra Marriott hotels.
* Ygia private hospital (working as a Chef and lecturer to the obesity and metabolism center) - 1 year.
* Carlson restaurants worldwide - TGI Fridays Hellas (working as a cook, new store opener, team leader, Assist. quality manager, Quality manager, Assist. training director, Store general manager, HACCP project manager, Area manager) - 8 years, managing more than 70 employees and 6 managers.
* Accor - Sofitel Athens airport (working as Bar manager, Restaurant manager, Hotel duty manager) - 2 years.
* PAUL (working as production manager - responsible for the brand growth in Greece) - 1 year.
* Starbucks Hellas (working as a store general manager) - 2 years.
* PHC franchised restaurants ltd (working as Operations manager for Caffe Nero brand, Cool bar and PAUL Cyprus) - almost 3 years till now.

Highlights of trainings and seminars: * Accor training in France.
* Managing others global seminar Oslo, Norway.
* Leadership training and best general manager award, Las Vegas - Nevada - USA.
* Restaurant management essentials training New Jersey and Dallas - USA.
* PAUL training - Lille - France.
* Caffe nero training - U.K.

Awards :
* Accor challenge competition 1 st place among 8 countries - France.
* Best general manager of the year 2006 - Las Vegas.
* Gold star recognition for being team player.
* Gold star recognition for improving bottom line margins and profit.

 

Testimonial

Alpine Center is not just another School, it is more like a big family built on and driven by passion, love, and teamwork among the faculty and staff and instilled in all the students.

I enrolled on the Culinary Arts programme of study at Alpine Center and although my career started in the kitchen my ambitions were high and I wanted to grow into more senior managerial positions in Food & Beverage. Thanks to the continued support of Alpine I was able to reach my goal and achieve the Food & Beverage Operations Manager position that I am very happy to be in now.

I strongly encourage all students interested in a serious career in the vast and global hospitality and food and beverage industry to think of Alpine Center’s Swiss programmes of study that will prepare you to succeed and much more! 

  

Willingness  to learn, love for what you do, passion, motivation and determination to succeed no matter what, are some of the qualifications you need to bring along and magic will happen.

Always remember, as one of my favourite quote says : “Some people want it to happen. Some people wish it would happen. Others make it happen”.

"Kostas was an exemplary student at Alpine Center and continues to be an exemplary alumnus, always keeping in touch with his alma mater and informing us of his career moves!! Ambitious, goal oriented with a positive outlook, excellent customer services skills plus a commitment to lifelong learning make Kostas a very successful professional that makes us very proud!"

Sybil Hofmann
President, Alpine Center, 

the Swiss Business School for Hotel & Tourism Management Education, Switzerland

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Testimonial * Joseph Chalfoun

Joseph Chalfoun, Swiss Diploma in Hotel Management, BA(Hons) International Hospitality & Tourism Management, Master’s in International Hospitality & Tourism Leadership (2005)


Head of Operations - Middle East & Greece, Food Fund International, UAE

'In 2002, 

I walked into Alpine, 

a young student hungry for knowledge. 

In 2005, 

I left with so much more 

than simply having my hunger satisfied'.

 

I graduated first with a Swiss Diploma in Hotel Management, then a year later with a BA(Hons) International Hospitality & Tourism Management, and finally, 12 months later with a Master’s in International Hospitality & Tourism Leadership.  

During my years at Alpine I had the opportunity to put into practice what I learned and to practice the leadership skills I acquired.  As a result I served as the President of the Alumni Association.  I also had the great fortune of doing my internship in 5 star establishments that paved the way to the career opportunities I received upon graduation.  

In a few years, Alpine has shaped the way I think and the way I regard the hospitality industry. It has instilled in me the right values and disciplines I needed to get me from one success to another. The passion and dedication the faculty showed me and my fellow students, taught us to regard each and every day as a chance to make a difference in the lives of people we meet. And that in itself is the essence of our industry. 

In my current position, now, I attend Alpine’s Annual Career Day, to recruit student trainees and graduates for our thriving company, just because I know those students and graduates have been trained the same way I have been, trained and educated to succeed and make a difference!

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Testimonial * Erikos Kranidiotis

Erikos Kranidiotis, Hotel Management (1998)

Expert Solution Consultant, Misys

"I truly believe the skills and knowledge I gained at Alpine set the foundations for my future development".

After graduating from Alpine in 1998 I completed a Bachelors Degree in Hospitality Management and a Masters Degree in International Business Administration from Bournemouth University in the UK. I worked for five years in JP Morgan Bank in the Investment Banking Operations division. There I worked in several different departments including a Team Leader role for the Client Operations team.

I returned to Greece to complete my Military service and worked for a year at Mytilineos Holdings in the Treasury department. For the past seven and a half years I work for Misys as an Expert Solution Consultant providing Banking software solutions in the Treasury & Capital Markets sector. Both project and support related activities for our clients who are major banks in Greece and around the world. In my free time I enjoy Scuba Diving and I am a Divemaster with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors.

 

Although my career path changed after I graduated from University, I truly believe the skills and knowledge I gained at Alpine set the foundations for my future development. Helping me achieve my goals and being able to collaborate cross functionally with people from different cultures and backgrounds. What we do in most jobs is offer services, both to our clients externally and to our colleagues internally. There is no better way to learn the Service Industries than at Alpine.

Company I work for:

Since 1979 Misys provides financial services software to more than 2000 customers across 130 countries in Retail Banking, Treasury & Capital Markets, Enterprise Risk, Buy-Side, Lending, Corporate Banking, Investment Management, Financial Software, Transaction Banking, and Risk Management. Used by some of the world’s leading global financial institutions, including 47 of the world’s 50 largest banks.

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Testimonial * Lena Charitou

Lena Charitou, Graduate Travel & Tourism Management (1999)

Pilot Ground Training Support Officer for Etihad Airways 

 



'Alpine is one of the best choices I have made in my life!'

At the young age of 19 when I graduated from Alpine Center with a Swiss Diploma in Travel & Tourism Management, I was very confident and eager to succeed in this lovely field of Tourism & Aviation.  Now, 16 years later, I am thrilled to recount my success story which includes 13 years working for Air France & Air France-KLM, 2 years working as a Sales Executive for  Falcon Aviation Services, since January 2014 when I moved to Abu Dhabi, and currently, still living in Abu Dhabi, I hold the exciting position of Pilot Ground Training Support Officer for Etihad, one of the world's top leading airlines, I can guarantee that this is not just my opinion but a fact.

 

Alpine Center gave me the foundation for a global career in the travel and tourism industry, equipped me with numerous skills to work in multicultural environments, and above all instilled in me a professional attitude that is a must to succeed in this industry, coupled with a commitment to lifelong learning! 

I am ever so grateful to my tutors and the leadership of the Alpine Center for having provided me with everything I needed to achieve my career goals.  

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Success Story * Andreas Romanos

Andreas Romanos, Hotel Operations
General Manager, La Maison Ottomane
Parodos Kanevarou 32, 73100 Chania, Crete, Greece

'my Alpine training had provided me with the confidence that I had learned from the best, the respect of our clients that they had instilled in us and the motivation to excel that went with all that'.

After a career in Business (mainly as a General Manager for Western organisations in Russia) I decided in 2011 to convert an old Venetian House in Chania, Crete into a small hotel and then run it. 

Knowing next to nothing about the hotel industry, except as a frequent user, it seemed prudent to at least learn how to make a bed or serve a meal while giving utmost customer service; and so I ended up at Alpine Centre on their Hotel Operations Programme (and also attending a few executive courses from the Masters' Programme).

Two and a half years later, a little over a year after opening, and la Maison Ottomane is rated by TripAdvisor as the best hotel in Chania and the best in Chania province, 1st of 453.  We are happy and busy.

Clearly in a small hotel (for now we only have 3 suites) the personality of the staff and design/decoration of the premises are of great importance in delighting guests, but the debt owed to Alpine Centre for helping us achieve operational excellence cannot be underestimated.

Like any business, a hotel of any size needs rules and systems and in view of the immediate transparency of failings as well as strengths which comes with online social media, there is no way a hotel can afford to make these up as they go along.

This is where Alpine excelled - in teaching you up front, effectively, how to take a booking, how to serve a breakfast, how to handle an overbooking, a no-show, an allergy, how best to clean a bed, how to get hairs off the bathroom floor, what are the pros and cons of a property management system, when do you serve from the right or left, how do you make a bechamel sauce.....

And what most impressed me about the teaching, what gave it credibility, immediacy and gained our respect and interest as future hotel professionals, was that we were being taught by actual hotel professionals - people who, once the season started again in a few weeks' time, would be putting on their aprons or bow ties and be out there at the hard end, delivering excellence and, in doing so, refreshing and increasing their ability to pass their experience onto the next round of students.

Perhaps Alpine's most impressive achievement is finding people who can work effectively both in a service environment and also as teachers. 

In any case, when we opened our doors to our public, my Alpine training had provided me with the confidence that I had learned from the best, the respect of our clients that they had instilled in us and the motivation to excel that went with all that.  And I can make a bed.

Impressed, grateful, delighted to recommend without reservation.

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Success Story * Polina Sepirjova

THE SKY IS NOT EXACTLY THE LIMIT . . .

A graduate of Alpine Center & City Unity College tells us how exciting her career has been during and after graduation!! 

Polina Sepirijova, Latvia, Graduate of 2013
Hotel Management Diploma, BA (Hons) International Hospitality & Tourism Management

My name is Polina Sepirjova and I am a graduate of Alpine Centre & City Unity College, year 2013.  I hold two qualifications:  A Swiss Diploma in Hotel Management from Alpine Center and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Let me share my story with you…

My first taste of working in the industry came as a first internship in my first year of studies at the reputable Sani Hotels in Chalkidiki where I was a Receptionist.  The first six month of my studies coupled with this internship changed me completely, from a very shy and quite person to a confident and vibrant person, open-minded and patient, responsible and ambitious.  My second internship started at Burj Al Arab, one of the most luxurious hotels in the world,  where I was employed as a  Guest Services Executive, and after just 8 month was promoted to another position – Rooms Controller. This experience is unforgettable. I met many celebrities, shook hands with the President of America, accommodated many Royal Families, and much more. Sounds good? That was just the beginning! My sense of adventure took me further and for the next two years  I was employed by another huge company in UAE, the Emirates Airlines. I travelled as a  Cabin Crew all over the world and my office was the whole sky. My dream came true! I was in Paris and saw Eiffel Tower, went to the biggest casino in Monte Carlo, climbed the Chinas Great Wall, went to New York City on top of Empire State building, had a walk in Walk of fame in Los Angeles, touched penguins in Cape Town, did bungee jumping in New Zeeland, even tried costume of samba dancers in Rio de Janeiro…among many other exciting things! This whole journey of adventure taught me how to love life, live without any regrets, how to enjoy the moment!

After this wonderful wor-adventure I decided to return to land!  And so what do I do now? I am working in the artsy Armani Caffè in Dubai as an Assistant Food & Beverage Manager and enjoying the responsibility as well as this new experience, as  I am wait to see what life has next in store for me!

And in closing, I wish every new Alpiner embarking on his or her studies at Alpine Center a most rewarding journey. I can assure you that you will be in good very good and caring hands, professionals who are committed to your success.  You will see that doors will be wide open for you in the global hospitality industry!   Study, enjoy, dream, as your dreams can actually come true!  

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Success story *Emil Götsch

Emil Götsch

Hospitality and Tourism Management at Alpine Center (2006)

Managing Director/Senior HR Consultant of Götsch Consulting

Emil Götsch was born in 1979 in Switzerland. Raised in India, Egypt, England, Greece, France and Switzerland, he speaks English, German fluently, and very good Greek.
His outstanding résumé in combination with his exceptional personality have been the keys to his professional success. Alpine Center is very proud to present the alumni accomplishments from around the world.

Emil's Career Synopsis:

• Facilitated delivery of business results in partnership with the CEOs   & business heads by designing and implementing HR strategies, Policies & Processes in alignment with the Organisation vision and strategy rather than simply doing a succession of add-ons and revisions.
• Managed the process of change in terms of both organisation thinking and helping employees adapt themselves to the change in business environment and consequently in organisation systems and policies
• Helped the organisation acquire, develop and retain talent by working on foolproofing their recruitment process, effective learning and development strategies and retention and motivation plans

Dissertation:

(HRM) A Critical Evaluation of Motivation and Front-Line Employee Productivity: A Case Study of the Zurich Marriott Hotel in Switzerland.
University of Wales (UWC) Cardiff, United Kingdom
Single Degree Program: Fast Track Academic Program 2007 (3 Years)

Education:

2004 - 2008
Major / Specialisation: International Hospitality & Tourism Management
BA Degree, Bachelor of Arts (Graduated with Honours)

• Valedictorian Class 2007 (Honours)
• Athenaeum InterContinental Outstanding Leadership Award.
• Personal and Professional Excellence in Hotel Management Award.
• Highest Average Integrated Project Group Award.

2004 - 2006
Alpine Center, The Swiss Business School Athens, Greece
Diploma Program: Fast Track Academic Program 2006  (2 Years)
Major / Specialisation: Hospitality and Tourism Management
Hospitality and Tourism Management Diploma (Honours)

• Student Council President (2005-2007)
• Dean’s List for Academic Excellence
• Alpine Center Chief Editor AlpViews (2006-2007)
• 20th Anniversary Edition

Experience:

Götsch Consulting Zurich, Switzerland
Managing Director / Senior Human Resources Consultant

Key features of the job and key achievements

• Support the development of future leaders for the organization via enhanced ability for strategic thinking, providing vision and direction.
• Accelerating change, intellectual honest, integrity motivating and energizing people, teamwork, and partnering, influencing, valuing all people, and developing people.
• Support and facilitate the creation of an organizational culture that values learning, creativity, and continuous improvement.
• Making fundamental changes to performance and behaviour
• Developed strategies and framework for Organizational Change in corporate culture.

HR Consulting Firm Zurich, Switzerland
Deputy Branch Manager and Senior HR Consultant
(*Assisted in the opening of the HR Consultancy in Zurich)
(*Awarded Company Scholarship for further Studies)

Key features of the job and key achievements

• Managed 30 restaurants in providing the full spectrum of Human Resource Management services to a workforce of employees across Switzerland.
• Partnered with senior management to establish and communicate corporate mission statement and reach management objectives.
• Lead HR related projects and ensure business practices are in
• accordance with human resource policies and labour laws.
• Advice restaurants on best human capital Management practices
• and strategically assisting clients integrate effective HR processes
• Provide advice on discipline process; conduct disciplinary review and advice on appropriate outcomes.
• Provide consultation and guidance to senior management and organizational partners in the interpretation of human resources management policies, procedures, programs and application of related government laws and regulations.

Emil's Testimonial for Alpine Center

"My utmost gratitude goes to the entire Alpine community for guiding me on my journey of self discovery, allowing me to have been part of such a dynamic and professional group of individuals, and to have received a first-class education at the same time. Little did I know the business plan I had carefully created and manifested in my mind during my time at Alpine, would become my reality I am living today a successful Human Resources Management consulting firm in my hometown of Zurich, Switzerland. Thank you Alpine."

Emil Götsch with Eric Hofmann, President-Alpine Center Switzerland

Emil presents his Consulting Company

My name is Emil Götsch, Managing Director / Senior HR Consultant of  Götsch Consulting in Zurich, Switzerland. Our International HRM consulting firm specializes and caters to private clients and corporations world wide to reach their full individual potential achieving business results, reducing high employee turnover rate and keeping our clients most valuable asset, their Employees happy and motivated.  Welcome to our passion and services:

→ Entry Coaching
→ Professional Coaching
→ Executive Coaching
→ Bulletproof Resume Coaching
→ Career Workshops

Götsch Consulting
World Trade Center
Leutschenbachstr. 95
8050 Zurich, Switzerland

Phone +41(0)43 300 96 02
Mobile +41(0)79 173 84 82
Fax     +41(0)44 308 35 00
Skype:  goetschconsulting
emil@goetschconsulting.com
www.goetsch-consulting.com