Ray F. Iunius  

Chief Executive Officer, Winsedswiss Education Group 

Dr. Ray F. Iunius is the author of various academic and professional articles published by journals in the management of services, technology, and innovation. He is also the author of a number of books such as ”Industrie de l’accueil”, ”Hôtellerie de Luxe”, ”La gestion des spas”, “Un Hôtel, un modèle ?” in de Boeck editions and co-author of the “Lausanne Report on the future of Hospitality Industry.” 

He is the founder of the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship (EHLITE), the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (INTEHL), the Students Business Projects (SBP), the EHLITE magazine, and the Chair of Innovation Paul Dubrule. 

Dr. Iunius is also Invited Professor at the Faculty of business and Economics (HEC) of the University of Lausanne – Switzerland where he is teaching Strategic Service Operation in the Bachelor and Master programmes. He is also the founder of the Centre for Research and innovation in Services (CRIS) of HEC Lausanne. 

Ray earns a BSc, MS and PhD in Technical Sciences from the University of Transylvania Brasov and an MBA and PhD from the Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC) of the Lausanne University.  

He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Winsedswiss Education Group (World Institute of Service Education), educational group which he co-founded in 2019. 

Ray aims to help people to become leaders and companies to optimise their business processes to enhance customer experience

Jean-Claude Biver

Rejuvenator of the Blancpain and Omega brands, Former President of LVMH's watchmaking division and Shareholder of Hublot  

Jean-Claude Biver is one of those rare men who have genuinely left their mark on Swiss watchmaking. After reviving the Blancpain name, he developed Omega. In 2004, he decided to focus on the Hublot brand developing a new concept “The art of Fusion”: fusion between tradition and innovation, between the past and the future as in his words "we are not breaking with the past, on the contrary we are paying homage to it by connecting it to the future". In just a few years, he turned the name as one of the most successful watch brands. 

Today, Hublot has been chosen as “Official watch” by FIFA World Cup™, Formula 1, Ferrari, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Usain Bolt, Kobe Bryant, and the prestigious Oceanographic Museum of Monaco and Monaco Yacht Club to name just a few.

Mr. Biver was Chairman of Hublot and President of the Watches Division, LVMH Group, including Tag Heuer and Zenith. 

His passion for Education and Hospitality determined him to accept a position in our winsedswiss education group International Advisory Board. We are honored!

Elie Vannier  

Professional Board Director, serving or having served on several boards in France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Belgium, UK, US, as well as over a dozen other countries ranging from Russia to the Philippines

Alexia Muteke-Ceppi 

Senior Consultant, EHL Advisory Services 

Alexia Muteke Ceppi delivers advisory services to the education, hospitality and service sectors including, and development of learning centers, curriculum design and engineering Customer Service Excellence strategies for companies. She has a proven record of accomplishment in leading projects from inception to completion, and delivering shareholder value through change and innovation.  

Through her recent activities, she has worked with investors, governments, private sector and education institutions. Alexia Muteke Ceppi focuses on business development, training and coaching of executives within the hospitality and service industries, having designed and delivered courses in Leadership around the world. Through her projects, she has acquired extensive knowledge of working with diverse cultures including countries such as Switzerland, India, Brazil, Mexico, China, Saudi Arabia and Kenya. 

She is a founding member of Association Esthéticiennes sans frontiers, a project founded in 2007 in line with the United Nations Millennial Development Goals to assist Women to be self-reliant in Benin, Africa. The EHL Advisory Senior Consultant also supports an Orphanage in Kenya with 43 children between the ages of 3 months to 12 years old. 

Pierre Verbeke 

EHL Advisory Services, Director Hospitality Advisory Services

Pierre Verbeke has an extensive career in hotel operations, pre-openings and re-brandings. He is first and foremost an operational person having managed several hotels in Belgium and having set up many pre-opening teams in different countries. He also has gained a wealth of experience opening hotels for a large Hotel Operator in various European, North African and Eastern European countries. He is particularly at ease with project management and knows how to deliver the highest quality of service within the agreed timeframe. 

Pierre has experience with leased, managed and franchise properties and undserstands the various demands from owners, investors, and operators within the different projects. The hospitality expert is an alumnus of Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne. He speaks Dutch, German, French and English, with some notions of Spanish. 

Olivier Verschelde 

Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, Senior Consultant 

As a Senior Consultant in the Lausanne office, Olivier has extensive experience with assisting several organisations, from the luxury industry to the banking sector in establishing their service excellence DNA. As an advisor, he thrives in multicultural environments and therefore travels the world to work on projects ranging from mixed-use destination projects to private medical facilities. Prior to joining EHL advisory, Olivier has been involved in managing a number of hospitality projects with one of them being a luxury boutique hotel & spa near Paris. He has also taken the lead in the setup of several food and beverage outlets around Europe and Switzerland from conceptualization to opening. The last one being a gastronomic restaurant that obtained a one Michelin-star rating 5 months after opening. A graduate of the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, Olivier is also a Project Management Professional (PMP) certified. His is a native Dutch speaker, is fluent in English and French, and can communicate in German and Spanish.

Cynthia Cohen-Peres  

Founder, Bureau d'Image 

Trained as a fashion designer, Cynthia Cohen-Peres founded Bureau d'Image in 2005 after an experience in the prêt à porter and haute couture in Paris and New York. This experience and this sector represent the roots and the guideline of her company: the taste of beauty and the soft skills in the luxury industry. It is this DNA that she passes on daily to her teams, with enthusiasm and conviction. This culture of the detail, which is not really one in the luxury world, and this omnipresent requirement which have enabled her to be recognized today as THE point of reference for training in the luxury hospitality business. Her expertise, moreover, is regularly solicited by many media, both printed media and audiovisual. It's because Cynthia has evolved in the fashion industry and in styling agencies that create the trend that she has named her firm “Bureau d'Image” (i.e. Image firm). A firm that, too, creates the trend according to the professional image in the luxury sector. Author of “1001 secrets de mode et beauté" (1001 secrets of fashion and beauty), Editions Prat, and “Comment se faire belle en un battement de cils” (“How to be beautiful in a flutter of eyelashes”), she reinvented the grooming training. Surrounded by experienced consultants, she puts ingenuity and innovation at the heart of the action and development of Bureau d'Image: for exclusive collaborations with leading luxury houses, for the shooting of a series “Tutos Grooming”, or for the first mobile grooming training app in the luxury hospitality business. 

Michel Wozniak 

Strategic Thinking Expert, Trainer 

Fascinated by the human being and the way it functions, Michel developed his expertise in the field of strategic thinking. 

After 13 years as an intercontinental project manager in a multinational company, a project involving more than a hundred engineers all over the world and several million euros won each year, he understands very well the world of business and its challenges. 

Later, he refocused on human intelligence by getting closer to the two greatest global figures in strategy and learning. 

So, to prove that it is possible to achieve excellence through what he teaches, he was the first Frenchman to win the Bronze Medal in 2016 at the World Rapid Reading Championships in Singapore. 

He is currently: 

> Bronze medalist of the World Speed Reading Championships in Singapore (2016). 

> Professional coach recognized by the French State (RNCP level 1 - equivalent to a Master's degree). 

> Licensed trainer in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), certified by its co-creator, Dr. Richard Bandler. 

> Trainer and Trainer's trainer for Pr. Tony Buzan (the inventor of Mind Mapping), in Memory Techniques, Mind Mapping and Speed Reading. 

> Exclusive representative of Pr. Tony Buzan in Europe. 

As a former Engineer in Information Systems, he could work on some of the biggest strategic projects in the PSA Peugeot Citroen car company, as a chief worldwide project manager (recasting the HR information system and then the Worldwide Logistics information system). 

Samad Laaroussi  

Digital Marketing Director, Michel Reybier Hospitality Group 

Samad has 20 years of experience in Marketing Research, Digital Marketing and Consumer experience Insights in the academic and practical world.  

He was the founder of the « Chair of Luxury Hospitality » Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, fundraising and launching of a research initiative dedicated to digital branding, funded by Hublot watches and supported by "Swiss Deluxe Hotels". 

Horatiu Tudori 

Hospitality expert  

Horatiu Tudori was a senior faculty member of EHL. He holds a BSc in engineering from the University of Brasov and an MBA from the University of Lausanne. He has been specialising in Revenue Management since 1999 and he is currently teaching the Revenue Management course for the Bachelor and the EMBA programs at EHL.  

Professor Tudori is an expert highly appreciated by the owners of independent and small hotel chains who regularly commission him for audit and consulting projects in revenue management.  

For more than a decade, Horatiu has been acclaimed for the quality of the Revenue Management workshops he has been running for professionals in the hotel sector. These events have always been a great opportunity to exchange with rookies or senior managers, in Western and Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East.  

Radu Manolescu  

K.M.Trust Group (K.M.Trust & Partners, Key2Success, Toolz Development), Co-founder and Managing Partner 

Radu Manolescu is one of the most well-established executive search & leadership advisory pioneers in Eastern-Europe, and his work expands beyond his business. He is the initiator and President of AVE Romania   – “Asociatia Pentru Valori in Educatie” (one of the most impactful NGOs supporting education in Romania). Radu is co-founder and managing partner of K.M.Trust Group -  a premium professional services group of firms with focus on hiring – retention – development & corporate well-being  services.

Radu has a University Degree in International Economical Relations and has postgraduate studies at INSEAD, Harvard Business School, Singularity University, MIT Sloan and Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne where he was also Visiting Lecturer on Leadership.  More details about Radu’s background here.  

K.M.Trust Group includes 7 business lines in the areas of recruitment, retention, development, corporate well-being and premium HR services.

Radu Gorduza

Medical Doctor, Healthcare Business Developer & Change Leader 

Senior  executive  with  verifiable  year-after-year  success  achieving  revenue,  profit, and  business  growth  objectives  within  start-up, M&A  and  integration, turnaround, and rapid-change environments. Extensive experience withcritical business drivers in differentmarkets and health industries; highly successful in building relationships with  upper-level  decision  makers,  seizing  control  of  critical  problem  areas,  and delivering  on  customer  commitments.  Customer-focused  and  performance-driven. Speakerand panelist in business or finance events.

Marko Vukomanović Geri

Co-owner, Kafeterija & Organiser of "Heineken Lovefest" 

Ivana Vukadinovic  

Ivana Vukadinovic is an international hospitality, travel and events industry executive with over 15 years of experience in the US Europe, Middle East and Asia.  She was a key member of the pre-opening team for the first Expedia office in Cairo, Egypt and became Contracting Manager for all major international online travel agents with over 400 hotels in her portfolio.

She transitioned to the Hotel industry, first as pre-opening team for Fairmont hotels in Cairo, then as head of Events for Accor Hotels in Egypt as Director of Events, she ran the events team at the iconic Sofitel El Gezirah, one of Egypt’s most elegant and recognized properties directly on the Nile. She became Director of Events for Hyatt Hotels in India, in charge of successfully rebranding and repositioning the new event space for the Hyatt Regency, the largest hotel in New Delhi.  Currently based in Los Angeles, she is co-founder of Connect Events, an LA-based events management consulting company.

Marko Savic  

Service implementation manager, EMEA 

Anca Anton Damour

Executive Committee Member Carrefour Romania, Real Estate & Corporate Affairs Director, CSR and External Communication

Mugur Tolici 

HR Director, Banca Națională a României (BNR)

Mugur Tolici was Romania's representative at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, where he held the position of Senior Adviser to the Executive Director.
At BNR he coordinated an organizational transformation project, which resulted in the implementation of an integrated human resources system in the National Bank, in line with the best practices of central banks in Europe.

Daniel Farmache

CEO, Electrogrup Infrastructure S.A. (E-INFRA) 

Daniel Farmache holds an MBA from London Business School, with an exchange fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is licensed with First Class Honors in Banking and Finance in the UK – University of Reading, ICMA Centre, and in Law, in Bucharest – Nicolae Titulescu University. 
Currently, he is CEO of E-INFRA, a group of four companies active in various fields of infrastructure (energy, telecommunications, civil constructions, smart city) and one of the largest business groups in Romania, with international operations. The consolidated turnover of the group exceeded 100 million Euro in 2020. 
Daniel Farmache joined the company in 2018 as Deputy CEO and took over the Group CEO mandate in January 2019. He was formerly involved in IPOs and M&A deals in the investment banking division of Citigroup in London. Prior to this role, he has worked within the Romanian Citi office for top tier Romanian companies, in capital market transactions and various credit structures. In 2016-2017, as part of the technocratic government, he was an Advisor within the Prime Minister’s Chancellery and Chief of Staff of the Labor Minister. 

Milan Sudar

Hotel Manager, Bulgari Hotel London

Jan Luescher

Chief Executive Officer, A Small World Group 

Mo Islam

Vice-President, Deutsche Bank  

Stevan Rajta

Sommelier, Wine connoisseur, Lecturer, Consultant

Dan Ștefan

Entrepreneur, Co-founder, Autonom Group of Companies 

Diana Stafie

Co-founder, Strategist and Partner, future Station

Christine Schillings

Chief Executive Officer, winsedswiss România

Christine Schillings, an internationally renowned manager in the hospitality industry, with over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, holds the position of Chief Executive Officer for Romania of the Swiss educational group winsedswiss (World Institute of Service Education).

She worked in the operational sphere in hotels in France, Germany, Great Britain, as well as in Romania, where she was part of the management team that opened the Athénée Palace Hilton Hotel. She also served as Hilton Worldwide Regional Director for 16 years, coordinating a portfolio of 46 hotels in Eastern Europe, Turkey, Russia and Israel.

She led, as general manager, the Ana Hotels Romania group, and since June 2018 she has held the position of general manager of the Crowne Plaza Hotel Bucharest.

A Belgian national, she graduated from Hotel Management School in Brussels and then specialised in Asset Management, Project Management at Cornell University.

In addition to the business area, another activity in which she invests a lot of energy is professional training, being specialised in leadership courses for future managers.

Since July 2020, she holds the position of CEO of winsedswiss Romania.

Ladislau has been in the Food and Beverages business for the most part of his adult life, from being a purchaser to multinational supermarket chains, to offering advisory to health - conscious individuals as a nutritionist and physical condition's guru. The list of impressive companies is extremely lenghty, having Metro, Mega Image and Real amongst it, as well as many the other notable international corporations across the country. 

Ladislau is WSET - educated and takes wine to another level, focusing on its compatibility with food and different cuisines, presenting the pairing aspect of the two, food and wine (and / or other beverages) as being crucially important and elevating one's overall dining experience. 

Throughout his extensive travels and dining at many the Michelin - starred establishments the world over, Mr. Kristof has gained a deep - rooted understanding, and admiration, not only for the finest of dining, but for the finer aspects of life, and lifestyle, altogether. 

For the time being, Laci runs his own Bucharest - based company, Gourmet Trading, offering consultancy services to the discerning restaurateur / hotelier and the luxury gourmet / gourmand segment of the city. 

In addition, he keeps in shape by designing unique workout programs to himself and to those likeminded, he offers grooming classes for private and corporate clients, he travels extensively and works on new educational curriculums for Wine & Beverages for winsedswiss Romania. 

Zoltan Szabo

International Sommelier, Wine Consultant, VET by EHL Food and Beverage trainer

Zoltan Szabo is an international Sommelier, wine consultant and educator. 

He has done more to raise the profile of the sommelier profession than busloads of stiff, tastevin-toting wine stewards, bringing a fresh, appealing, wholly inclusive approach to sharing his enthusiasm for wine. 

Zoltan has been recognized repeatedly by his colleagues, has appeared in dozens of publications and interviews and has become the poster boy of the modern sommelier: fun, confident, highly knowledgeable and down to earth. Featured on Toronto's Citytv with numerous occasions, Fairchild Television and The Food Network, he has also appeared in CBC's highly successful documentary, "Wine Confidential" along with wine personality Robert M. Parker Jr., actor - winery proprietor Dan Aykroyd and others of same stature. 

Professionally, Zoltan has created and oversees many award winning wine programs for some of the finest restaurants in Toronto, Shanghai, Bucharest and Budapest, he has also worked as guest Sommelier in Miami, Nassau, Hong Kong, Fogo Island and Sydney throughout the years, his successful activities garnering accolades from the local and international media. 

Member of the Wine Writers' Circle of Canada, he contributes with articles and tasting notes to a variety of prominent publications and organizations. Wine Business International Magazine has made a reference about Zoltan Szabo as being one of the most influential Sommelier and wine professional in Canada in "Who's who in Canada" article. Today, Zoltan educates, consults with restaurants, judges nationally and internationally, and speaks at wine-soaked events. For more info, availability and full list of services offered please contact us directly.

Radu Szekely

State Secretary at the Romanian Minister of Education, Co-founder ERI Finnish School Sibiu 

Alain Najar

Senior Lecturer at the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne 

Alain Najar, EHL graduate, Master in Business Administration from BSL (Business School Lausanne - Switzerland), HES certified trainer, CHE trainer, is a professor at the EHL Business Hospitality School – Switzerland (1992 – 2022) and received for the year 2017 -2018 the prize for the best teacher of the year.

Currently, at the head of his company Najar Hospitality Consulting, he shares his knowledge at the EHL Business Hospitality School as a visiting professor. He teaches subjects related to Food and Beverage Management, Cost Control, and Service Quality & Design.

Also, for several semesters, among other things, Alain Najar has been giving marketing courses remotely to students at the Institute of Tourism in Guilin - China (certified by EHL Business Hospitality School).

Alain Najar has anchored his professional experience for 13 years in five-star hotels chains, notably in Kuwait, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Madagascar, Syria, Egypt. But also throughout various professional seminars in continuing education in many countries worldwide for 30 years. He also participated in the opening of La Sagesse University – Faculty of Hospitality Management – Lebanon (certified by EHL).

His areas of expertise are management in a broad sense, focusing on hotel and restaurant management. In recent years Alain Najar has specialized in areas related to Quality and Customer Experience – CX,  and Marketing.

He is a certifier of the EFQM model (European Foundation for Quality Management). He was a member of the SAQ (Swiss Quality Assurance) and the FCSI (Food Service Consultant International).

Yateendra Sinh 

Principal - YS and Associates Sàrl, Switzerland

Yateendra is an experienced strategist, advisor and coach for the hospitality, tourism, education and services related industries. He believes that the true value of an enterprise is developed through connecting the finer details and human emotions to a macro vision and concept. Having travelled and worked in 50+ countries in the last 3 decades, he is at ease in different environments and understands the art of building strong relationships with clients and client organisations. 

As part of his formative years, he has been the CEO of a global consulting and training firm, Lausanne Hospitality Consulting; which he created and led for a good part of the last two decades and prior to that he has developed and managed hotels, clubs, townships, office complexes – many different types of service experiences and related real estate. 

Yateendra is an Indian national, is keen on his family values and an avid sports fan. Combining his personal and professional aspirations, he is always interested in supporting and guiding his clients towards creating strategy and organisations which are values based and long-term legacy oriented. 

Some of the brands which Yateendra has been involved with are – Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula, Swissôtel, Aman, Dusit, Nespresso, Mercedes Benz, Audi, Pernod Ricard.