Faculty, SHMS Staff

Dr. Erich Steinbock has over fifty years of experience in the hospitality industry. Among the many positions he held throughout his successful career, he was General Manager at several of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company's properties and served as the Vice President of Food & Beverage. He obtained his MBA at the City University of Seattle and his PhD at Iowa State University.

Dr. David Milson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology and Classics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a Master of Science in Town Planning and Urban Design from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and a Master of Studies in Byzantine Studies and D.Phil. in Archaeology from Oxford University. Dr. Milson also founded 3DWM Design, a company providing photo-realistic imagery for the architecture, development, and marketing sectors.

Christine Barnes graduated from the City University in London with B.Sc. honors in Business Management. After obtaining her PGCert in Education, she went on to teach. While holding the position of senior lecturer at the University of Derby, she achieved her MA in Tourism Management. Christine began lecturing at SHMS in 2008 while also working as an associate lecturer with The Open University. 

Mr. Nektarios Lykopantis graduated from the University of Wolverhampton with a BA in Hospitality Management. He holds a Master in International Hospitality and Tourism Management from Cesar Ritz Colleges and a Master in Education from the University of Derby. He has worked as General Manager in luxury boutique hotels, and as Director of Food & Beverage for a Hotel Management Consulting company.

Ms. Dácil Rodriguez holds a Master in Architecture from the ETSAM (Polytechnic University of Madrid). After obtaining her PGCert in Higher Education from the University of Derby, she has been teaching and exchanging knowledge for the past 8 years. She has been involved in large-scale projects for research, planning, and design practices in developing regions.

Mr. Gilles Charlet holds an M.Sc. in International Hospitality Management and PGCert in Higher Education, both from the University of Derby. With his extensive experience in operations and project management and facilitating learning, he has successfully developed hotels, resorts, clubs, restaurants, and bars. He held executive positions with companies including Hyatt, Shangri-La, and Mandarin Oriental.

Mr. Ludovic Cosandey is an alumni of the Ecole Hôteliere de Lausanne, with a postgraduate degree in the Art of Education from University of Derby and more than 15 years’ experience in international hospitality management. A specialist in food and beverage management and in property openings, as well as a collaborator on large projects for renowned names such as Disney, Vienna Int and Club Med. 

Dr. Julie Touber has a Ph.D. in Political Economy from Columbia University in the City of New York, as well as a M.S. from the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University. She has taught at Columbia University and Sciences Po Paris before moving to Switzerland. Dr. Touber has also been involved for the past 20 years in her family Boutique Hotels Collection in France and Italy.

Nicolas Reine graduated from the Institute for Political Studies of Aix-en-Provence, majoring in International Relations, and holds an MBA from ESSEC Hospitality Management School. He has over 20 years of professional experience in market research and in the hospitality industry, having worked in various operational, management, and consulting positions. 

Mr. Robin Reid graduated from the University of Loughborough with a bachelor's degree and diploma in Industrial Studies in Business Administration. He has extensive working experience in both Sales and Finance, establishing distribution channels across the globe as an Export Sales Manager for a leading Publicly Limited Company before returning to the UK and becoming a CFO for 15 years.

Ms. Véronique Gaspard graduated from the Université de Toulouse-Le-Mirai, obtained an MBA from the University of Essex and a PGCert in Higher Education from the University of Derby. She has launched luxury brands, recruited and trained sales teams, and opened and operated points of sales. She held executive positions with luxury cosmetic companies including Estée Lauder Group and Beiersdorf La Prairie.

Mr. Philippe Gueltzer holds a Master’s in Higher Education with a focus on Curriculum Design, a BS in Hospitality Management from Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, and is a certified WSET Educator. He has over 25 years of international experience in hospitality including executive management positions and F&B operations with luxury hotels and businesses such as Sofitel, Raffles, BW, SLH, and Group Flo Asia.

Mr. Xavier de Leymarie brings his vast hospitality leadership experience in Rooms Division, Revenue, and General Management to SHMS. He has worked in various hotels including Fairmont Hotel & Resorts, for brands such as Best Western, and for his family Hotel Business in France. He is on the consultative board of Best Western France and holds an MBA and PGD in Higher Education.

With a degree in Literature and French teaching from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Spanish teaching from the University of Salamanca, and a Postgraduate Certificate (PGC) in Higher Education from the University of Derby, Ms. Claudia Gin has 18+ years of teaching experience in language education. She was a full-time pedagogical coordinator at Ecole Païdos in Lausanne. Ms. Gin specializes in scientific and applied pedagogical methods that foster creativity and meet the needs of different educational realities.

A dedicated learning & development professional for more than 20 years, Ms. Nina Fleurie initially focused on HRM & People Development for Hilton Hotels and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, among others, before transitioning to a full-time hospitality educator. She has an MBA from IMHI/Essec Business School and Cornell University, and a Bachelor of Science from Cornell. She also holds a Postgraduate Certification in Coaching & Mentoring from Oxford Brookes University, U.K.

With 25 years of experience in the kitchen, Chef Patrice Novel has worked in Michelin-star restaurants from Portugal to Switzerland, including Chat Botté and Beau Rivage Genève. Now, he provides expertise and familiarity as the former Head Chef of SHMS at Caux Palace.

After graduating from Paris with a specialized master's degree in marketing, Ms. Stephanie Hawawini joined Swiss Hotel Management School to study Food & Beverage management. She has worked internationally for the past 10 years in various positions for luxury hotels in London, Paris, New York, and Geneva, with a strong focus on events and marketing.

Combining his hospitality background with finance and business expertise, Laszlo Kele has held several directorship and chief executive positions for Swiss International Hotels & Resorts, Golf Hotel Rene Capt, 9Stars Riviera, and more. As an alumnus of a hospitality school himself, he shares valuable knowledge and experience with students. Mr. Kele is currently Senior Advisor to Accenture in Zurich.

An accomplished hospitality professional from Switzerland with extensive experience from Guest Relations to Property Management, Mr. Michael Meshulam has managed hospitality properties in Asia and Europe. He specializes in implementing modern processes and streamlining communications across departments. Mr. Meshulam teaches strategic management, data-driven decision making, and digital sales & marketing at SHMS.

Ms. Kathryn Medico is a journalist, author and lecturer from the United States. A former manager at Ritz-Carlton, she shares her experience in the hospitality industry with students. As well as having written a book on the issues of juvenile justice, 'A Perversion of Justice', she is an international conference speaker on the rights of children and a University of Derby and University of Florida graduate.

With over 30 years teaching in both the private and public sector, Dr. Lindsey Thomas has been the Director of Language Studies at Swiss Education Group and was Head of Student Services for 19 years. Dr. Thomas holds a doctorate in higher education from the University of Derby as well as a humanities degree from the University of Hertfordshire.

Ms. Ayshe Erinc began her journey in Sales and Reservations at the Crans-Montana Ski Resort and has vast experience in various hotel and HR functions. She lectured and worked in Sales and Recruitment at Vatel before joining HIM in 2021. She was awarded a BBA from Temple University specializing in Marketing and International Business and a MBA in Hotel Management.

Ms. Parveen Kader graduated from the University of Mahatma Gandhi with a bachelor's degree in Science. She holds a PGD in Higher Education from the University of Derby, and a Master in Computer Applications from the University of Bharathiar. She has a deep understanding of Content Management Systems and extensive hands-on experience in providing IT Infrastructure and Application Support.

After graduating from business school, Bruno Dard began his career in the watch industry and spent 20 years developing luxury watch brands. After eight years of strategic brand building for companies such as Frédérique Constant and Alpina Geneva, he became an executive board member at Hermès, elevating the watch division by establishing clearer product offer and a more selective distribution network.

With over 20 years of experience in hospitality management, international education, and executive leadership, Stephan Earnhart has held key positions such as Managing Director, General Manager, and Director of Operations for renowned brands like Ritz-Carlton, Hilton Worldwide, and Small Luxury Hotels. His expertise has been sought after by industry giants including Walt Disney World, Peninsula Hotels, and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Stephan has a master's in education from the University of Derby and an MBA from Rushmore University, and was previously Dean and Academic Director at SHMS.