Faculty

Message from Mr Buerki

IMI first opened its doors on the 30^th July 1991. 55 students were welcomed by 12 staff members. Today, as I consider the very successful development of IMI, I must admit to being very proud to have achieved such results, in spite of inevitable obstacles.

Today, these numbers have increased exponentially: 250 students every semester and 55 dedicated staff members. Yet the family atmosphere still remains and this is not a coincidence.    IMI is the only truly Swiss hospitality management institute, just as I, the owner and founder, am truly Swiss. I am still actively involved in everyday matters and my son-in-law is taking over in stages. This perpetuity and long-term planning is very beneficial to our students.

At IMI, students are trained not only in technical skills and management, but more importantly, their personalities and their soft skills are developed. This ensures life-long employability and the capacity to adapt easily in this fast changing world.

While we celebrate our history, IMI is always looking to the future. In 1997 we started our International partnerships and today thirteen such endeavours exist, allowing students to follow courses at our partner institutes and then to transfer to IMI, as part of their studies. These relationships have enabled IMI and all the partners to grow jointly and to be constantly in tune with the shifting educational and career demands of this dynamic industry.

My gratitude goes to all the stakeholders of IMI, who have contributed so much.

After twenty enthusiastic years, what keeps me motivated? Simple, whenever I meet graduates they tell me how much IMI helped them to become successful professionals and how self-confident they have become.

IMI is facing new challenges: a newly built campus will welcome 550 students in 2015 and soon we will be launching more new courses. Stay tuned! 

Teaches all Food and Beverage, and Events classes to undergraduate students at IMI.

Lectured /Spoke at AIM Academy and Ecole de Savignac  in France; Scottish Hotel School, University of Strathclyde, UK;  and Singapore Institute of Management in Singapore.
Achieved MA in Online and Distance Learning in December 2009 with the Open University, UK.
Faculty Member of Meeting Professionals International.
Food and Beverage Manager at the Aberdeen Marriott for over 2 years
Part of the opening team for the Hilton Strathclyde in Scotland
Deputy Manager and part of  the opening team for The Paris Residence, now the Champs Elysee Plaza in Paris.

Head of Food & Beverages / Head Chef and Senior Lecturers in European Culinary Arts

For the over 20 years Chef Shaun Leonard has devoted his working life and free time the hospitality industry in hotels, restaurants, associations, competitions and academic development and research, with many qualifications in food and beverage production and management chef Leonard also has achieved an MA in education to collaborate the operations of the kitchen with the functions of education. Chef Leonard has worked with small restaurants and large hotel chains in numerous European countries and has been teaching in hospitality in institutes in Scotland, Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore, Spain and Switzerland for the past 7 years.

Currently lecturing at IMI on all levels from Certificate to MBA. Major areas of expertise is tourism management, tourism policy planning & development and international business strategy.

He holds the post of senior lecturer in tourism management and marketing and he also the MBA programme director.
Has been a General Manager for 8 years, in the Hotel Byzantino Hotel (4 star city hotel) in Greece and member of the management board of Mandas S.A. Corp., www.byzantino-hotel.gr.
Was the General Manager in 2001-2002 for ETAA, Nonprofit semi public Tourism Development Organization of the region of Achaia developing among others the central tourist infocenter of Patras. 

Currently Director of Operations and Human Resources at IMI; Member of the Executive Board, Senior Lecturer in Personal Development Planning and Food and Beverage Management.

Previously, Acting Academic Director, BA Programme Leader and Head of Learning and Teaching.
Lecturer overseas with multiple visits to India, Malaysia, Singapore also Finland, USA and Thailand. Over 17 years hospitality experience in the industry including Proprietor/Managing Director, of ‘Bruernes Lock’ Restaurant, Northampton, UK and three years for Regal Hotels in Hong Kong. Publication of 'Acronyms in Action: From PAD to PA to PDP in a Swiss Hotel School Offering a UK Curriculum’ 2005, the Higher Education Academy for Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism. Publication of’ 'Delivering UK Higher Education Overseas – a case Study of Hospitality Management’ 2006, the Higher Education Academy for Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism. Consultant to ‘Bada’ restaurants. 6 months project for the development, design and opening of a contemporary and modern 60 cover restaurant, Chelmsford, UK. Member, Institute of Learning and Teaching (UK).

Head of Quality Assurance Senior Lecturer

Following MD and PG Diploma in Health Management at Saratov Medical University, Denis Kobzev completed MBA at Leeds University Business School and PhD, which was a joint research project between Heidelberg University, Germany and the Institute for Medical, Social and Economic Research of Russian Department of Health.

For the last eight years Dr. Kobzev has been involved in teaching (HRM; Operations Strategy / Management / Research; Research Methods), supervising dissertations and management roles in UK at Leeds University, Warwick Business School and Chichester University. He was also invited to contribute to management programmes development and delivery at world leading business schools: Mannheim (Germany), High School of Economics and Scolkovo Business School (Russia), Oslo (Norway) and Melbourne (Australia), as well as AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS accreditations. He is an Associate Fellow at Warwick Business School, UK, and Visiting Lecturer at Otago University Business School, New Zealand.

Denis Kobzev is the author of more than 40 academic research and industry publications, with a particular interest in health management, recreational and medical tourism. Prior joining academia Denis was working for ‘blue chip’ international companies (Procter & Gamble, Schering Plough) at senior management level. He was responsible for a broad range of business and people development projects in Europe, Middle East and Africa, as well as for R&D collaboration with leading universities (Oxford, Cranfield, Moscow) and HORECA sector and other industry partners - ASDA / Wall Mart, Aushan, Migros, IBM, Accenture, HSBC, O2, BT, ARUP

Lecturer on Information and Communication Systems and Web Strategist. Currently lecturing at IMI to Bachelor in hospitality in the topic of Information & Communication Technologies.

Supervised numerous MA theses from Grenoble Graduate School of Business students. TED x Speaker at second ever TEDx event in Switzerland on the topic of Sensory Web. Affiliate professor at Grenoble Graduate School of Business and has been evaluated outstanding professor by students in 2010 (Entrepreneurship Graduate Track).

Is an honorary member of All India Association for Educational Research

Author & member of Advisory Board for book “Business Organizations and Collaborative Web: Practices, Strategies and Patterns” by U21Global, Singapore. (July 2011). Thai TV appearance for Channel 11 – Morning talk on the topic of Creativity together with Dr. Valerie McKenzie and Dr. BK Passi. In 2004 Fast Company magazine and Seth Godin, author of the New York “Times” bestseller "Purple Cow", rewarded his Start Up company Prasena as one of the 500 companies worldwide that "Transform Business by Being Remarkable". Has been invited by corporate to talk about web-marketing (Harding Marketing in 2010) and management of change (COOP Bank 2011)

English language faculty / Currently lecturing the ‘Business, Language and Culture’ English courses at intermediate and upper-intermediate levels as well as the ‘Personal Development Planning II’ course at IMI University Centre.

Currently conducting research as part of an MA course on ‘Motivation in Language Learning’.
Previously lectured Business English and German at MODUL University, Vienna.

Research projects undertaken:
Young, C.E. (2010) Using Moodle in the teaching and learning of English. Unpublished paper. Portsmouth University – MA course.
Young, C.E. (2005) Using video papers to demonstrate teaching and learning. Unpublished paper. University of Bristol - PGCE course. 

Currently lecturing as senior lecturer at IMI to Diploma, Higher Diploma and MBA-students in the topics of finance and enterpreneurship. 

Founder, Manager and Owner of Green Card Support Service, the leading US-immigration support company in Switzerland. Fieldwork experience in Sweden, Germany, Poland, Thailand, France, Australia and Switzerland.
Several radio and TV appearances as US-immigration expert in Switzerland and Kosovo.
Consultant on numerous restaurant and hotel projects in Switzerland and abroad since 1990.

Teaching experience in in India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia on hospitality and hospitality education topics. Formerly Head of Administration at DCT Domino Carlton Tivoli Hotel Management School in Switzerland.
Having held several operational Management positions as Food & Beverage Manager in the U.K. and in Switzerland.
Took his MBA at European University in Switzerland with a thesis on National and International Accreditations for Swiss Hotel Management Schools. Member of the Glion Hotel School Alumni Association. 

F&B Lecturer Service

Lectured at B.H.M.S advanced service class Shop assistant in a wins store with daily degustation and workshops Storemanagerin at Real Meal responsible for the restaurant/take away in Zug Bachelor in Restaurant management (open Hotel management school Grävenwiesbach GER) Chef de Service Zunfthaus zur Pfistern responsible for Service and trainees

Teaches all undergraduate Accommodation Operations Management subjects, as well as Marketing at UG and PG levels

Is the Examinations Officer at IMI / Is the Language Coordinator at IMI.

Has a Master’s from the Centro di Studi Superiori sul Turismo (CST) at the University of Perugia (IT). Has 10 years international experience in hospitality management, specifically in Front of House Management (night management, reservations management and reception management).
Was part of the opening team (as reservations manager) of the London Bridge Hotel. Has 12 years experience in teaching Accommodation Operations Management subjects, Marketing and Strategy subjects and Tourism subjects to international undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Has taught to students at KIMI (India) on 2 occasions and KDU (Malaysia) students on 5 occasions. 

Visiting professor teaching research methods on MBA.

Professor Andrew Holden is a leading authority on tourism and the environment and has expertise in a wide variety of research methodologies. He has research experience in Europe and Asia, and has a particular interest in upland areas and the impact of winter sports on the environment. He has a PhD from the University of Reading and has numerous publications including his very well known Environment and Tourism (2008 Routledge).

He is a Research Institute Director at the University of Bedfordshire and he teaches research methods on the MBA in International Hospitality Management at IMI.

Visiting lecturer teaching business planning and operations

John Perry has over twenty years industry experience within the event and arts management sector, initially starting his career within the nightclub business where he became a manager of his own nightclub at the age of twenty. John has worked within both the private and public sector and managed events ranging from rock/pop concerts to cultural festivals and managed venues such as concert halls and arts centres. John gained his Masters Degree from the University of Sheffield and he is now completing a Doctorate in Education which is examining academic transitions.

At Sheffield Hallam University John is the Undergraduate Programme Leader for the Events, Food, Hospitality and Tourism Management Degrees/HND's. John is also responsible for Sheffield Hallam programmes in Hong Kong. John has a wide experience in lecturing across mainland China and also contributes to international programmes in Switzerland. At Sheffield Hallam John specialises in the arts and cultural management subject areas, such as, arts policy and the cultural/creative industries. John also leads on the final year business simulation module which develops student skills in business planning and operations. 

Kevin Gerard Mauffrey teaches e-marketing at the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL) and has a BSc in Hospitality Management from the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL). He is an active autor having co-authored papers on the importance of OTA’s in Hotel distribution and on the Revenue Management Secret for an independent hotelier. He also studied the impact of Social Media in the Hospitality Industry.

Larry Bowman has extensive senior management in industry in the hospitality and tourism sectors. He has worked in wide variety countries including India, Vietnam, the Seychelles, Emirates, Belgium and Switzerland. His BSc is from the University of Surrey and his MBA is from Henley Business School (Brunel University)

Business and Accounting degree from L'Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Lausanne. Guest lecturer at IMI University Centre

Samira has a Masters in Management in Hospitality (MMH) from renowned Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, Ithaca, New York.

IMI Alumni, successful entrepreneur and businessman.

Lecturer in Business Development and Financial Management on the occasion of company in-house trainings and at educational institutes

Member of the School Managing Board / Academic Director & Dean of Faculty

Teaching Personal Development Planning and the Impacts of Tourism.

Has written and edited 14 books and has published over 100 academic papers.
Has secured grant funding from many sources including the ESRC, British Academy, European Commission and Nuffield Foundation. Has fieldwork experience in Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Tanzania and the UK.
Has supervised 13 PhDs to completion and numerous MA theses. Formerly a Deputy Dean at the University of Chichester, a Research Institute Director at London Metropolitan University, Professor at the University of North London and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Hull. Awarded a Professorship in Tourism in 1995 and a Centenary Professor the following year at the University of North London.  Took his doctorate at the University of Oxford and a BA Hons at Queens University, Belfast. Has been interviewed over 400 times of radio and television, appearing frequently on BBC Asia Today and BBC 24 Hours.