Shantel
Glion Institute of Higher Education is proud to announce that new high-profile members are joining the Governing Board of the prestigious institution.
The Governing Board of Glion Institute of Higher Education presides over the institution’s strategy and its ongoing commitment towards excellence. Its objectives include ensuring the institution’s integrity and caliber of the curriculum it offers, reviewing major changes in the curriculum, endorsing strategic planning, and analyzing financial data and performance. The Board meets three to four times annually to review the aforementioned subject matters. It has nine members in total, including independent chairperson and members and Sommet Education representatives.
The institution will be able as of now to be inspired by:
Fabienne Lupo, past Chairwoman of the Foundation de la Haute Horlogerie and Executive Director of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship. Seasoned leader in the luxury industry, she is a woman of conviction and mission who has built large-scale, meaningful organizations and projects in luxury goods (fine watchmaking, jewelry, craftsmanship, art and culture), uniting teams and energies around ambitious, useful, and concrete visions: organization of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie and its transformation into Watches & Wonders, Internationalization with Watches & Wonders Hong Kong, Miami, Shanghai and Sanya, its digitalization with the pandemic in 2020. She created the first Biennale of Métiers d’art in Venice in 2028, named Homo Faber, building its international network and producing the Homo Faber Guide gathering all the best artisans in Europe. She is also at the origin of the creation and development of the FHH Academy, Forum de la Haute Horlogerie in partnership with WEF and IMD, cultural and thematic exhibitions in the world, publications of magazines, books, etc. Fabienne is the founder and CEO of ReLuxury, the first event dedicated to pre-owned Luxury and collectible goods as well as to circular economy initiatives in Luxury (upcycling, recycling, repairing, blockchain, etc). Next edition of ReLuxury will take place in November 2023. She is also the founder and CEO of Luxpo, her own company to accompany and advise luxury brands and organizations in their strategy, communication, customers experience and organization of events and exhibitions.
Fabienne, who will join the Glion Board as of next June, said: “Luxury and hospitality share the same values and codes: the passion for what is good and beautiful. Today, luxury brands want to provide unique and true experiences to their clients, building communities with hospitality programs has become crucial. Joining Glion, worldwide reference in hospitality, means contributing to facilitating this unique dialogue.”
Alexis de la Palme is an experienced and results-driven Chief Executive Officer with over 25 years of experience in the hotel industry. He holds an Executive MBA from HEC business school and a diploma from Glion, Switzerland (Hotel Management) and is also a former auditor of the IHEDN (Institut des hautes études de Défense Nationale // French Defense College). After nearly 14 years with the Accor group, notably as Worldwide Sales V.P, V.P Sales and Marketing for the Middle East and Africa, then as Sr. Vice President – Hotel Development Accor Europe, he joined the Edmond de Rothschild Heritage group in June 2015 as Chairman of the Management Board. Under his leadership, each of the different family businesses (wine, hospitality, agriculture, cheese, gastronomy and other assets) is developing in line with the group’s social and environmental commitments, keeping always with the family’s strong values: entrepreneurship, boldness and transmission.
In June 2014, Alexis was appointed Chevalier dans l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur. He is also a Reserve Officer in the National Gendarmerie this for more than 15 years (currently as Colonel at the cabinet of the head of the French Gendarmerie).
Alexis said: “After 35 years, as a former student, I am happy to find Glion again as member of the Governing Board in order to accompany and help to spread the international influence of one of the best hotel management schools in the world.”
Alexis will be appointed in October to take over from Dr. Robert A. Spencer, Ph.D., who had fulfilled his responsibility with utmost capacity for 18 years. The institution is deeply thankful for his contribution which has primarily been on academic and accreditation matters. He has notably overseen the development of the current curriculum and evolution of the student services department.
Pierre Tapie built his career holding together academic and economic universes. He graduated as an Engineer from Ecole Polytechnique (Paris, 1980), a PhD in Biophysics (University Paris-Saclay, 1984) and an MBA (INSEAD, 1990). After 10 years as a scientist at SANOFI, he was Dean of Purpan Graduate School of Engineering for 11 years, then Dean and President of ESSEC Business School, leading its global outreach. In 2013 he created Paxter, a consulting firm focused on academic institutional strategy and pedagogical engineering, serving universities, governments and companies worldwide. He is an active Business Angel in biological, medical and educational technologies. Among volunteering services, he was chairman of Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI, 2008-2011), Board member of AACSB (2006-09), and Chairman (2009-13) of Conférence des Grandes Ecoles, a main body representing academic civil society towards government in France. Currently, he is the chairman of VersLeHaut, the first French think tank dedicated to youth and education. Pierre will join the Board as of next June.
“Devoted to extreme quality in teaching, learning and practicing, Glion has progressively gained the status of Excellence in Hospitality Education,” Pierre said. “I am in admiration of the accomplishments and will do my best to participate to future milestones. The state of the world requires wise and entrepreneurial young people to invent the future. Rooted in Swiss, Glion has a competitive advantage to prepare them.”
Pierre Salles, Chairman of the Governing Board of Glion and Owner and Co-founder of HES Hotels & Management Co., states on this occasion: “I am very happy to welcome so unique talents. Their experiences and expertise combined together are incredible assets for the future developments of the Institution.”
About Glion Institute of Higher Education
Founded in 1962, Glion Institute of Higher Education is a Swiss institution offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees in hospitality, luxury and finance to an international student body across three campuses in Switzerland and London, UK.
Glion is ranked among the world’s top five higher education institutions for hospitality and leisure management since its entry in the ranking in 2018. (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023).
Part of Sommet Education, worldwide leader in hospitality education, Glion is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
For more information, visit glion.edu
