Faculty

Chef Emilien has worked for numerous Michelin-star restaurants (including Negresco, in Nice, La Rotonde in Lausanne) and five-star establishments in France and Switzerland (Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Georges V in Paris). Emilien has a CAP/BEP  from EMPT Paris in Culinary Arts and Hospitality.

Chef David Alvarez trained in French Gastronomy and Food & Beverage service in Paris. He joined the committee for the first “Mexican Gastronomic Forum as Humanity World Heritage” in 2011, a forum dedicated to introducing and showcasing Mexican cocoa beans and chocolate art abroad.

After obtaining a Diploma in Culinary and Hotel Management, Chef Francesco Versari worked in several restaurants, serving as a Sous Chef for the Lausanne Palace & Spa and the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne. He holds an M.Sc. in Food Science from Ulster University. Since 2017, he's been imparting his understanding of the inner workings of the Food & Beverage industry to César Ritz Colleges' students.

Chef Patrice Bressoud has worked in Switzerland, South America, the Caribbean, Norway, and the USA, as Head Chef and Restaurant Manager at Michelin-starred restaurants and various hotels. Trained as both a chef and a butcher, he is in charge of imparting the fundamental understanding of the art of butchering to Culinary Arts Academy students.

Chef Roland Duval has worked for more than 30 years in the industry in top restaurants all over Europe, in countries including England, Norway, Switzerland, and France. As Chef Instructor at Culinary Arts Academy, his main focus is on European cuisines.

After an internship in Les Baux de Provence, Chef Cyril Cholley has worked as a Chef de Partie in many of the most lucrative restaurants in the French and Swiss Rivieras, and in countries such as Thailand, Egypt, and the UK. He spent the last 4 years working in Zurich for a production and catering company.

Chef Rando Kauge trained Swiss Gastronomy in Switzerland before going on to work as the Saucier and Mise en Place chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant. He is passionate about sustainable living and vegetarian cuisine, and shares his knowledge of the subject with Culinary Arts Academy students in teaching the vegetarian gourmet course.

Chef Sara has a cooking diploma from ALMA (Italy) and has worked in Michelin-stared restaurants across Europe (including Il Povero Diavolo in Torriana or Osteria Lucio in Dublin) and as a private chef for celebrities such as Leonardo Di Caprio or Owen Wilson. Before joining Culinary Arts Academy, she was the Executive Chef at the Clinique de la Prairie in Montreux.

Chef Axel graduated with a diploma in culinary arts from the Lycée Hôtelier Alexandre Dumas in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France. He was a previously a Chef de Partie at the Michelin-stared application restaurant, Le Berceau des Sens at the École Hôtelière de Lausanne. Previously, he worked five years with Chef Anne-Sophie Pic at the Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne. 

Chef Chris attended Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts. He moved to Switzerland where he worked at Philippe Rochat's three Michelin-starred restaurant. After working at several other Michelin-starred restaurants in both Europe and the US, he cooked for Hollywood A-listers as an executive chef at Jack & Ben’s, a private restaurant for a top talent agency. He has won many awards, including the USA 2021 Chef of the Year.
 

Chef Yann Muriset specializes in Chocolate Arts, pastry, ice cream, confectionery, and baking. He has worked for well-known brands such as Confiserie Moret and Pâtisserie Durgnat. He has also delivered several pastry masterclasses in Sweden, Dubai, India, and Switzerland.

Chef David Müller studied the art of traditional Swiss pastry at the Confiserie Spüngli. He has worked for 19 years as a Pastry Chef in 5-star hotels and Michelin star restaurants in St. Moritz, Berlin, Paris, Chicago, Fiji. He went on to open up his own pastry shop in Mexico. A passionate and precise artisan, he is eager to pass his skills on to Culinary Arts Academy students.

Beginning his career as a Commis Chef in Restaurant Guy Savoy, Chef Christophe Messina then moved to Glasgow where, for 2 years, he developed his love for pastry at the Abode Hotel.  He went on to work as a Pastry Chef in various catering businesses. He participated in the opening of the Shangri-la Hotel, before turning to education, first at the Ritz Escoffier school, then at Culinary Arts Academy.

Chef Jeremy has a degree in hospitality from Ecole Hotêlière Savoie Léman, completed with a CAP in Chocolate and Confectionary. He has worked as pastry chef in Sweden, New Zealand, France, and Switzerland. He most recently worked as a pastry instructor at EHL's application 1 Michelin-starred restaurant, “Le Berceau des Sens”. 

Chef Hermann's career began as a professor of specialized translation after getting a PhD in Arabic literature at the University of Rennes in France.  His career took a completely different turn in 2010 when he completed a Certificat d’Aptitude Professionnelle (CAP) in bakery, then later in pastry, as well as chocolate and confectionary. After working as Assistant Head Pastry Chef at the Evian Resort in France, he worked for Maison Buet and Moutarlier, two well-reputed names on the local Swiss pastry scene.

After a successful, 20-year international career in travel, tourism, and hospitality, Dr. Apostolos Ampountolas worked as Undergraduate Programs Director at Boston University. With a PhD in Management, a PGCertHE, and a PGCert in Commercial Law, he brings years of teaching, research, and field experience to our students.

Dr. Olga Larina has over 10 years of teaching experience. She holds a PhD in World Economy and International Economic Relations from the Kyiv National Economic University, writing her thesis on the international competitiveness of regions, with a focus on the development of intellectual capital. With a strong background in economics, she teaches Strategic Hotel Management, Economics, and Public Policy.

Ms. Anastasiia Burakovskikh holds a master's degree in Wine Business from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Bourgogne, and bachelor's degrees from St. Petersburg State University in Economics and Finance and from Pierre Mendès France University. With her expertise in wine training and marketing, she teaches Wine and Food Pairing, Beverage & Mixology, Wine & Beverage Management, and Food Trends.

Ms. Aurélie Bourcart holds a PGD in Higher Education from the University of Derby and a Federal Certificate in Tourism. She specializes in Events Management and Languages. She worked as a Cabin Crew Member for Swiss Airlines before moving into sales for an Italian cruising company. Continuing to develop her skills in Virtual Event Management, she is certified as Professional by the Virtual Events Institute.

Ms. Delphine Genin joined César Ritz Colleges in 2019 as a lecturer in Business Plan, Marketing, and Ethics, before taking the position of Learning Consultant Specialist. As a business consultant and graduate of ESCP Management School, she has a deep understanding of entrepreneurship. Thanks to her expertise in neurosciences and metacognition, she brings creativity and innovation to her classes.

With 17 years of experience covering all operational roles within hospitality, Mr. Erik Pravica has a passion for the industry. Ranging from Singapore to Thailand to Switzerland, his extensive experience has given him an acute understanding of the importance of a positive attitude on the road to success. This notion has become central to each of his classes.

Originally from Birmingham, England, Ms. Beverly Gould has been living in Switzerland for 13 years. After more than 28 years in the IT and Banking industry, she changed careers to deliver lectures in Business Writing and Information Systems at César Ritz Colleges, Le Bouveret. She also teaches in private language schools in the Valais and Vaud regions of Switzerland.

After studying at the New England Culinary Institute in the USA, Ms. Loren Granger became a chef. Her career shifted from the kitchen into hygiene and sanitation, then on to Logistics and Sales with Food & Beverage companies. She has been with César Ritz Colleges since 2014 where she teaches culinary theory classes. She holds a PGD in Education from the University of Derby.

Ms. Lynda Pasmore's career in food product development and communications involved working for the British government and manufacturers of food and white goods. Moving into training and education enabled her to work in various international markets, before focusing on formal education. She holds a Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma, a Certificate in Human Nutrition, from the University of Lausanne, and a PGCE, awarded by the University of Hertfordshire. 
 

Mr. Neil German holds a Bachelor in Psychology, a Teaching Certificate in Education, a Master in Counselling Psychology, and a Psychoanalytic Diploma from the Jung Institute in Zurich. With over 35 years of education in the field of psychology, he has been lecturing at Webster University in Geneva since 2000 and at Cesar Ritz Colleges in Le Bouveret since 2004.

Ms. Sarah Gonçalves began lecturing in 2004, before being offered a position with a social department service, in which she was responsible for internal audits, team coaching, and follow-up training. In 2011, she moved to Switzerland, working as an International Program Assistant and as a lecturer. She has been teaching Language and Communication at César Ritz Colleges since 2014.

Ms. Tania Thompson holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Pretoria and a PGCE in Education from the Kingston University. With her expertise in sciences and mathematics and over 12 years of teaching experience, she teaches Sustainable Science for Hospitality, Business Mathematics for Hospitality, Quantitative Analysis for Hospitality Business, and Health & Nutrition.

Beginning her career in the field of the Philosophy of Sciences, Ms. Virginia Meza went on to study French Language and Literature, and finally Psychology at the University of Lausanne. Throughout the years, she has taught different subjects surrounding Hospitality and Culinary Arts, has coordinated student groups, and was in charge of the student theatre club.

Mr. Marco Pellegrini has extensive international experience working in food & beverage operations and management, from leading hotel brands and Michelin-stared restaurants, to family-run establishments. He holds a degree in Entrepreneurship in Hotel Management.

Dr. Andreea Antonescu has over 15 years of academic experience as researcher and lecturer in Romania, France, Switzerland, and China. She holds a PhD in Tourism Studies from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) and two master's degrees from the University of Grenoble (France). Her studies and research have been supported by public institutions and her work has been published in French and English in prestigious international journals and magazines. Outside of academia, she has worked in international settings such as the International Labour Office (UN, Geneva), and in the area of tourism and hospitality in consulting, luxury hotels and restaurants, and travel agencies.

Dr. Giuseppina Menconi holds a PhD in Computational Chemistry from the University of Durham and a master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Piemonte Orientale. She worked in investment banking in London for several years before joining Cesar Ritz Colleges. She obtained a PGCert in Higher Education from the University of Derby and is a TEDx speaker.

Born in Torino, Italy, Mr. Domenico Andrea Catanoso lived in many countries since he was 6 years old. He worked for 25 years in the Airline Catering Industry where he held several leadership positions in operations and commercial. Mr. Catanoso changed career in 2020, following his passion, and became a business and management lecturer. He holds a Bachelor degree in International Business, a Master degree in Negotiation of International Projects and a Master in Education from the Framingham State University from Massachusetts. He is a Ph.D. student in Tourism and Hospitality Management.