Lifetime Learning

THE GLION EXPERIENCE EXPANDS – THE NEW ONLINE MBA

Christian Beek is the CEO of Glion Institute of Higher Education (GIHE) in Switzerland, one of the world’s top hospitality management schools. Last month, he welcomed the very first intake on GIHE’s International Hospitality Management online MBA programme.

I never miss an occasion to impress upon our students the importance of securing quality internships during their time with us. I can speak from experience.

While a student myself at Glion Institute of Higher Education (GIHE), I had the opportunity to complete an internship at the InterContinental Hamburg. Having managed not to burn the kitchen down, I was hired by InterContinental after graduation and joined the Front Office team at the InterContinental London Hyde Park.

It was the beginning of a wonderful twenty-six years with this great company, travelling from London to Washington, to Athens and finally to Amsterdam where I had the privilege of managing the Amstel InterContinental from 2000 to 2004. It was an extraordinary time despite difficult economic circumstances. Being voted one of the top fifty hotels in the world by Institutional Investor and Conde Nast Traveller as well as gaining two Michelin stars at our La Rive restaurant were great moments of pride for our team.

Back to where it started

Continuous professional development for general managers and senior staff has always been a priority for IHG, and it was during one of those ‘Senior Leadership Programs’ -- read ‘assessment’ -- that I was advised to ‘broaden my experience’. It is true we often do get so wrapped up in our business that we overlook the importance of gaining greater exposure ‘outside’ of our own busy world. So I promptly joined the Board of Governors at the International School of Amsterdam (where my three children went to school) and became Chair of the Board for the next three years.

This experience awakened my interest in education and when the opportunity arose to manage my former school – and to go back where it all began - the decision was easy. I became CEO of GIHE in August 2007.

Among the most recognised in the world

Glion Institute of Higher Education is a private Swiss university which offers undergraduate and graduate programs of up to three-and-a-half years of study. Glion is accredited at university level by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC) and offers programs in the fields of hospitality, tourism, event, sports and entertainment management. With over one hundred company recruitment visits annually to our campus in Switzerland, the opportunity to meet, exchange ideas and foster relationships with senior hiring professionals in the hospitality industry is second to none.

Swiss hospitality education is still the most recognized in the world and Glion, amongst the best of its kind, produces world citizens that exude the Glion spirit of professionalism, pro-activeness, hard work and customer orientation. This leads me to our newest innovation.

A program for committed professionals

Our new online Masters programme is extremely exciting. Like many industry professionals, I graduated with a Bachelors degree and then gradually made my career at InterContinental. I wish in our time we had had such vast possibilities to enhance our careers while maintaining a job and income. Perhaps I would have become the CEO of Glion much sooner!

One reason to launch this program came from research carried out with industry professionals. The outcome confirmed our assumption that there was a specific need for e-learning in the business. Seventy-four percent of hoteliers considering an MBA are already working in middle or senior management positions. Indeed, in an increasingly competitive hospitality and tourism industry, a growing number of these working professionals need to stand out from the crowd to climb the career ladder.

These individuals are highly committed to their profession, with forty-five percent of research respondents regularly working forty hours a week or more. Knowing how committed industry professionals are to their jobs, it’s hardly surprising that sixty-nine percent of the respondents stressed that they would prefer the degree to be delivered online, allowing them the flexibility to work whilst studying.

As you can see, our research within the industry and the focus on the needs of its professionals helped us to put in place a relevant, up-to-date MBA, fully accredited and delivered online.

We offer international programs with specializations in General Management for the Service Industries, Marketing and Innovation, and Asset and Revenue Management. There is also the possibility for a Self Designed specialisation. The curriculum balances international management theory with practical case studies, delivered by a wide range of faculty to a global student body.

A bridge and network

Even though the course is delivered online, students are still part of a vibrant student community. As an online student, you will be able to share your experiences with fellow classmates who share similar professional backgrounds and are looking to achieve the same goals: to enhance their career in the world of international hospitality. Our first cohort in August has students from 6 of the 7 continents in the world and over 60% are already in senior management positions.

As with the MBA delivered on campus, where more than ninety nationalities are represented, you will be able to build a great network of friends and colleagues throughout the world. The famous ‘Glion spirit’ is never far away. Indeed, in your virtual class of approximately twenty students, you will all be connected through different locations around the world. You will never have to set foot in Switzerland unless you want to see our famous campus. However, you will always have the opportunity to catch up when receiving your well-deserved Masters degree at the graduation ceremony.

Worth the rigour

I say ‘well deserved degree’, as it will be a challenging task. If you take part in this adventure, you need to be highly committed. In fact, you spend about eighteen hours a week studying, in addition to your daily job. However, the good thing is that you can choose the date, the time and the location. You can be on the top of a mountain, by the beach or in the office. This is higher education available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. On the whole, the program, including a major Applied Business Project, is completed in approximately two-and-a-half years.

There will be five intakes per year with the first one in August 2010. I cannot think of a better way to boost one’s career.

For more information, please visit: www.gliononline.com (online MBA) or www.glion.edu (campus based programs)