Chief Academic Officer Emanuel Donhauser: On Academics, Operations and Long Beards

Without question, his interesting and varied professional career and education have helped shape his approach and vision for the Swiss Education Group. We sat down with him to learn more!

Can you tell us more about your beginnings in hospitality and education?

Growing up in Germany, I followed an apprenticeship programme where I learned the hospitality business by working and studying in a hotel. I definitely wasn’t a scholar in my early days and was very much focused on the operational side of the business.

What made you return to school and pursue academia?

In 1990, I lived in Australia and applied for a number of supervisory roles in hotels. The first thing I was asked during every single interview was where is my degree? At the time I thought my vocational education was sufficient, but it became clear to me that I wouldn’t be considered for the roles I was interested in without a university degree. So, with my background in languages, I decided to return to Europe, and to enroll in a Translation and Linguistics Programme. Between now and then, I went on to complete a Cordon Bleu Master of Arts in Gastronomy from Adelaide University in Australia. So it is true to say my perspective completely changed with that balance between both vocation and academia. Which is the reason why I am a strong supporter of this combination today.

What career path led you to the Swiss Education Group?

When working for the Wall Street School of English I found myself at the beautiful SHMS Caux Palace for a meeting. Prepared to discuss a tie-in with Wall Street’s English language courses, I ended up talking for hours with the Academic Director. By the end of the conversation he had offered me the position of Academic Dean!

What was your gut reaction to the offer?

I loved the idea! But I was certain that I would be required to grow a very long beard! The image I had of a dean was more that of a Professor Dumbledore. But as it turns out I was wrong. The Director was quick to explain that all of the other candidates already had long beards and what he was looking for was someone who could combine academics with operations knowledge. That was the start of my 12 years with the Swiss Education Group.

How has the Swiss Education Group’s approach to education grown and changed under your leadership?

The origin of Swiss Hospitality Management education is the vocational approach. Today’s educational approach from the Swiss Education Group is to give our students the best of both worlds – an international degree alongside applied skills that will prepare them for a career after graduation. It is important for us that we keep the original Swiss vocational backbone in our schools but blend it with relevant academic theory that encourages innovation and creativity. We firmly believe that we need both to build strong leaders prepared for cross-functional roles in the industry.

What are some examples of success in your career with the Swiss Education Group?

Swiss Education Group qualifications are accepted and accredited around the world. I believe in accreditation as a credibility builder that verifies quality assurance to parents, companies and to the students themselves. Since our student body is made up of an international population, it is extremely important that we provide our graduating students with international qualifications, and that our programmes are recognised by the industry, not just in Switzerland but all around the world.

Within the last 3 years I have received 3 different high-profile awards from industry in Europe, USA, and Australasia. These awards demonstrate what Swiss Education Group has established and how strongly industry expectations are interwoven with what we are teaching across our schools.

What does the future hold for the Swiss Education Group?

From the feedback we have been receiving it is evident that our approach to hospitality education yields graduates who are highly sought after by the wider service industry. Parents and sponsors have found that our educational model gives them a strong return on their investment.

When I started in 2003, we had two campuses and around 1000 students. Today, we educate around 6500 students per annum on 7 campuses, and host the largest hospitality recruitment forum in the world. With this track record in mind, it is important to continue to invest in new ideas, as our educational approach lends itself to being expanded further.