On May 12, 2017, Glion Institute of Higher Education welcomed five leaders of their respective industries to share their success stories with students. The objective of this student-led event was to provide access to all Glion students to engage with accomplished and experienced leaders. Speaker events are an integral part of Glion’s teaching model, which combines academic rigor with practical courses and direct exposure with experts in the luxury and service sectors.
First industry networking event organized by Glion students
From left: John Ed Schofield, Lecturer at GIHE; Robert Salmon, former vice-president L’Oréal; and Marcus Siggelow, graduating student at GIHE
Speaker events are an integral part of Glion’s teaching model which combines academic rigor with practical courses and direct exposure with experts in the luxury and service sectors. However, this was the first time that such an event was organized by students as a part of the newly founded Networking Committee whose aim is to promote networking opportunities for students.
“Our Committee was founded upon our realization that there is no leader without a team, and our team wishes to help build tomorrow’s industry leaders by bringing them face to face with the leaders of today.” Said Parham ZaimZadeh Founder and President of Glion’s Networking Committee.
Leaders from several highly respected brands answered the call of the organizing committee and happily shared their experience and valuable insights with the Glion student body, including:
- Bruno Pavlovsky – President of Fashion, Chanel
- Nathalie Franson Pavlovsky – CEO and founder, NPF Consulting Group
- Pascal Bouye – Vice President Supply Chain Asia Pacific, Middle East, North Africa at Mars Incorporated
- Liborio Stellino – Ambassador of Italy, United Arab Emirates
- Robert Salmon – Former Worldwide Vice President, L’Oréal
In a developing society where creativity and innovation play a dominant role in the shaping of an individual’s career, the speakers identified patience as being a key factor in the pathway to success. In essence, the speakers depicted reality as unpredictable and sometimes even undesirable. More specifically, Bruno Pavlovsky placed a strong emphasis on the importance of not only having an operational background, but also being efficient at paying attention to detail in the luxury industries. However, despite soft and hard skills being determining factors in the recruitment process, Liberio Stellino and Pascal Bouye revealed the need for students to select a company which will best satisfy and respond to their needs and desires.
This conference reinforces the school’s positioning in the world of luxury. In fact, Glion was the first hotel management school to offer a specialization in luxury brand management at bachelor level in order to meet a growing demand for luxury professionals. Direct access to leading industry experts, their experience and vision provided students with great insights for them in turn to become leaders of tomorrow – a key element in the success of their personal and professional development.
In this picture, from right: Mr. Giovani Manfredini, Lecturer at GIHE, Mr. Pascal Bouye, VP Supply AMEA for Mars, Mr. Liborio Stellino, Ambassador of Italy to UAE, and Parham Zaim Zadeh, Glion student and member of the Networking Committee.
Eight students whom are currently completing their fourth semester created Glion Networking Committee in 2017. Their mission is to “help build tomorrow’s industry leaders by bringing them face to face with leaders of today”. Through their efforts and commitment, the students were able to host Glion’s first Networking Conference. Hence, the students showcased the importance to Glion’s students in putting theoretical knowledge into practice by giving the students the opportunity to directly interact with speakers. The ‘Glion Spirit’ truly revealed itself when the committee was able to rely on fellow comrades to convince their respective parents to travel from afar to attend the event as a key speaker. Moreover, as the founders will be leaving on internship starting July 2017, the members trust on-campus students to take over the committee and prove themselves to be as invested in the project.
“Organizing a conference of this scale has thought us that individualistic work never works; our world is not founded by an individual, on the contrary, it is based on the evolution of many bright minded people that put there inspirations into a team that subsequently learn to succeed.” Said Patrik Kuhn Co-Founder and Vice-President of the Networking Committee.
Glion’s Luxury Brand Management Specialization unique in Europe
With a turnover of USD 222 billion, the luxury sector has earned a prominent place in the global economy. The dynamic sector is constantly seeking specific profiles to create customer experiences and is increasingly recruiting hospitality graduates for their skills in dealing with a high-end clientele, adapting to different cultural backgrounds, their particular attention to detail and sense of aesthetics.
The bachelor degree with a specialization in Luxury Brand Management is a three-and-a-half-year program including two six-month internships and two semesters of specialization. By opting for the luxury elective, students attend five specialization courses after completing their second internship in the luxury sector.
In addition to management skills and professionalism, the luxury brand management courses transfer specific knowledge in marketing and business to allow graduates to obtain positions of responsibility in this exclusive sector. Another highlight of the program was developed in close collaboration with Domus Academy, a famous design school based in Milan and a key player in the teaching of luxury crafts. Two major aspects of this collaboration set this program apart: building on the expertise of a leading international design school and a two-week workshop in Milan, working in groups on a real-world business case for a reputable luxury brand. During their last exchange, students were branding an 8Js boutique, owned by Sacha Prost, son of Alain Prost and a former Glion student.
“Glion places particular importance on the quality of education and the content of its programs.”
Benoît-Etienne Domenget, CEO of Sommet Education.
“Glion places particular importance on the quality of education and the content of its programs.That is why Glion develops its courses based on the trends and needs of tomorrow’s luxury and hospitality industries, developing academic content in partnership with professionals and recruiters. By combining theory and practice, and maintaining a constant dialogue with major players in the luxury sector, Glion students develop the soft skills and a level of maturity that is very attractive to recruiters,” said Benoît-Etienne Domenget, CEO of Sommet Education.
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