To: THE-ICE Members

On behalf of THE-ICE Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce that Dr Craig Thompson, current Director of Stenden Hotel Management School, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of THE-ICE (International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education). Effective as of 1st of November 2018, Craig will take on the responsibility of CEO, with current CEO, Ms Pauline Tang, retiring on 31st December, 2018.

As an acknowledged educational management and quality assurance expert, with proven and unique experience leading public and private institutions across some six (6) national standards, including heading an industry led project to create a private hotel school in the United Kingdom and creation and management of the first specialist Tourism Management degree in New Zealand, we are delighted to welcome Craig to lead THE-ICE Executive Team. Craig is well-versed in leading and undertaking internationally significant quality assurance procedures, complemented by a solid grounding in the tourism and hospitality industry. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality and also of the Higher Education Academy, and a member of the Editorial Boards for the Journal of Research in Hospitality Management and Journal of Tourism Futures.

As a valued Auditor of the independent THE-ICE Assessment Panel since 2012 and Director on THE-ICE Board from 2015 to 2016, Deputy Chair since November 2016, Craig is no stranger to THE-ICE. With his deep expertise in developing and evaluating quality assurance in TH&E education programmes, and his business acumen in managing relationships amongst diverse stakeholder groups, we are confident that Craig will further enhance the recognition of THE-ICE brand and quality services in the global arena!

Yours sincerely,
Professor (FH) Eva Werner Chair, THE-ICE Board