THE-ICE Board of Directors
Professor Simon Pawson – Chair & Director
Professor Simon Pawson is an academic leader and researcher. He began his hotel career in 1988 and, in 2004, made the transition to tourism and hotel management education. His areas of teaching and research interests include business studies, specifically leadership, marketing and strategic management, social/environmental justice, community-based tourism, responsible tourism, sustainable tourism, destination marketing & national identity, sustainable tourism, heritage tourism, destination management, social sciences research, leadership, strategic management and organisational behaviour.
Simon has been an active researcher and social advocate in Cambodia since 2002. His research projects include investigating social and environmental consequences of tourism development in Siem Reap, antiquities theft, human trafficking, pro-poor tourism, heritage and cultural tourism, attraction development, tourism and rural development, and community-based and responsible tourism.
Simon is a graduate of The Australian National University (PhD) and Macquarie University Graduate School of Management (Master’s). At present, he is the Associate Dean of Hospitality and Academic Director, Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School at Torrens University Australia. He is also the lead researcher of the Cambodian Sustainable Tourism Development Collaborative Project. Simon is also a member of the Council for Australasian Tourism and Hospitality Education (CAUTHE).
Previously, Simon was Head, School of International Tourism, Hospitality Management and Retail Marketing at the International College of Management Sydney (ICMS); he was also Chair, Academic Conduct, Appeals and Disputes Committee. The hospitality and tourism industry honoured Simon in 2004, when he was awarded the Australian Hotels Association’s Young Achiever of the Year, in recognition of his commitment to and achievements in tourism and hospitality. In the same year, Simon also received Rotary Australia’s Pride of Workmanship award.
In private life, Simon undertakes philanthropic work in Cambodia, notably in connection with community development. He has been involved in a range of projects since 2003, the main ones involving NGO initiatives amongst Cambodia’s rural poor.
Simon was elected as a Director of THE-ICE Board in 2021.
Mr Simon Lloyd – Deputy Chair & Director
As Dean of Hospitality Management, Simon’s focus is on the redevelopment, internationalisation and growth of the BBA in Hospitality Management, certified by the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne and the BBA in Hotel Management, along with teaching Leadership and Strategic Management. Before joining Dusit Thani College, Simon served as Dean of Hospitality and Sustainable Tourism at Botho University in Botswana, where he launched their Hospitality Management programs, as well as Kempinski Hotels, covering Operations Management, Strategic Planning and Talent Development in China and Europe.
Simon holds an MPhil in Inclusive Innovation from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business in South Africa, focusing on tourism training in rural communities in Botswana, as well as a BSc in International Hospitality Management from the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland, with a specialisation in Finance.
In addition to his role with Dusit Thani College, Simon is a member of the PATA Board and Mekong Tourism Advisory Groups, as well as an avid supporter and advocate of community-based tourism and sustainable tourism activities.
Having grown up and worked in Southern Africa and across Europe, Africa and Asia, Simon has an appreciation of a variety of cultures, which he tries to incorporate into all aspects of his life. He believes that, especially in the world of education, training and talent development, there are no correct solutions, but that any solution needs to start with the individual.
Simon was elected as a Director of THE-ICE Board in November 2023.
Professor Peter Ryan – Treasurer & Director
For over 25 years, Professor Peter Ryan has been actively involved with many higher education providers, specialising in the areas of regulatory approvals, quality assurance, and corporate and academic governance. Peter has also provided strategic advice and regulatory due diligence for prospective purchasers of private higher education institutions.
Peter is Founder & Director of the Higher Education Leadership Institute (HELI), which offers postgraduate courses in e-learning and higher education teaching practice.
Professor Ryan is a qualified accountant and a Fellow of CPA Australia. He was elected as Treasurer and a Director of THE-ICE Board in 2019.
Ms Gienke Osinga – Director
Ms Gienke Osinga holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Hotel Management School The Hague and a Master’s in Change Management. Her first steps in her career were with KLM Catering Services at the procurement department, in-flight services. She switched to KLM City Hopper, in those days a daughter company of KLM, where she was responsible, among others, for revenue management, commercial planning and the budgeting process.
Later on, she worked for KLM, the Netherlands, the marketing and sales department for the Dutch market, where she was involved in the first e-commerce business projects, such as online booking tools and online check-in. Further responsibilities were the launch of a frequent flyer program, the introduction of a corporate credit card and more.
In 2001, she decided to switch to education. During her years with KLM, she was asked as a guest lecturer, assessor and graduation coach for NHTV students on a regular basis. Working with students gave her so much pleasure and satisfaction that she took the opportunity when the start of a hotel management program in Breda was announced. She started as a curriculum developer for the hotel management program of NHTV University of Applied Sciences. Since 2012, she has held the position of Dean of the Hotel Management program and the Facility Management program of Breda University of Applied Sciences.
She is the Chair of the Association of the Dutch Hotel Management Schools. Recently, all publicly funded members of the Association successfully passed THE-ICE accreditation.
Gienke was elected as a Director of THE-ICE Board in November 2018 and served as Chair from 2023 to 2026.
Dr Lilibeth C. Aragon – Director
Dr Lilibeth Aragon is currently the Dean of the Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila’s College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management. She has an extensive background in the Cruise Line industry, having worked on board various fleets of P&O Cruises UK for years. She has also contributed to the continuous improvement of Training Regulations and Competency-Based Learning Materials and Assessment for ASEAN and Technical Education and Skills Development. Dr Aragon is also an Accreditor for Tourism, Hospitality and Graduate programs of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA). She assists the Philippines Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as part of the National Capital Region Quality Assurance Team (NCR-RQAT).
Dr Aragon holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Tourism, a Master’s in Business Administration and a Doctorate in Business Administration from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. She also holds a Higher Degree Certificate from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust of London. She is a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) and Trainer by the American-based company American Hospitality Lodging and Education Inc. She also completed the Certified Guest Service Professional Course (CGFS).
She currently serves the Association of Administrators in Hospitality, Hotel and Restaurant Management Educational Institutions (AAHRMEI) as the Internal Vice President and the Philippine Association of Researchers for Tourism and Hospitality (PARTH) as Board Member.
Dr Aragon is an ASEAN Master Trainer, the first batch to represent the Philippine delegation held at Bali, Indonesia.
Lilibeth was elected as a Director of THE-ICE Board in November 2020.
Dr Atty Gezzez Giezi G Granado – Director
Dr Attorney Gezzez Giezi G. Granado is a graduate of BS Tourism from the University of Santo Tomas. From the same university, he also graduated with a Bachelor of Laws, a Master of Laws, and a Doctor of Civil Law. He worked as a Travel Agent and later on as a Travel Agency Operations Manager while earning his Law Degree.
For 19 years now, he has been teaching Tourism and Hospitality Laws, Legal Policy Issues in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry, and Sustainable Tourism at the UST College of Tourism and Hospitality Management. He is also teaching Torts and Damages, Legal Research, and Legal Technique and Logic at the Faculty of Civil Law.
Dr Attorney Granado has conducted studies, written case studies, and served as a resource person for various subjects related to sustainable tourism, legal and policy issues in the tourism and hospitality industry, tourism and hospitality laws, and tourism and hospitality education.
He takes part in various capacities, such as a Project Director, Consultant, and Researcher of different local government units for their strategic and development plans related to the Tourism and Hospitality Industry and their respective Tourism Codes.
At present, he serves as the Dean of the UST College of Tourism and Hospitality Management and sits as a Board of Director/Trustee of international and local professional organisations.
Gezzez was elected as a Director of THE-ICE Board in November 2020.
Mr Risto Karmavuo – Director
Mr Risto Karmavuo is a Degree Director at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences – Helsinki, Finland. In his current work position, Risto is responsible for developing Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Management higher education.
He is a Haaga graduate (BSc 2000, MSc 2007 / Hospitality Management). His previous work experience includes wine consultancy in a hospitality business, alumni coordinator for Haaga Institute and senior lecturer of Business Planning. Risto also works as a part-time journalist, writing articles about food & wine, and he is the author of several food & wine books.
Risto served the EuroCHRIE Board for several years as Director of Networking as well as Treasurer, and was also a member of the organising committee for EuroCHRIE 2009 Conference. Currently, he holds a position as Board Member in the Worldwide Alliance by Institute Lyfe (ex-Paul Bocuse).
Risto was elected as a Director of THE-ICE Board in November 2023.
Dr Ivan Ninov – Director
Dr Ivan Ninov is the Executive Dean of Al Rayyan International University College (ARIU) in partnership with University of Derby in Qatar. ARIU is the premier higher education institution for hospitality management, tourism management and international business management education in the State of Qatar.
Dr Ninov has extensive international academic and managerial experience, having lived and worked in Europe, the United States, Dubai, and Qatar. His main areas of expertise are Strategy Formulation and Implementation, as well as Quality Assurance and Improvement.
Throughout his career, Dr Ninov has been involved in the management of academic institutions, numerous research and consultancy projects, and has been recognised as a researcher within his field. In addition to this, he serves as an editor and reviewer for several academic journals and conferences, and as an external reviewer for hospitality and tourism management programmes. He also serves as Treasurer for EuroCHRIE.
Dr Ninov holds a PhD degree in Hospitality Administration and a Master of Science degree in Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management from Texas Tech University in the USA. He also holds an MSc degree and a BSc degree in Tourism from Sofia University in Bulgaria.
Ivan was elected as a Director of THE-ICE Board in November 2023.
Ms Isobel Stockdale – Director
Isobel Stockdale is the Head of the Centre for Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism in the Business School at the University of Derby, UK. Her focus is on academic development and leadership, management of the discipline, including collaborative partner provision, quality assurance, governance and the development of external networks. She has held a management position for 10 years and has been in education for over 25 years.
Isobel has worked in the role of programme leader and was instrumental in the development of the first spa management degree in the world and the establishment and running of an award-winning commercial day spa within the University.
Isobel was elected as a Director of THE-ICE Board in November 2022.
Professor Mei-Jung Sebrina Wang – Director
Professor Wang Mei-Jung, Sebrina, is Professor and Vice-President at the National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism (NKUHT), Taiwan, and an experienced academic leader in tourism, hospitality, and English education. Over more than a decade at NKUHT, she has held several senior leadership positions, including Vice-President, Dean of the International College, and Chair of the Department of Applied English. Through these roles, she has gained extensive experience in institutional leadership, strategic development, internationalization, and curriculum innovation.
Her research has been published in leading international peer-reviewed journals, including Tourism Management Perspectives, British Food Journal, and Applied Linguistic Review.
Professor Wang’s leadership is grounded in a collaborative and forward-looking approach that connects institutional vision with the changing needs of students, industry, and society. She has worked closely with the Marriott International to co-create industry-informed courses that better prepare students for internships and their transition into professional careers. She also brings an international dimension to her leadership.
Since 2024, she has served as a Board Member of the Travel and Tourism Research Association Asia Pacific (TTRA APac), contributing to the advancement of tourism research and academic–industry collaboration across the Asia-Pacific region. This role has further expanded her engagement with researchers, educators, and industry stakeholders across diverse cultural and professional contexts.
Professor Wang was elected as a Director of THE-ICE Board in September 2026.