THE-ICE College of Fellows
Established in 2022, THE-ICE College of Fellows engages the appointed Fellows of THE-ICE with THE-ICE network by utilising their skills and vast knowledge of higher education, and the tourism, hospitality, events, and culinary arts (TH&E) sector. All nominations for Fellow of THE-ICE are presented to the THE-ICE College of Fellows for consideration and decision by a community of peers.
Since 2012, THE-ICE has been conferring the Fellow of THE-ICE recognition to selected individuals during its annual International Panel of Experts (IPoE) Forum. THE-ICE College of Fellows aims to actively support the Board of Directors and Executive Team in their strategic efforts to extend THE-ICE’s global network and visibility. As a body of like-minded and motivated individuals from varying professional backgrounds, THE-ICE College of Fellows provides a terrain for the exploration and execution of synergetic initiatives that build added value propositions for current and future member institutions.
Mr John Daly
Chair, THE-ICE College of Fellows
Academic Director, APAC, Swiss Education Group, Vietnam
Of Irish origin, John A. Daly is currently employed with Swiss Education Group in Vietnam. John has also worked as Deputy Chair on the Board of Directors for The International Center of Excellence for Tourism & Hospitality Education, where he served from 2019 to 2022. In his previous roles, he served as Dean at Hotel Institute Montreux and Director of Quality Assurance at Swiss Education Group.
Coming from a hospitality professional background and educated in Ireland, John earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management from GMIT in 1995 and then later an MA in International Tourism from the University of Limerick in 2003. He completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education from the Open University in 2006 and an MA in Education from the University of Derby in 2017. John also holds a professional certificate in e-Learning Ecologies from the University of Illinois.
After 10 years working in hospitality management in four- and five-star properties in New York, Paris, Malta, France, and Ireland, John joined the Hotel Institute Montreux, Switzerland in 2003 as a full-time Lecturer and soon moved to Northwood University Program Manager for hospitality programs. John was later promoted to the position of Academic Dean of Hotel Institute Montreux. In 2015, John was promoted to Director of Quality Assurance for Switzerland’s largest hospitality education provider, ‘Swiss Education Group’, overseeing all quality, accreditations, and faculty development for five international hotel schools. Some of John’s achievements include: the acquisition of Swiss and International accreditation for 5 schools, delivering the first hotel school in the world to reach the status of ‘Apple Distinguished School’ and Quality leadership of 5 schools into the top 10 QS world Ranking. John’s areas of expertise include academic leadership, educational quality assurance, process management, faculty training, learning and professional development.
View John’s LinkedIn profile here
Professor Scott Richardson, PhD.
Deputy Chair, THE-ICE College of Fellows
Professor Richardson obtained his PhD from Griffith University, Australia, and has almost 20 years of experience in the higher education sector. He has held a number of senior academic leadership positions at leading institutions worldwide. These include: Academic Dean at Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy, Les Roches, United Arab Emirates; Associate Dean, Business, at Torrens University Australia; Executive Dean at the Education Centre of Australia; Acting Managing Director and Executive Dean at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, Dubai; Academic Director for RMIT University, Singapore; Director of Academic Affairs at Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School; and Associate Dean, Research and Development, at Taylor’s University, Malaysia. He has also been a board member of several global education associations.
Professor Richardson also has extensive tourism and hospitality industry experience, having worked in the industry for more than 10 years. During this period, he worked in hotels, tourism and event companies, as well as the travel industry. Professor Richardson is the author of more than 50 publications in leading tourism and hospitality journals and conference proceedings and is a member of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Panel of Tourism Experts.
View Scott’s LinkedIn profile here
Mr Emanuel Donhauser
Fellow, THE-ICE College of Fellows
Director Suisse romande, Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland
Elected ‘Fellow of THE-ICE’ in 2014, Emanuel currently leads the only federally accredited private University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland at its Lausanne campus. He has also worked on various growth projects under his registered SwissEdEx brand, including strategy coaching at hospitality schools and for leadership communication, training in sales and marketing for private education institutions, executive coaching, and training programme design, as well as a uniquely innovative gastronomic concept start-up.
He has some 25 years of experience in top management and leadership positions at international organisations within the private education sector, ranging from single-owner entrepreneurial companies and multinationals to private equity and venture capitalist corporations for German, Australian, British, US-American, Swiss, and Chinese employers.
As the academic head of the largest provider of Swiss hospitality education for 17 years, he led the holistic digital transformation from physical textbooks and conventional teaching methods to open-source, tablet technology supported, learning approaches for the 21st century, resulting in the first and only Apple Distinguished School Accreditation for a hospitality school (2016). Having graduated more than 12,000 full-time boarding higher education students over 17 years, he managed the strategic academic product development for seven Higher Education campuses, encompassing 6,000 full-time boarding students per annum. Furthermore, he has been developing durable partnerships with industry partners and top universities around the world, including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, China, and Thailand.
A sought-after speaker, he has been delivering over 100 requested master classes and guest lectures in more than 20 countries around the globe and has been awarded various recognitions within the management education sector and hospitality industry, among others, the “Nestlé Pro Gastronomia Award”, at the 29th EuroCHRIE Congress in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and the AHLEI “Lamp of Knowledge Award” for Outstanding International Educator in Denver, Colorado.
View Emanuel’s LinkedIn profile here
Mr Alan Williams
Fellow, THE-ICE College of Fellows
Marketing and Communications Manager, Higher Education Leadership Institute, Australia
Mr Alan Williams was recognised as a Fellow of THE-ICE for his service as one of the Founding Directors of THE-ICE Board since 2008. In 2012, Alan was elected as Treasurer of THE-ICE Board and made a significant contribution to the organisation and its development, especially in its early and formative years. He was also a pioneer, as one of the first members of THE-ICE to openly share his own ‘confidential’ i-graduate benchmarking data, demonstrating how his institution had used this data for internal quality assurance and institutional improvement.
Mr Williams has also made an outstanding contribution to the sector as an active Director and Member on a number of peak industry education bodies in education and training, including APacCHRIE, Western Australia Private Education & Training Industry Association and Australian Association of Hotel Schools, among others.
View Alan’s LinkedIn profile here
Dr Klaus Ennemoser
Fellow, THE-ICE College of Fellows
Owner & General Manager, Ennemoser Wirtschaftsberatung GmbH I Ennemoser Business Consulting Ltd, Austria
Klaus Ennemoser has been the long-standing director and owner of Ennemoser Business Consulting Ltd, Austria, working in the tourism industry for more than 40 years. After accomplishing his doctoral degree in Economic Sciences in 1970 (Intercompany Comparison and Data in the Austrian Hotel and Catering Industry), he built up his tourism consultancy and is the 100% owner of Hotel Xander, a highly successful, acknowledged and profitable 4-star hotel in Leutach-Seefeld, Austria.
One of his main accomplishments has been the successful harmonisation of the star classification system in Germany, Switzerland and Austria in his function as the president of the Austrian Professional Hotel Association, which represents 18,000 hotels, 1.1 million hotel beds, and 125 million overnight stays per year. This harmonisation has spread and reached many countries in Europe. Consequently, Klaus Ennemoser was offered the Presidency of the European Hotelstars Union 2012, Brussels, Belgium.
Klaus Ennemoser has been a key player in professionalisation and tourism, including education in Austria. He was one of the main forces providing the ground for the establishment of tourism business studies at MCI Management Centre Innsbruck in 2000, which consists of internationally acknowledged Bachelor and Master Programs. Klaus Ennemoser has also been the long-standing President of the Tourism College Villa Blanka, one of the leading K12 hotel schools in Austria, and a member of the Higher Education Advisory Council Innsbruck. Klaus Ennemoser is a highly dynamic, energetic and innovative personality who is always thinking and acting beyond limits and constraints. As well as his numerous functions and achievements, he was among the first business consultants doing business in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, which has led to numerous successful projects in Eastern Europe (especially Russia) with vast expertise and an extensive international network.
View Klaus’ LinkedIn profile here
Dr Maximilian Schachner
Fellow, THE-ICE College of Fellows
Professor (FH) Emeritus, IMC University of Applied Sciences, Krems, Austria
Prof Dr Maximilian Schachner’s career in higher education internationally is highlighted by his office with the IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems (Austria), which has enabled him to be responsible for strategic partnerships in academic mobility programs with universities and higher education associations (e.g. APAIE, EAIE, NAFSA) worldwide.
Prior to his appointment as Head of Academic Mobility Programs, Max has also served as Professor of International Tourism, Marketing & Communication, and Head of Practical Training & Industry Relations. In these positions, he has helped to advise, place and supervise more than 1,000 students as interns in the global tourism & leisure industries.
He has been involved in career coaching & talent management in cooperation with global industry partners, as well as student placements/internships & alumni relations, organisation of career fairs & expert panels, overseas study trips, and industry site visits.
Max has also carried out numerous “International Tourism Teaching Missions” (e.g. as Fulbright Visiting Professor at Arizona State University) and addressed both undergraduate/graduate and professional audiences at higher education institutions worldwide.
View Max’s LinkedIn profile here
Mr Nicholas Hunt
Fellow, THE-ICE College of Fellows
Chief Executive Officer, William Angliss Institute, Australia
Elected ‘Fellow of THE-ICE’ in 2016, Mr Nicholas Hunt was recognised for his contribution in monitoring and overseeing the financial operations of THE-ICE. Nicholas’s dedication resulted in THE-ICE achieving and maintaining financial sustainability; his stewardship of William Angliss Institute, maintaining its status as Australia’s largest specialist centre for foods, tourism, hospitality, and events training. He was the Head of the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Southern Cross University (Australia) for many years, and during that time the university won both the State and National Tourism Awards for excellence in ‘Education and Training’.
Nicholas was also recognised for his outstanding and extensive experience from holding senior executive positions in many high-profile/important tourism and peak bodies and prominent industry groups.
View Nicholas’ LinkedIn profile here
Dr Peter P Laurel
Fellow, THE-ICE College of Fellows
President, Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) Batangas & Laguna, Philippines
Dr Peter P Laurel is an outstanding professional and a great visionary leader with a passion for quality education. Following the footsteps of his grandfather, former President of the Philippines, Jose P Laurel, and his father, Senator Sotero Laurel, President Peter sees the need to ensure quality education in the field of tourism, hospitality and education (TH&E) is accessible to as many students as possible in various locations throughout the Philippines.
It is worth noting that Dr Peter Laurel, together with the Co-President, Atty Roberto Laurel, approved the construction of The Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros (TBI) as the research and teaching hotel of the CITHM. Since its opening in 2012, TBI has earned Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Award & Certificate of Excellence, as well as the Gold Circle Award from AGODA.
Dr Peter P Laurel further supports the expansion of the teaching hotel brand/concept with a new facility now available at the LPU Cavite campus, along with the construction of the new hotel in Baguio, and another campus and hotel in Davao City. Thanks to President Peter’s commitment to the ongoing expansion of LPU’s TH&E education, the LPU Culinary Institute in Manila has also expanded to the other campuses to ensure the strength of students’ culinary skills, a growing interest area. With the above significant contributions and achievements of Dr Peter P Laurel in the provision of quality TH&E education, he was bestowed with the prestigious Fellow of THE-ICE award for outstanding academic in 2015.
Mr Ron Hilvert
Fellow, THE-ICE College of Fellows
Managing Partner – Hospitality, RGH Global, Philippines
Mr Ron Hilvert was recognised as a Fellow of THE-ICE for his outstanding contributions to THE-ICE, in his professional roles in tourism, hospitality, events, and culinary arts (TH&E) education, as well as in his role as a former Director of THE-ICE. During his time as a Director, Ron continuously contributed to developing THE-ICE’s vision and commitment to excellence in TH&E education and training, promoted THE-ICE brand globally and engaged in THE-ICE strategic activities, including the International Panel of Experts (IPoE) Forums.
Ron is a highly reputed leader of international hospitality education and advancement; with over 45 years of professional experience in the hospitality industry, he has been recognised as the most experienced Human Resources Executive in the industry worldwide, having held the worldwide Corporate Human Resources position for Hyatt International, Hilton International and Jumeirah Group, and was an opening General Manager with Hyatt International Hotels. Ron has always made his knowledge and expertise available to THE-ICE Board of Directors and members.
Ron has had professional and educational contact with all major hotel schools and universities in North America, Europe, Asia and Australasia for over 30 years, strengthening ties between TH&E industry and education; has lectured at several major schools and universities; and has regularly been invited to speak at international conferences.
View Ron’s LinkedIn profile here
Dr Russell Arthur Smith
Fellow, THE-ICE College of Fellows
Principal and Company Director, Sitetectonix Pte Ltd, Singapore
Dr Russell Arthur Smith is a hospitality and tourism development expert who has extensive academic and professional experience in Asia, as well as in Europe, North America and the Middle East. He is currently Principal and Company Director, Sitetectonix Pte Ltd, Singapore, which has a diverse range of projects across Asia, including hospitality projects. He is actively involved in academic audits, serving as a chair and panel member, as well as in audit preparation, where he has experience with THE-ICE, NVAO, CEQUINT, NCAAA, QAA, EQUIS, AACSB and RIBA.
Dr Smith has headed large multi-disciplinary teams for the preparation of major hospitality and tourism development plans. In addition, he has served on many private and public boards and committees throughout the Asia Pacific. Dr Smith has held academic appointments with universities in China, France, Malaysia, Singapore and the United States of America. He currently lectures at the Nayang Technological University.
Dr Smith holds a doctorate from Harvard University and a degree with First Class Honours from the University of Queensland. He has served as Vice Dean, Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management in Singapore, Chair of the Board of Examination of Shatec Institute in Singapore, and Chair of the Faculty Hospitality and Tourism Advisory Board of Hue University in Vietnam. He has also served as a member of the School Advisory Committee of Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore, a Director of the Board of the Asia Pacific Tourism Association and a member of the Sentosa Development Corporation, Singapore. His co-edited book (2010, John Wiley) addresses strategic hospitality leadership. Dr Smith received the prestigious Fellow of THE-ICE Award in 2012.
View Russell’s LinkedIn profile here
Professor (FH) Mag Christian Maurer
Fellow, THE-ICE College of Fellows
Head of Institute for Tourism, Wine Business, and Marketing; Programme Director Master Marketing, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Austria
Prof (FH) Mag Christian Maurer is best described as an active and passionate researcher/teacher, who is consistently striving for innovation and implementation of new approaches and tools in tourism development. Characterised by his teaching approach, Christian strives to combine theory and practice, thus being a champion of integrating “real-life projects” into teaching. As a true ambassador in the field of e-tourism, he is a sought-after presenter at international conference events.
Christian’s mission in modern teaching has been realised through initiatives such as the development of e-marketing strategies for destination management companies. Driven to interlink academic studies with ‘real life’ approaches, Christian champions ongoing connections with industry, enhancing the immediate employability of tourism graduates. Convinced that the seeds of passion for research should be linked to Higher Education in Tourism, in 2013 Christian initiated the now-annual International Student Conference in Tourism Research (ISCONTOUR), exemplifying his conviction in academic research as the key to a more clear and complete picture of the impact of environmental, political, economic and social change on tourism systems. This ongoing initiative promotes academic research in tourism and continues to raise awareness worldwide of the necessity for research in tourism amongst students, graduates and professionals, as well as enhances the inter-linkage of research and practice orientation in Higher Education in Tourism.
Following studies at the University of Vienna in Austria and the University of Hull in England, Christian has been a full-time Professor at IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Austria, since 2005. He is well-published and has presented at numerous international conferences and workshops, demonstrating his expertise and ongoing contribution to strengthening ties between tourism education and industry through research and practice orientation.
View Christian’s LinkedIn profile here
Professor Perry Hobson
Fellow, THE-ICE College of Fellows
Professor of Hotel & Tourism Partnerships, Bond University, Australia
Professor Perry Hobson is Professor of Hotel & Tourism Partnerships at Bond University (Australia). He has an extensive international academic background in tourism and hospitality, holding a BSc (Hons) in Hotel & Catering Management from Oxford Brookes University (UK), a MS in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (USA), and a PhD in tourism from Southern Cross University (Australia). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of the Q1/A ranked/SSCI-indexed Journal of Vacation Marketing (JVM) since 1999.
Perry has held a number of senior academic and leadership roles internationally, including Director of the Academy of Tourism at Breda University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands). He also served for many years as Head of the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Southern Cross University (Australia), during which time the University received both State and National Tourism Awards for excellence in Education and Training.
He has served on Academic Boards and Boards of Directors for several institutions, including Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (now part of Torrens University) and William Angliss Institute.
Perry lived and worked in Malaysia for 10 years, where he was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement) at both Sunway University and Taylor’s University.
He currently holds a number of international appointments, including Visiting Professor at MCI Innsbruck (Austria), Adjunct Professor at Ton Duc Thang University (Vietnam), and member of the International Advisory Council of Ostrava University (the Czech Republic). He is also a member of the International Advisory Board of the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education and is a frequent speaker at international conferences.
Professor Hobson is a former CEO of THE-ICE and was responsible for transforming the organisation from an initiative of the Australian Federal Government into an independent global accreditation body. In recognition of his contribution to education and research, he has been made a Fellow of the Council of Australasian Universities for Tourism & Hospitality Education (CAUTHE), Honorary Fellow of the UK’s Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME), is a recipient of the ‘Sue Beeton Award’ from the TTRA-Apac Chapter and was the first person to be installed into THE-ICE ‘Hall of Fame’ for his support and contribution to the organisation.
View Perry’s LinkedIn profile here
Dr Paul Whitelaw
Fellow, THE-ICE College of Fellows
After a 33-year career in higher education, Paul has recently retired from regular employment.
Prior to retirement, Paul was the Academic Director, The Hotel School Partnership @ Southern Cross University, where he was responsible for academic governance, quality, and operational oversight of the portfolio of courses offered at The Hotel School.
Previously, he was the Associate Director of Higher Education and Quality at William Angliss Institute (WAI), where he was responsible for its portfolio of higher education courses as well as the whole of the Institute’s compliance with both VE and HE regulatory regimes, research and scholarship of learning and teaching. And, for 25 years before that, Paul was a Senior Lecturer in the College of Business at Victoria University, where he lectured in research methods and quantitative and computer-based hospitality management systems on undergraduate and postgraduate programs as well as supervising PhD Scholars. In 2010-2011, Paul was the Foundation and Acting Head of the School of International Business, and before that, he was Foundation Executive Director at VU’s Centre for Hospitality and Tourism Research (1993-1996).
Before joining Victoria University in 1991, Paul enjoyed 15 years’ experience in various line and executive positions in the Hospitality Industry. During the 1980s, Paul worked with PKF, an international firm of chartered accountants which specialises in the hospitality and tourism industries, where he conducted feasibility studies and operational audits along with information systems analysis and design. Over the years, Paul has conducted many feasibility studies for a variety of hospitality and tourism facilities throughout Australia and New Zealand. As well, he spent his childhood actively exposed to his family’s hotel, restaurant and motel interests. With a lifetime involvement in the hospitality and tourism industries combined with rigorous academic training in finance, accounting and statistics, he has a keen interest in the application of management practices based on thorough research, critical analysis and prudent evaluation.
He was Chair of CAUTHE, the peak representative body for university hospitality, tourism and events research and education academics in Australasia from 2008–2013. And from 2019 to 2023, he was privileged to be the Chair of THE-ICE. In his spare time, he volunteers for an organisation that supports indigenous community development and especially indigenous female entrepreneurs.
Professor Dr Oswin Maurer
Fellow, THE-ICE College of Fellows
Chair of Marketing, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
Professor Dr Oswin Maurer is Chair of Marketing at the Faculty of Economics and Management at Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy). He was Dean of the Faculty until October 2021 and served as a Director on THE-ICE Board for several years.
He is a well-published, highly regarded and innovative academic with extensive international experience in key roles such as the development and implementation of internationally accredited undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programmes.
Dr Maurer’s current areas of interest and expertise include: Consumer Behaviour, Food & Tourism, Responsible Consumption and Sustainability.
With an academic and research career spanning three decades, Dr Maurer has authored/co-authored a wide range of publications and has been involved at the core level of designing and implementing educational projects for senior management and government officials across the continents, including Europe, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Dr Maurer has also been key in the development of various national research programmes on internationalisation, competitiveness, consumer behaviour and sustainability, to name a few.
In addition to his academic achievements, Dr Maurer is a much sought-after advisor and research consultant and a key contributor in the building and leadership of an international research base and network through the establishment of the Competence Centre in Tourism Management and Tourism Economics (TOMTE). TOMTE organises several seminars and workshops every year, including the Consumer Behaviour in Tourism Symposium (CBTS), which takes place every year.