Milano, Italy, 27th February 2024 – EHL Hospitality Business School (EHL) ceremoniously launched a new alumni chapter in Milan during an exquisite evening event on 22nd February at the Swiss Corner (part of Centro Svizzero), in Milan. Distinguished guests, including the Swiss Consul General in Milan, Stefano Lazzarotto, graced the occasion. This latest addition to the alumni chapters contributes to the existing roster of 70 chapters that EHL proudly boasts worldwide.
The event brought together Italian and Swiss dignitaries, including the Swiss Consul General in Milan, Stefano Lazzarotto, EHL representatives like Markus Venzin, CEO of EHL Group, and esteemed company leaders such as Elisabetta Fabri, CEO of Starhotels & EHL alumna, and Nicolas Girotto, CEO of Bally, all of whom made a special journey to attend the inauguration ceremony. Additionally, about 100 of EHL alumni, currently residing and working in Milan and its surroundings, participated in the inaugural event. Specifically tailored for the Italian-based alumni community, many of whom hold distinguished positions in the hospitality and service sectors, the event aimed to strengthen connections and launch a local alumni chapter. The mission of this chapter will be to keep the Italian EHL community united with their alma mater through the organization of exclusive local events and collaborations.
“EHL Hospitality Business School is more than an institution; it is a community where hospitality is a way of life,” enthused EHL Group’s CEO Markus Venzin. Behind this maxim lies a world that revolves around EHL, the world's first hotel management school founded in 1893 in Lausanne, Switzerland. More than 130 years later, it has grown from a small classroom of about 30 students to an international education group with around 4,000 students, three campuses in Switzerland and Singapore, and a unique community of 30,000 alumni acting as ambassadors of service excellence and creators of meaningful human experiences. They are spread across not only the traditional hospitality industry but also in neighboring sectors such as the luxury industry, banking and insurance industry, or real estate, just to name a few.
“At EHL, we are very proud to count 125 nationalities among our student body, with Italian students constituting the fourth-largest group after the Swiss, French, and Chinese. Having spent over 20 years working at Bocconi University in Milan and with my family living here, Italy has become my home and a place that I profoundly cherish. United both by a long tradition of hospitality, Italy and EHL share many commonalities, and we are looking forward to strengthening our presence even further in this dynamic country”, continued Markus Venzin, CEO of EHL Group.
With the establishment of this new alumni chapter in Italy, the Italian alumni community can now foster closer ties with their alma mater, which is regularly recognized as the best university in the world for hospitality management.