IMHI: ‘We bring together 1,900 alumni in the hospitality and tourism industry.’

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For nearly five years, Monika Moser (IMHI 10) has been leading the IMHI (International Hospitality Management Institute) alumni community as President of AAIMHI and of the ESSEC Alumni IMHI group. Interview.

ESSEC Alumni: Which community do you lead?

Monika Moser: We unite the 1,900 graduates of the IMHI programme since its first cohort in 1983. They hold various high-level positions in hospitality, tourism, and catering, including within the most prestigious brands in the sector, as well as in finance and asset management. 

EA: What activities do you offer them?

M. Moser: Once a month, we organise a get-together in a Parisian hotel that often has alumni among its staff, giving us the opportunity to visit venues such as Maison Delano, Zoku, Tsuba, and Hyatt Regency. These informal afterwork evenings attract up to 100 participants. We also host similar events two to three times a year in other cities such as London, Singapore, New Delhi, or Geneva, thanks to our ambassador network. In addition, we coordinate round tables and expert discussions, often in collaboration with other organisations such as the Cornell Hotel Society, networks like NEWH, or ESSEC Alumni professional clubs. In 2024, we also took part in major events such as the MKG Hospitality Awards, a branding conference at the Hyatt Regency with Retail Factory, and a concert at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. In 2025, we launched the Worldwide AAIMHI Industry Leader series – three virtual events per year to connect our global community through inspiring talks and thematic conferences organised by our members. Our next event: a webinar around Professor Leora Lanz’s new book in November.

EA: Beyond these events, what other initiatives are you leading?

M. Moser: We recently launched the Divers’IMHI Scholarships, enabling alumni to directly sponsor, in part, an international and diverse student facing financial challenges. In 2024, we were able to offer two scholarships: one funded by alumni and partners (Hyatt, NEWH) and awarded to an IMHI student, and another funded by members of the Class of 2001 in memory of Pierre Innocenti (IMHI 01), their classmate tragically killed in the 2015 Bataclan attacks. We are currently looking for a candidate for this year – and are open to additional donations.

EA: Do you develop specific activities for students?

M. Moser: We particularly support the IMHI Club, an initiative led by our younger peers Alexia Baz (IMHI 26) and Rizni Rozair (IMHI 2026), which enables students to get involved in the network from their first year through exclusive meetings with industry leaders.

EA: What projects are you working on for the future?

M. Moser: We plan to develop new event formats: visits to major construction sites in Paris, participation in leading industry trade shows such as ITB and IHIF in Berlin. We also intend to continue expanding our international reach with our ambassadors.

EA: What are your links with the school?

M. Moser: We work closely with the IMHI programme management. On the one hand, we organise information sessions about the programme for alumni. On the other, we encourage graduates to get involved in recruiting new cohorts, in the student mentoring programme, or in the “Industry Leader” talks held on campus. We also take part in the new IMHI Advisory Board, soon to be launched at the initiative of Academic Director Michail Toanoglou. Finally, we participate in the Job Fair organised by Junior IMHI and the Career Centre, and we support student associations — for example, we helped fund equipment for IMHI Traiteur. 

EA: Who are the members of your team?

M. Moser: Our committee is made up of 10 active members, including three new ones: Anne-Catherine Nielsen (IMHI 96), Christian de Sira (IMHI 00), and Antoine Frechard (IMHI 20), joined by several honorary members (former committee members, BDE presidents) and 12 honorary presidents. We also deploy “Country Ambassadors” in major world capitals (London, Singapore, Dubai, Geneva, New Delhi, New York…) and “Company Ambassadors” within leading firms such as Kempinski and Generator Hotels. Note that every IMHI graduate can stand for election to our committee, which takes place annually in June. We particularly encourage younger generations to join us! 

EA: How can alumni follow your news and get involved?

M. Moser: We share all our events and post numerous articles (volunteer appointments, photos and reports from gatherings, alumni profiles) on our group page on the ESSEC Alumni website. You can also follow our LinkedIn page. 

Join the IMHI Alumni group and our 125 clubs and chapters !

Interview by Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), Head of Content at ESSEC Alumni 

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