The board of directors of EHL Group has announced a governance transition at the helm of the Lausanne-based hospitality and academic institution. Dr Markus Venzin will step down as CEO at the end of the year, having led the group through a period of strategic transformation and growth. Dr Achim Schmitt, currently Dean of EHL Hospitality Business School and a member of the executive leadership team, will take up the role of CEO of EHL Group from 1 January 2027.
A record praised by the board of directors
Under Markus Venzin’s leadership, EHL has strengthened its position as a global reference in hospitality and management education. The institution has consolidated its presence in Switzerland and internationally, secured AACSB accreditation and BCorp certification, and established the School of Practical Arts to equip students and industry partners with the hospitality skills required for the digital and AI era.
Dr Carole Ackermann, Chair of the board of directors of EHL Group, praised Markus Venzin’s decisive role in the institution’s transformation, highlighting his strategic vision, determination and commitment to excellence. On behalf of the board, she expressed gratitude for his leadership and his contribution to the group’s trajectory.
Achim Schmitt: a career built at EHL
Dr Achim Schmitt joined EHL in 2013 and held several academic positions before his appointment as Dean of EHL Hospitality Business School in 2024, a role from which he notably drove the partnerships forged with Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer as well as with LVMH and Cartier around dedicated luxury hospitality management programmes. According to local Swiss media, he holds a doctorate from the University of Geneva and a habilitation from Université Paris-Dauphine, and has held positions at several international business schools, including HEC Geneva, Columbia Business School, Universidad de los Andes, the University of St. Gallen and Audencia Nantes; these details do not appear in EHL Group’s official press release and are mentioned here for information only.
According to the group’s press release, his mandate will be to place EHL’s educational mission at the centre of the group’s activities, while safeguarding academic rigour and operational excellence, with particular attention to practical arts and to human-centred leadership aimed at preparing students for the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
Carole Ackermann noted that the world is undergoing profound geopolitical, societal and technological change, which requires keeping education at the centre of the institution’s priorities. She said Achim Schmitt combines academic excellence, international leadership experience and a collaborative leadership style — qualities that, in her view, make him the ideal profile to guide EHL into its next phase.
A new phase of development for the institution
After several years of growth and change, the board of directors and the executive leadership team consider that EHL is entering a new phase of its development. Sustained student demand, state-of-the-art campuses in Switzerland and Asia, solid financial performance and an enhanced international reputation position the institution, according to the group, to maintain its global leadership in hospitality and management education.
Markus Venzin described an exceptional journey undertaken together with the group’s staff, students, alumni and partners, which strengthened EHL’s global position while reinforcing the values he considers central to the institution’s distinctiveness. He said the time had come to activate the succession plan and support the next generation of leaders, expressing confidence in Achim Schmitt and the wider team’s ability to lead EHL into its next chapter.
For his part, Achim Schmitt described taking on this responsibility as a privilege, having worked closely with Markus Venzin in recent years. He said his priority would be to continue placing the group’s schools and students at the heart of his action, with the aim of strengthening — alongside faculty, staff, alumni, industry partners and students — EHL’s mission to deliver world-leading hospitality and service education.
A managed transition through to the end of 2026
Markus Venzin will remain CEO until the end of the year and will continue to lead all of the group’s operational activities during this period. Achim Schmitt will work in parallel with the leadership team and the board of directors to prepare the next strategic cycle and ensure a seamless transition. At the end of his term as CEO, Markus Venzin will continue his involvement with EHL as Vice President of the International Advisory Board — a role that reflects the continuity the group is seeking in this renewed governance phase, echoing the paths of former EHL graduates tracked by La Tribune de l’Hôtellerie around the world.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
EHL Group names Dr Achim Schmitt as next CEO, effective January 1, 2027
Dr Achim Schmitt, current Dean of EHL Hospitality Business School, succeeds Dr Markus Venzin as CEO
Markus Venzin led EHL since 2022, securing AACSB accreditation, BCorp certification and launching the School of Practical Arts
EHL operates state-of-the-art campuses in Switzerland and Asia, with strong student demand and solid financial performance
Schmitt’s mandate: keep EHL’s educational mission central, ensure academic rigor and operational excellence
Venzin remains CEO through year-end and will continue as Vice President of EHL’s International Advisory Board
