IHAB
The International Hospitality Advisory Board (IHAB) brings together leading managers from the global hospitality industry and respected academics. With expertise spanning hospitality, leadership, innovation, food service and research, the board advises our management team on key strategic decisions. Their insights ensure that our programme remains closely aligned with the current and future needs of the fast‑evolving hospitality sector.
Read more about the members on this page.
Contact
+31 (0)6 43 75 16 24
tessa.aten@zuyd.nl
Chief Solutions Officer - TCC Global
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Dries Bögels - Chair
'During the Covid period, it once again became clear that hospitality and foodservice are about far more than food and drink alone. The social component is significant, and with it the impact on society. As a player in the sector, you have a responsibility to help move it forward and support its development. And many of these developments begin with good education.
Within the IHAB, various disciplines are represented, and the members each bring their own background and expertise. This allows me to enrich my own knowledge and arrive at new, sharper insights. Because students are represented as well, a powerful dynamic emerges. This enables valuable education, as a clear strategy and the connection between theory and practice reinforce one another.
Drawing on our knowledge of the market in terms of products, concepts and logistics, we contribute to the relevance of the curriculum of HMSM and to strengthening the link between education and the professional field.
Chair in Customer - Centric Service Science Associate Dean Internationalisation and Impact - Maastricht University School of Business and Economics
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Prof. Dr. Gaby Odekerken-Schröder
'As a collaborator of Hotel Management School Maastricht and the Food Innovation Lab, I was honoured to accept the invitation to join the International Hospitality Advisory Board (IHAB). The role aligns closely with my expertise in customer centric service science, and it further strengthens the valuable connection between Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and Maastricht University.
From my academic background and my work in leading the Maastricht Center for Robots, I contribute insights into the impact of new technologies on service experiences in education and in the hospitality sector. In addition, my experience on several supervisory boards allows me to bring a strategic, long term perspective and to help formulate the right questions at the right moments.
Within the IHAB, I hope to gain inspiration from the diverse industry partners and the talented students who take part in the board’s activities. I am particularly inspired by the Teaching Hotel Château Bethlehem, a unique asset from which Maastricht University and other higher education institutions can continue to learn.'
Director Supply Management - Hilton
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Maikel Trienes
'Becoming a member of the IHAB is both a personal and a professional choice for me. As a proud alumnus of Hotel Management School Maastricht, with my roots in Limburg, the programme has played an important role in my development within the hospitality sector. Through the IHAB, I have the opportunity to give something back and to contribute to the further reinvention of hospitality and of Hotel Management School Maastricht.
Within Hilton and Hilton Supply Management (HSM), we work from a people‑first and practice‑driven approach, with a strong focus on curiosity and lifelong learning. Through our daily collaboration with young professionals, I see how crucial the connection between education and practice truly is. Hospitality is a dynamic and international industry where hospitality, leadership and innovation come together, and it is precisely for this reason that I am keen to contribute my experience to strengthening this bridge.
In my role at Hilton Supply Management (HSM), I bring more than twenty years of experience in hospitality, with a focus on procurement, food & beverages, sales, and strategic growth and transformation across Continental Europe. On a daily basis, I work closely with hotel leadership teams, corporate functions, hotel owners and operators, as well as strategic suppliers.
Procurement touches every department within a hotel and is therefore a crucial, value‑adding link in the value chain, with direct impact on performance, cost control and sustainability. HSM is a global market leader, supporting more than 25,000 hotels in over 150 countries and across more than 147 hotel brands. This provides me with a strong international perspective and an extensive network within the hotel and food industries. Within the IHAB, I aim to use this experience to continue connecting education with the reality of an international and constantly evolving hospitality industry.
Through collective leadership and the sharing of insights, we can work together to ensure that the hospitality sector continues to attract, develop and retain the right talent in the future. It is essential to show young professionals that hospitality is meaningful, offers real impact, and provides broad career opportunities. Together with the programme and the IHAB, I want to contribute to a hospitality sector in which people feel challenged, inspired and empowered to create lasting impact.
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Director - Sligro Food Group
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Kees Kiestra
'My motivation to become a member of the IHAB is, at its core, driven by my passion for good food and drinks. This passion is also the reason why I once started working for Sligro.
Over the past 25 years, I have gained experience across many different aspects of the food industry, both in food retail and foodservice, and on both the industry and trading sides. I look forward to sharing and discussing these experiences with the other IHAB members and with the HMSM management team.
Several of the other IHAB members started their careers at Hotelschool Maastricht. I am curious to learn how they now reflect on their professional experiences and how these have influenced the way they look back on their education.'
Head of Commercial Outlets & Service | F&B formats - Landal
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Geeske Burema [F 1999]
'In 1994, I began my studies at Hotel Management School Maastricht, a period that proved hugely formative for me both professionally and personally. The programme, and the life around it, laid the foundation for my entrepreneurial mindset, my lasting curiosity about guest behaviour and my approach to leadership.
Becoming a member of the IHAB feels like an honourable opportunity to give something back to the next generation of professionals. It is meaningful to remain connected to the institution that played such an important role in my development, and to contribute to the continued growth of hospitality education.
For most of my career, I worked within multi site retail organisations, particularly at the intersection of retail and foodservice. This cross pollination centres on strategically bringing together different areas of expertise to create a consistent and distinctive guest experience.
Today, I apply this experience internationally within the leisure and hospitality sector, in my role as Head of Commercial Outlets & Services. Here too, various disciplines come together to deliver a relevant guest experience supported by a future proof business model.
The question of how organisations remain relevant while creating sustainable value for guests, employees and the organisation itself has been a guiding theme throughout my career. I am pleased to bring these insights to Hotel Management School Maastricht.
I see the IHAB as a valuable collective of experienced professionals, where knowledge and perspectives converge around the sector’s most pressing challenges: labour shortages, accelerating technological developments, cost management, sustainable transformation and rising guest expectations. In this context, strong strategic alignment between education and industry is essential to prepare future oriented professionals.
I look forward to working with the other IHAB members to help build a strong, relevant and future proof hospitality sector.'
Finance & legal - Younique Concepts
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Joseph de Jong [F 2013]
'After graduating from HMSM and completing my master’s degree in Innovative Hospitality Management in Barcelona, I immediately started my entrepreneurial journey. What began with a single restaurant in Amsterdam in 2016 has since grown into an organisation involved in around twenty projects, employing more than two hundred hospitality professionals and operating across several countries.
In my work, I am contact with alumni, interns and prospective students of Hotel Management School Maastricht. HMSM has a strong reputation, and the quality of its education is crucial for the industry. That is why I find it valuable to give something back to the school that has contributed so much to my own development. Despite all technological advancements, I firmly believe that in hospitality it is the human skills that continue to make the real difference.
My experience lies in F&B entrepreneurship, both in restaurants and hotels, within an international context. In this work, me and my business partner collaborate closely with a wide range of stakeholders, including property owners, hotel operators and equity partners. The knowledge and insights we have gained over the years are something I am keen to share, contributing to the relevance and ongoing development of the programme.
I find it particularly meaningful to gain a complete understanding of the student journey: from selection to graduation and the transition into the professional field. It is essential that the curriculum continues to align with the expectations and needs of the industry. I therefore hope to gain insight into how this process can be continuously improved and how we can ensure that the programme keeps adding value - for students as well as for the industry.
Students take their next step in hospitality at HMSM; it is the role of the IHAB to advise in such a way that their step into the professional world is equally strong and future‑proof.
Strategic Director - LBG Hotels
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Rino Soeters
'As a born and raised Maastricht hotelier, with five hotels and a head office in the city, it is a great honour for me to be a member of the IHAB. It feels truly special to represent the local hotel industry within the internationally renowned institution that is HMSM.
I see it as my role to act as the link between local hoteliers and HMSM, translating these insights into both the curriculum and the needs of the industry. By being actively involved, sharing knowledge and remaining accessible to both management and students, I aim to be a proactive and committed partner. I hope that this approach encourages alumni to choose - and continue choosing- a career in our wonderful industry.
By being more involved with HMSM and its students, I am able to gain insights that would otherwise remain hidden. This enables us to anticipate the needs of future employees earlier and more effectively. It helps us better understand the expectations within the labour market and how we, as employers, must continue to challenge and reinvent ourselves. It is incredibly valuable to gain new insights from the educational perspective.'
Area Vice President Western Europe and Maghreb - Marriott International | Renaissance Service BV
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Vice President Operations Europe - Hilton
read moreErwin Verhoog
Chief Sustainability and Security Officer - Radisson Hotel Group
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Inge Huijbrechts
The hospitality industry is currently at a crucial turning point, where sustainability, safety, societal expectations and economic performance are becoming increasingly interconnected. From my international role at Radisson Hotel Group, I see how important it is to prepare future leaders for this reality. For me, ESG is not a separate department, but the core of how we run a business in a sustainable and successful way, focused on revenue generation, cost optimisation, guest engagement and long-term value creation for all stakeholders. The IHAB offers a unique opportunity to contribute to future-oriented higher education and to the development of inspiring and resilient leaders in our fantastic industry.
I hope to contribute mainly by bringing an international perspective on the transformation of hospitality and the role of leadership in this process. Within Radisson Hotel Group, I am responsible for sustainability, safety & security and public affairs, because I strongly believe in the importance of resilience: the connection between sustainability, risk management, safety and long-term value creation. Hospitality operates at the intersection of many stakeholders, guests, employees, owners, investors, governments and local communities. The most successful companies will be those that create sustainable value for all of these groups. In addition, I want to inspire students to see ESG not as a compliance exercise, but as a strategic business driver that strengthens innovation, brand value and operational performance.
I look forward to exchanging insights with fellow board members, faculty and students on how the hospitality industry will continue to evolve in a rapidly changing world. I find the perspectives of young talent, especially regarding technology, purpose, inclusivity and new forms of leadership, particularly valuable. At the same time, I am interested in how educational institutions prepare students for an industry in which resilience, adaptability and stakeholder thinking are becoming increasingly important. I strongly believe that the future of hospitality will be shaped by leaders who are able to combine commercial thinking with sustainability, safety, a people‑centred approach and a long-term vision.