Introducing Kepler
International Hospitality Academy
In the hyper-connected world of the 21st century, large new populations of eco-conscious luxury travellers and an affluent younger generation are demanding impact-positive or regenerative hospitality and tourism, in tune with the way they live. In response to these demands, tourism and hospitality models must create new concepts with positive impact fully integrated into the services, offering clients highquality authentic experiences, through discovery, interaction and exchange.
As the global marketplace changes, old consumption models of tourism and hospitality need reinventing. Increasingly, we are seeing the emergence of a post-material world, where true value lies in authenticity, discovery and deeper well-being. New luxury is about a sense of freedom, of entering a timeless space where everything about the way we live is naturally positive in its impact.
Delivering impact-positive service models in the business of luxury hospitality requires acute awareness, rigorous discipline and a deep understanding of the essence of what we do, combined with business and leadership skills of the highest order. It’s a challenging combination.
This is why we have created the Kepler International Hospitality Academy (KIHA). Our mission? To develop a new generation of industry leaders to redefine and deliver a new form of elevated luxury in hospitality. Training with the Academy will equip senior professionals to design, deliver and manage new positive-impact hospitality and tourism models.
KIHA’s Unique Educational Model
Learning at KIHA focuses on personal growth and development for hospitality managers and leaders, as well as the acquisition of new business skills and insights. Our philosophy is to develop the unique strengths of each participant. Practically, we have organised the programme around three core themes.
DEEP SERVICE
HOSPITALITY
Trends in luxury hospitality and tourism today. New perspectives on hospitality and service. A fresh look at service design using the ‘Listening Hotel’ concept. Evaluating how to make the paradigm shift consumer and planet require.
POSITIVE-IMPACT
BUSINESS MODELS
Acquiring sustainability knowledge and skills for hospitality. Challenging today’s industry business strategies and value chains, and interrogating existing management practices, including people development, to integrate impact.
SELF-MASTERY AND LEADERSHIP CAPACITY
Self-mastery and leadership capacity. Tailored individual coaching and codevelopment with peers throughout the programme. Study and hands-on practice of arts and crafts disciplines, including specific Japanese traditions related to hospitality and guests’ wellbeing. Focus on personal leadership development through deepened self-awareness.
We build understanding by applying lessons from international case studies and beacon examples to participants’ own business challenges and projects in their individual workplaces. Each participant will be guided by a personal tutor or mentor, whose task is to ensure that all three streams of learning are integrated, and their interrelation is fully understood and internalised by the participant.
Schools of hospitality management tend to emphasise technical and financial subjects at the expense of personal development, service and cultural aspects. Kepler’s intensive, experience-based approach to the development of senior hospitality managers is unique in the international business school world. We balance the three dimensions of business models, service culture and leadership in an holistic way, in order to equip our participants to anticipate and satisfy emerging needs in the luxury hospitality marketplace – essential for a reimagined approach to our business today.
The Team Behind KIHA
JANNES SÖRENSEN
When Jannes joined The Beaumont Hotel in London he became one of the UK’s youngest GMs, and in five years had transformed the hotel into an award-winning landmark destination, with accolades including TripAdvisor’s #2 Luxury Hotel in the UK, one of the top 25 luxury hotels in the world, AA London Hotel of the Year, and Best Independent Hotel in the World. He was awarded the title of World’s Best General Manager two years in a row. His influential ethos centres on cultivating meaningful relationships with guests and co-workers alike, believing all else flows from there. He has a Master Certificate in the Essentials of Hospitality Management from Cornell University, where he also completed the General Managers Course as a St Julian Scholar.
Jannes started his journey as a concierge, working his way up with roles at the world’s most prestigious fivestar hotels, including the Kempinski Hotel Adlon in Berlin, the Four Seasons George V in Paris, the RitzCarlton Hotel Arts in Barcelona, and The Plaza Hotel in New York City. Prior to joining The Beaumont, he was Director of Rooms and a member of the Executive Planning Committee at Le Bristol in Paris, and Director of Rooms at The Connaught in London.
PHILIPPE KRENZER
In our KIHA Senior Executive Development Programme, Phillippe Krenzer is our lead on Deep Service Innovation, is our joint programme lead, co-facilitator and brings decades of expertise to his roles as Participant Mentor and Development Coach.
Phillippe’s career has spanned senior leadership roles in some of the world’s finest hotels. Positions include General Manager of the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, and Hotel Manager at The Savoy and Claridge’s in London, the Oberoi in Bali, and the Omni in Hong Kong. In 2005, Philippe launched Philippe Krenzer and Associates (PKA), specialising in luxury hospitality, consulting and training. Philippe also teaches on the MBA at HEC Paris and is visiting Professor of Strategy at Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Switzerland.
JACOB MAYNE
Jacob Mayne’s many years in senior roles in HR and change leadership experience are all drawn upon in his roles as joint programme lead,
co-facilitator, Impact Integration lead, Participant Mentor and Development Coach to the KIHA Senior Executive Development Programme.
A UK national based in Paris, Jacob spent 20 years in HR, brand strategy, business development and innovation for Unilever (food & beverage), 13 of which were spent in Japan and Asia. He was both CEO and consultant in the museum sector for the Australian and French ministries of culture, spent 15 years as a consultant in strategy for change and sustainability, including seven years’ leadership coaching at Turning Point. In 2005, Jacob co-founded Change Leaders, followed by New Angles in 2009. He teaches, creates programmes and supervises in business schools, HEC Paris, Oxford Saïd, Geneva University, Sciences Po and Les Roches.
KENICHIRO YOKOYAMA
Joining us as Programme Director leading the Kyoto Module. Kenichrio Yokoyama has enjoyed a 37-year career in luxury hospitality. Best known as a missionary for authenticity in hospitality, Kenichiro has consistently championed a rare commitment to purpose, and is widely celebrated for his marriage of excellence, humility, precise attention to detail, and exceptional and meaningful leadership.
His professional journey has taken him through key roles in Tokyo, the United States, Malaysia, Sydney, Osaka, and Kyoto, during which time he has been instrumental in redefining modern luxury in hopitality. Utilising his extensive network and industry standing, Kenichiro continues to advocate for Kyoto’s transformation into a sustainable international tourist city. He is dedicated to enhancing the region’s social, environmental, and economic activities through the evolving landscape of the hospitality industry.
