The first woman and youngest person to hold the position of Executive Dean of Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) since the creation of the school in 1893, Dr. Inès Blal assumed the deanship in August 2017. Inès holds a PhD in Strategic Management in Hospitality and Tourism from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, an MBA in Hospitality Administration from EHL, and a bachelor’s degree in International Business from the INSEEC Group.

Inès joined EHL in 2006, as a lecturer, while she was completing her doctoral dissertation. She designed and taught undergraduate, graduate, and executive courses and managed multiple applied research and consulting projects for the hotel industry. During her eleven years of experience in research and teaching strategic management for the hospitality industry, Inès served as the co-director of Graduate Studies and held an active role in the steering committees overseeing EHL programs. She gained expertise in curriculum development, implementation of innovative teaching practices, academic governance, and program accreditation in Europe, North Africa, and the United States.

Her research and consulting works focus on the asset light model, the execution of expansion strategies, the financing possibilities for small and medium hotels, and the effect of distribution choices on sales performance. Inès publishes in the leading hospitality journals, collaborates with executives and presents at industry conferences.

Inès was named Best EHL Researcher of the Year in 2013 and is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. Prior to her academic career, Inès worked in the catering business and joined the board of a hotel group in 2004.