Officier Maître Hôtelier Ben Wirz is a hospitality and management professional with international experience in a range of different positions and businesses.

His career began over 25 years ago with an apprenticeship as a waiter in a leading five-star hotel in Basel, Switzerland. Short-term contracts in Guernsey and on an expedition cruise ship sailing in the Pacific to learn English were followed by mandatory military service in Switzerland with a logistics unit.

To advance his professional career hotel management school in Switzerland was next where he obtained a diploma, together with a personal hotel and restaurant-operating licence. Two six-month internships in the professional kitchen of a 5-star hotel in Montreux and organising events and large-scale catering for Mövenpick in Bern were part of the course.

Working on a market research survey with a marketing firm in Switzerland followed. Ben then decided to combine his liking for travel with a career. He found a job on a group of two luxury mega yachts sailing the Caribbean and Mediterranean being quickly promoted to bar manager. He perfected his service skills also the ability to build and lead successful, multicultural teams. This knowledge helped him a few years later to be Maître d’hôtel on a luxury expedition cruise ship sailing to remote areas around Australia, Southeast Asia and Antarctica.

After years of extensive travels Ben secured a job with renowned chef and entrepreneur Anton Mosimann in his exclusive London private members club as a manager. Here he made significant progress in his leadership and organisational skills. Opportunities to work with high profile personalities from business, politics and royal families ensued.

To complete an MBA at University of Surrey in England meant taking a year off. Ben graduated with merit in 2011 subsequently becoming a member of the Chartered Management Institute in the United Kingdom.

Ben enjoys eating and cooking good food and has a passion for excellent wines. Travelling to explore foreign cultures and peruse his love for water sports is high on the list. He is an experienced scuba diver and licensed sports sailor.

Since March 2012 Ben has been with GRC Global River Cruises. This growing organisation owns and operates 11 luxury river cruise ships in Europe for Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, of which all carry the plaque of the Chaîne in their restaurants on board. Ben is Managing Director with responsibility for ship operations in Europe since April 2017.

About Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises - the world's most luxurious all-inclusive river cruise line - features distinctive destination-inspired ships with an average capacity of 120 guests, expertly curated excursions, gourmet cuisine using locally sourced ingredients, and impeccable service with the highest staff-to-guest-ratio in the river cruise industry.

Based in Los Angeles, California, Uniworld offers truly all-inclusive itineraries in Europe, as well as voyages in Vietnam and Cambodia, India, Peru and Egypt - a total of 17 rivers in 26 countries worldwide.

Uniworld is a member of CLIA and is highly regarded by discerning travellers, media, and cruise industry experts. Uniworld’s overarching sustainability strategy, ‘How We Tread Right,’ encompasses goals like reducing 50% of food waste by 2025, eliminating single-use plastics, achieving net zero by 2050 and offering guests meaningful experiences in the destinations they sail through supporting local communities.

Uniworld is a member of The Travel Corporation (TTC) family of companies, which has been providing expert-led immersive travel experiences across the globe for over 100 years. (www.uniworld.com)

With appreciation to Ben Wirz, GRC Global River Cruises and to Uniworld Boutique River Cruises for the material from which this article has been prepared.