ANTHONY (TONY) BETTS is the President and CEO of Grace Hotel Management International LLC. and an associate member of the Aydon Group. He started his career in hospitality at the famed Westminster Hotel School in London and went on to study in Europe and America earning a BSc, MBA and PhD in Hospitality Management. After a successful international career in Hospitality Management, managing hotels in the Channel Islands, Zambia, South Africa and Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, Turkey, Cyprus and Azerbaijan he returned to Europe to develop and operate a chain of modern fast casual restaurants in London , Paris and Florence in partnership with the internationally renowned designer Frank Solano. Following the sale of the restaurants Tony became a partner of the design company and specialised in offering Operational Consultancy, Training and Project management to the clients. Tony also serves as an Assistant Professor of Hospitality Management at a leading Istanbul University.

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Summary of Experience & Qualifications
Developed a career in the Hotel Industry and was fortunate to be able to experience international operational management at unit and group level, training and education in both a corporate setting and at tertiary level educational institutions and international project development from concept planning, design, to project and pre-opening management, and continued to develop academic qualifications throughout his career

Education and Qualifications
Westminster Technical College Hotel School Diploma in Hotel Operation
1977 - Cornell University Summer School Hotel. (Computer Applications & Marketing)
1978 - Member MHCIMA (UK) 1988 Fellow FHCIMA
1982 - Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) American Hotel and Motel Association
1983 - Fellow of Zimbabwe Institute of Management FZIM
1992 - BSc Business Administration Pacific Western University Los Angeles USA
1993 - MBA Pacific Western University (Thesis Hotel Marketing)
1996 - PhD Hotel Management

Educational & Work Experience
1970/1972 - Head of Hotel School Evelyn Hone College, Lusaka (Zambia)
Member of the Zambian Hotel Board
He was recruited by his Alma Mater Westminster Technical College Hotel School to go to Zambia to establish a Vocational Training Centre based on British educational principles. This was funded by the British Department of International Aid and Crown Agents. The School was established on the campus of the Evelyn Hone College of Further Education and a range of full time and short courses were developed for new entrants to the hospitality sector and for the retraining of existing personnel. He completed a 30 month contract before moving back into the hospitality sector in South Africa.

1972/1975 - Food & Beverage Director and General Manager with Southern Sun Hotels in Plettenburg Bay, Durban and Cape Town. South Africa
This was a period of rapid expansion by Southern Sun and enabled him to experience the opening of new projects and the management of an established landmark 5 star property.

1975/1979 - Head of Hotel and Catering Dept. Bulawayo Technical College (Rhodesia) Chairman of Bulawayo Branch Institute of Management (Fellow)
He was invited by the Rhodesian National Tourist Board to establish a nationwide integrated education and training system for the hospitality and tourism sector. A new University entrance level management course based on the British HCIMA professional qualification was developed, and a range of vocational culinary and hotel sector training courses. All these courses and the internship programs were backed up by a team of external on job trainers working under their supervision. Graduates from the management program have gone on to manage major hotels throughout the world.

In 1977 He attended the summer school at Cornell University, New York USA and studied two courses: Hotel Marketing, and Computer Applications. During his time in Bulawayo he became a member and then fellow of the Institute of Management and taught a number of management courses, and was also elected Branch Chairman.

1979/1983 - Managing Director Cresta Hotels Ltd. Zimbabwe

After almost 4 years he became the Managing Director of one of the major Hotel groups in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. During the next 4 years he introduced management development programs within the company including the range offered by the AH&MA, and also completed the study program to become a CHA (Certified Hotel Administrator) AH&MA. He returned to Europe in 1983.

1983/1985 - Schiller International University. Course Director, (UK)
Schiller International University is an American University with campuses in London (2), Paris, Madrid, Strasburg, Switzerland and Florida USA. After 1 semester as a part-time lecturer, he was appointed as Director of Undergraduate Studies in Hospitality Management at the West Wickham campus. During his time at Schiller he was awarded a Bachelor of Business BBA degree.

1984/1986 - Church Mouse Ltd General Manager (United Kingdom) Rock Garden Restaurant (Covent Garden London) and The Trolley Stop Restaurant (Cambridge) Modern American Theme Restaurants Turnover: 4,500,000 GB Sterling

1987-2008 Solano Architecture Ltd (Director) & Grace Hotel Management Int.LLC (CEO)

In 1987 the partners of Graham Solano Design Ltd decided to design a group of American Theme Restaurants in Europe for their own account. Having secured sites in Covent Garden London, Paris and Florence, he was tasked with setting up American Bistro Concepts Ltd (Owning) and American Bistro Management Ltd (Operating) to develop and operate these restaurants under the brand "Monkey Business". The three restaurants were opened in 1988. When the Owners decided to sell the restaurants at the end of 1989 he was asked to join the design group and take responsibility for the developments in Turkey and Northern Cyprus, (they designed and developed the Sheraton Antalya, Hilton Izmir, Jasmine Court TRNC, and several other major properties during this period).

In 1993 Swissotel The Bosphorus decided to outsource their training and he was invited to join a local businessman to develop this program. In addition to all the in-house training requirements, they opened, within the Hotel, a private hotel school. Swissotel's objectives were to prepare for membership of Leading Hotels and Resorts,and to introduce a TQM (Quality Wins) program. Both objectives were achieved within 18 months.

In 1996 consultancy projects were undertaken for Eresin Topkapi (now Barcelo Topkapi) which included identifying and arranging a franchise deal with Golden Tulip Hotels and forensic management. A further project was the pre-opening management and set up of the Akmerkez Residence.

Between 1998 and 2002 he undertook further hotel and management development projects primarily for Solano Architecture in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Turkmenistan, Dubai, Oman (Hilton Salalah), Georgia (Courtyard by Marriott), Tenerife (Excel Hotels & Resorts), Budapest(Kempinski) and London.

2002- 2006 - Global Consulting Co. Istanbul, Turkey Partner.
He joined Global Consulting, a broad based Management Consulting and Training Company in early 2002 when he moved back permanently to Turkey, primarily to service the growing interest in the hospitality and tourism sector. They were also actively involved in the development of EU and World Bank funded training programs. The Global Partners are associates of the Aydon Group.

Projects included

• Feasibility study & negotiation of franchise for new 5 star Hotel Istanbul, Ramada Plaza
• Development and implementation of Corporate Training Program for Group Resort hotels in Southern Turkey.
• Feasibility Study Hotels Sanliurfa & Malatya, Afyon,Turkey
• Operational Review Group of 26 Restaurants and development and implementation of training and development program
• Operational Review Group of Hotels.
• Preparation and development of Standard Operating Policies for National Hotel Group.
• Consultancy for two major international chains wishing to develop in Turkey.
• Development and implementation of Corporate Training program Hotels & Resort Company
• Development and implementation of World Bank training projects in SE Turkey
• Development of a Chain of Budget Airport Hotels
• Development of a Private Hotel School Antalya

April 2006-Sep 2007 - Tutal & Partners Consulting Istanbul, CEO
This company formed with Mr Mehmet Tutal specialises in Capital Advisory Services for foreign investors wishing to invest in Turkey. (www.tutaltr.com)

2002-2007 - Faculty Member Yedi Tepe University Istanbul, Turkey. (Part-time)

Sep 2007 - Ass. Professor Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management. Full-time