The award recognises leaders who have made significant contributions in shaping, growing and developing the hospitality education landscape. Chanin wins the award this year because of his contributions to human capital development for the hospitality industry through initiatives such as: the Dusit Thani College, Thailand’s first hospitality management school certified by the Ministry of Education; Le Cordon Bleu Dusit, the culinary school run in partnership with the famed Paris-based institute; and the newly launched Dusit Thani Hotel School, Thailand’s first vocational hospitality school based on the Asean Common Competency Standards for Tourism Professionals.

“It is a great honour,” said Chanin. “It has been our mission to make Dusit International a success, and having it evolve from a purely hotel business to one where we are also helping the industry and training its future leaders gives me great satisfaction.”

Founded in Hong Kong in 2002, APacCHRIE is the regional advocate of hospitality and tourism education for schools, colleges and universities offering programmes in hotel and restaurant management, foodservice management and culinary arts. It is a Federation of the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education founded in 1946, the global advocate of hospitality and tourism education.