Professor Dr. Thorsten Merkle is on the Move

Thorsten Merkle will take up his position at the Institute of Facility Management (IFM) in November 2021 and will become head of the Hospitality Management & Services competence group from January 2022.

In his new role, he will organise and supervise research projects in the field of health care as well as in the context of customer-centric services, digital transformation and processes. In addition to his research tasks, he teaches the courses in Hospitality Management and Services at Bachelor’s, Master’s and continuing education level.

The 43-year-old enriches the IFM team with his many years of international experience in the field of hospitality and service design. Until his arrival, he was employed as Director of Studies: Service Innovation and Design at the University of Applied Sciences Graubünden. Previously, he was head of tourism education at the UAS Graubünden and a lecturer at the international hospitality and tourism management school César Ritz Colleges in Brig. Before moving to Switzerland, he developed and was responsible for the catering concept for the FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006 and in South Africa in 2010, among other things. For the globally active real estate service provider Dussmann Group, he led the central quality management.

Prof. Dr. phil. Thorsten Merkle holds a Diploma in Tourism Business Administration from Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, a Master of Business Administration from Euro FH Hamburg and a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE) from the University of Derby. In 2017, he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business and Management from the University of Gloucestershire. A keen amateur pilot, he is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a member of the Institute of Hospitality and the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education. His research interests include service design and consumer behaviour.

“We are very pleased to soon welcome Thorsten Merkle to the IFM College and Institute Management Team,” says Institute Director Antje Junghans. “With his broad expertise and international network, he brings the best prerequisites to strengthen and further develop the teaching and research area.”