LRA Worldwide CEO Rob Rush to Speak at the Leading Swiss Hotel School, Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne

Horsham, PA, February 05, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Rob Rush, President & CEO of LRA Worldwide, Inc., has been invited to visit Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) as part of its Distinguished Speaker Series. Rush will address approximately 150 students and faculty members on 13 February, joining a distinguished roster of speakers to participate in the program since its inception in 2003.

Rush’s speaking topic is titled "Designing Great Customer Experiences” and will focus on LRA Worldwide's work on creating and delivering memorable customer experiences with leading brands both inside and outside of the hospitality industry. LRA Worldwide is the leading provider of Quality Assurance Evaluations and Brand Assurance Audits for the global hospitality industry, and also provides a variety of additional “guest experience” measurement and improvement offerings in hospitality and beyond. Clients include such industry leaders at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, Marriott International, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and InterContinental Hotels Group; outside of hospitality, LRA counts the National Basketball Association, Chelsea FC, International Speedway Corp., Sunrise Senior Living and BMW of North America as clients.

“We at EHL are delighted that Mr. Rush has agreed to spend a day on our campus interacting with our students and, most importantly, delivering a keynote address as part of the EHL Distinguished Speaker Series," said Demian Hodari, Professor of Strategic Management at EHL and the Founder/Director of the Distinguished Speaker Series.

"The concept of service excellence is an important part of the academic and theoretical literature and is often discussed in our courses. Therefore, having someone of Mr. Rush’s stature, experience and knowledge here to share interesting and contemporary ways in which hotels can achieve this, and therefore improve their competitiveness, is of great value to our community.”

Rush is the latest in a list of prominent industry professionals to take part in the series, which offers 3rd and 4th year students the opportunity to interact with industry leaders and engage in an involved dialogue about challenges facing the hospitality industry. Past participants include Arne Sorenson (CEO, Marriott International), Sir Rocco Forte (Chairman, Rocco Forte Hotels), Anders Nissen (CEO, Pandox AB) and Kirk Kinsell (President – Americas, InterContinental Hotels Group).

“We have had a number of EHL graduates working at LRA Worldwide over the years and have always found them to be knowledgeable and industry-savvy,” said Rush. “As we keep growing internationally, EHL will continue to play a role in educating the next generation of LRA consultants and analysts, so it is personally rewarding for me to be at least a small voice in that education."

Within the past year, LRA has grown its business in EMEA and AP, taking on client projects with Accor, Rotana Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt International, Jumeirah Hotels, Regal Hotels International, Anantara Hotels & Resorts and Onyx Hospitality. With regional operational offices in Salzburg, Austria and Singapore, LRA now supports a workforce that is nearly 30-percent based outside of the United States.