Sue Townshend joined Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand in 2015 and is proud to serve as Head of School, providing strategic and academic leadership across all programmes and operations. Originally from England, Sue brings over 30 years of experience in hospitality, business, and tertiary education, combining practical industry knowledge with a strong commitment to high-quality teaching and learning.

Sue holds a Master of Tertiary Education, a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, alongside professional chef and accounting qualifications. This diverse academic and professional foundation supports her broad leadership portfolio across academic quality, programme development, compliance, and institutional management. Her career spans extensive experience as a chef, educator, and senior manager, enabling her to bridge the worlds of hospitality practice, business acumen, and academic excellence.

Sue is a recipient of the Wisenet Outstanding Performance Award and the Ako Aotearoa Supreme Award, recognising her leadership, innovation, and contribution to tertiary education. She is passionate about fostering a culture of professionalism, creativity, and inclusivity, and is committed to ensuring that Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand continues to inspire the next generation of culinary and hospitality professionals.

Dr Naresh Nayak, is a Senior Lecturer and Research Manager and serves as the Programme Lead for the Master of Applied Hospitality Management (MAHM). Born in southern India, he was inspired by his father’s transition from farming to hotel management-an experience that shaped his enduring passion for hospitality and tourism. With over 20 years of academic experience, Dr. Nayak has taught extensively across hospitality, tourism, events, and marketing, and has made significant contributions to curriculum design, programme accreditation, and student mentoring across multiple international contexts.

His research focuses on sustainability, water conservation in accommodation settings, religious and pilgrimage tourism, and visitor behaviour. He has published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including the International Journal of Hospitality Management, Tourism Recreation Research, and Current Issues in Tourism. His scholarly work has received several recognitions, including the Early Career Researcher Award (CTS Asia Pacific), Best Paper Award (Bangkok), and the COVID-19 Response Recognition Award from the Prime Minister of New Zealand. His collaborative research contributions have also been acknowledged by Otago Business School. In addition to his research and teaching roles, Dr. Nayak serves as an Associate Editor for Cogent Social Sciences and is an Editorial Review Board Member for Sustainability in Tourism and Hospitality, reflecting his active engagement in advancing scholarship and academic service within the field.

George Jarjoura, from Beirut Lebanon, graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. He worked in the food and beverage sector at the Intercontinental Hotel in Beirut. Then moved to Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia where he continued in the Food and Beverage field working in significant managerial positions at prestigious establishments, before joining the training department and later moving into the education sector. In 2015 he completed a Master of Business Administration in Marketing and Innovations from Glion University in Switzerland.

George has been residing in New Zealand for more than 8 years with a teaching journey that spans across institutions in both New Zealand and the Middle East. Committed to developing his pedagogical skills, he completed a degree in Adult and Tertiary Teaching in Wellington, pushing to aspire professionals in the culinary arts and hospitality sector and set a strong example for our future hospitality leaders.

Angelo's interest in wine and business stemmed from working in his family's winery in Franciacorta, Italy. Angelo graduated from the University of Milan with a Bachelor of Science in Viticulture and Enology and a Master in Agricultural Science. He developed and broadened his expertise by working at the world-renowned Ca del Bosco winery as operation manager and winemaker. Ca del Bosco's ultra-premium sparkling and still wines are well-renowned as being among the most exciting new wave Italian wines. Angelo's collaboration with some of New Zealand's most famous and iconic wine producers was influenced by the same cultural legacy. First, at Wither Hills, then at Indevin, Marlborough's largest wine producer.

After collaborating professionally with Wine-searcher, Angelo pursued a second Master's in Business and Digital Marketing in Auckland. He then established a partnership with WineDott, focusing on digital marketing and export in the wine industry.The educational projects he runs are with well-known international partners, media and universities (AUT Auckland, ISVV Bordeaux, Uni Milan, BBS Bologna and Cattolica International in Piacenza).

At the beginning of 2024, Angelo joined Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand in Wellington as Lecturer in Business and Culinary Arts: “Bringing my passions and expertise to the students is its own enriching journey”.