Meet Our Chefs

The Master Chefs of Le Cordon Bleu-Sookmyung Academy are from Le Cordon Bleu International, who are all experts in the industry with advanced knowledge and experiences in 5 star Hotels or restaurants.

Sébastien DE MASSARD, Executive Chef Chef Sébastien de Massard is a veteran chef who has been in charge of international cuisine classes at L’ecole Ferrandi for last 18 years. During the years of studying at L’ecole Ferrandi, he learned cuisine from Chef Matthieu Vianney, Chef Ghislaine Arabian of Ledoyen, a two star Michelin restaurant, who has been well-known as a star chef of French TV show “Top Chef”. While working at Arpège in France, Chef Massard participated in Cuisine Competition “Iron Chef” held in Kyoto with Chef Alain Passard. After moving to Ireland, he build his career at Hotel Clarence, The Morels, and Michelin one-star restaurant, Peacock Alley and one-star restaurant, The Commons. Later on, he decided to dedicate himself to culinary education which made him to start working at L’ecole Ferrandi. Le Cordon Bleu-Sookmyung is welcoming Chef Sébastien de Massard, a professional chef in culinary education joining Academy from the fall in 2019.

Roland HINNI, Cuisine Chef With 40 years of career, Chef Roland Hinni is well known as a Master Chef with working experiences at numerous deluxe hotels like Westin Hotel, Shilla Hotel, Hyatt Hotel and Ritz Carlton as an executive chef. After majoring in Cuisine and Hotel Management in Switzerland, he started building his career at the world class Hotels and Restaurants in Philippines, Egypt and UAE. He was one of the opening members and the Executive Chef of the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Seoul, leading the restaurants and the culinary team to success. He has an outstanding career not only as an opening trainer of Ritz Carlton Hotel, Japan but also as an award winner and a panel member of international culinary competitions. He now he joined Le Cordon Bleu Sookmyung Academy to spread his culinary expertise into a systematic curriculum of Le Cordon Bleu passing the legacy into the hands of Korean students.

Olivier PALLUT, Cuisine Chef Chef Olivier Pallut has built an extensive and distinguished career in several Michelin-starred restaurants in France, Germany, England and Russia. In 1996, he became Executive Chef of the prestigious Le Méridien group. Throughout his career, Chef Pallut has gained international expertise in various culinary sectors. His experience includes working in Parisian bistro-style brasseries in Russia, overseeing luxury hotel dining with Le Méridien, and contributing to the development and opening of Golden Tulip in Africa. He also worked at Mezzaluna in the Kingdom of Bahrain, earning Michelin-level acclaim, and served as a menu designer for Gulf Air. Additionally, Chef Pallut has held corporate executive positions with both Bateel Company and GNJ Company in the Middle East. In addition to his professional achievements, Chef Pallut has a strong background in culinary education. He has taught within the Le Cordon Bleu network, serving as Technical Director at Le Cordon Bleu Lebanon from 2019 to 2022, and as a Teaching Chef at Le Cordon Bleu Ozyegin in Turkey from 2014 to 2015. With his wealth of experience, technical expertise, and dedication to culinary excellence, Chef Olivier Pallut wishes to pass on this valuable knowledge to the students by joining Le Cordon Bleu-Sookmyung Academy starting in March 2025.

Jérémy BLANCHOT, Cuisine Chef With over 15 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry, Chef Jérémy Blanchot has built an impressive career in prestigious establishments across Europe and Asia. Originally from the South-East of France, he honed his craft in Michelin-starred restaurants, exclusive seasonal resorts in the French Alps and the French Riviera, as well as renowned five-star hotels in Malaysia. After joining Mandarin Oriental, Paris as Chef de Partie in 2016, he quickly rose through the ranks to become Executive Sous-Chef in 2023, working alongside acclaimed chef Thierry Marx. Throughout his career, he has played a key role in mentoring the kitchen teams, developing innovative menus, and upholding the highest standards of culinary excellence. Beyond the kitchen, he has also led major international culinary events such as a Pop-up at Mandarin Oriental Dubai, a private gala dinner at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and a hotel buyout of Mandarin Oriental Paris during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Passionate about sharing knowledge, Chef Jérémy Blanchot has joined Le Cordon Bleu- Sookmyung Academy to train future generations of chefs and inspire them with his passion for cuisine.

Alex RUFFINONI, Pâtisserie Chef Chef Alex Ruffinoni from Franche Comté of France, entered the world of pastry in his early age. He acquired diplomas after finishing his education in Vesoul at a shop which was run as a family business and also at Relais Dessert. Then he went to Paris to train the technique of pastry by joining prestigious shops like Pierre Hermé and Fauchon. Finally, he has chosen to go abroad to fulfill his passion and spirit of inquiry on pastry and human beings. After working at La Samanna in the Caribbean which is a 5-star hotel, he moved to the Le Cordon Bleu Thailand Campus as a pastry chef and worked for 3 years. Later, he worked as an executive chef at Centara Hotel in charge of R&D in Bangkok and established a consulting company to meet the numerous needs of Asian companies. After returning to France due to the pandemic, he worked as a production management chef at an R&D company located in Bézier. Finally, he decided to join Fauchon, started working as a Senior Pastry Chef at the École Fauchon Paris in Rouen and served as a R&D Chef of Fauchon Paris & International and a Trainer Chef for Fauchon shops opening abroad. He now joins us to share his rich experience and pass on his know-how to our students at Le Cordon Bleu-Sookmyung Academy.

Alexis LEBON, Boulangerie Chef Alexis Lebon started to knead doughs at the age of 15. Since then, nothing has stopped him. He honed his skill in Brittany, where he is originally from. He was trained by his mentor Mr. Sylvain Herviaux who distilled in him the value of diligence, rigor, and the quality that stems from a work well done, but above all, passion. After gaining experiences in the kitchen and holding managerial positions in bakeries, he chose to explore the world. With an appetite to discover and learn more, he ventured to Canada, Norway, and then Bulgaria. In these countries he learned to use the Astrié mill and flours different from those used in France. His intense passion and his desire for exchange and sharing led him to join the Association of Ambassadors of Bread. With a novel approach to baking, creating beautiful products with strict emphasis on nutritional and gustatory quality of the bread, Alexis, through his diverse experiences and numerous encounters, developed his own vision on baking, with an acute sense for creativity and perfection.