Born in Stuttgart, West Germany in 1942, Kurt Fischer made his apprenticeship at the Reichsbahn Hotel in Stuttgart from 1960 to 1963, and graduated from the Hotel School in Bad Ueberkingen. His interest in food, beverage, and travel blossomed when he worked at the Villars Palace Hotel in Switzerland.
During the off-season periods, the Chef of the Villars’ Palace sent Kurt to several European countries. One of the trips took him to the Cavalieri Hilton in 1965 as First Commis, and later that same year as Chef Gardemanger. From 1966 to 1969, he was Sous Chef of the Tunis Hilton; and in 1970, he opened the Madagascar Hilton as Executive Chef. By 1971, he was back at the Tunis Hilton as Executive Chef, a position he held until 1974. During this time, Kurt obtained his Master's Degree in Culinary Arts from the Hotel School of Bad Reichenhall, West Germany.
After training in London and Brussels, Kurt was appointed Food & Beverage Manager of the Teheran Hilton. In 1978, he transferred to the Nile Hilton as the Executive Assistant Manager in charge of Food and Beverage. After two years at the Nile Hilton, he was appointed Area Director of Food & Beverage for the Middle East. This area soon expanded to include hotels in Greece, Cyprus, the Arabian Peninsula, and the East African region, for a total of 22 operations. In February, 1984, Kurt was appointed Manager of the Hilton International Al Ain, and in 1987, General Manager of the Bahrain Hilton.
In September 1988, Kurt accepted the position of Corporate Director of Food & Beverage for Westin Hotels & Resorts. He was appointed Vice President of Food & Beverage in October of 1991 to oversee these operations of all Westin hotels and resorts worldwide.
During 1994 and 1995, Kurt also assumed operational responsibilities for Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. He supervised the openings in Langkawi and Chiang Mai, and negotiated the total renovation of the Philippine Plaza. In the latter part of 1995, Kurt led a team of Westin Executives to negotiate Westin’s entry into Europe, an effort culminated by the signing of an agreement with eight Westin Demeure hotels.
In September 1998 Kurt joined Racke USA International as Executive Vice President and General Manager. His main task was to build an international network of distributors, and to conduct Wine Tasting and Training events throughout the world.
In January 2000 Kurt established his own International Food & Beverage Consulting and Wine Broker Company. Two of his major customers are Sofitel Hotels & Resorts with over 150 hotels and resorts on 6 continents, and Villeroy & Boch.
In addition to his business responsibilities, Kurt remained a member of the Conseil d'administration of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs for more than twenty years. In 1994, he was appointed Conseiller International des Professionels, overseeing all hotel and restaurant professional members worldwide. Kurt was elected Grand Chancelier - President of this organization in April of 2001, which has representation in over 100 countries around the world. During his time as President, Kurt inducted new members on four continents, and was responsible for the addition of several new National Bailliages.
He is also a member of the world's oldest wine society, the Jurade de St. Emilion. Through his efforts in various societies, he was awarded the Medal of the City of Paris in 1986, and in 1990, the Medal of the City of Cognac. In 1991, Kurt received the first Robert Mondavi Social Responsibility Award, and Restaurant Wine Magazine's Wine Marketer of the Year award.
While leader of a small group of food and beverage professionals in 1994, Kurt founded the International Food & Beverage Forum. As president of the Forum, he is instrumental in its expansion over 5 continents, and for the establishment of its Educational Endowment Fund, which awards annual scholarships to young hospitality professionals. Since 1997 this organization has established a close relationship with Johnson & Wales University, and awarded 40 scholarships to students at the Culinary and Hospitality Colleges. Kurt also visits the University as Distinguished Guest Lecturer several times a year. His efforts were rewarded in May 2001 when an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration in Foodservice Management was bestowed upon him.
In 1995, Kurt received the International Food Manufacturer’s Silver Plate award as “Food Service Operator of the Year.” During 1997, he was honored with the Tibbitts Food and Beverage Leadership Award; the “From Mind to Menu” 1997 Visionary Award, given by The Food Group and Creative Food Solutions; and the Food Arts Silver Spoon Award.
