Tribute to Henri Magne, a Key Figure in Vatel’s International Development

Henri Magne was Director of Vatel’s International Department until 2012. He passed away on January 4, 2026, and Alain Sebban, Founder and President of the Vatel Group, paid tribute to him at his funeral on January 12.

Dear Mr. Magne,

I learned of your passing with infinite sadness.

Today my heart is heavy, for I have lost the man who was my closest collaborator, my traveling companion, without whom the Vatel Group would not have become what it is today.

A graduate of the Paris Hotel School and of Cornell University in the United States, you spent the first part of your career in the hospitality industry. You were a manager and then a director in leading groups of the time, notably InterContinental, Le Méridien, and Frantel.

In Switzerland, France, and Martinique, you encouraged the women and men who worked alongside you to uphold, at the highest level, the French art of hospitality.

As the years passed by, you focused your attention on passing on your knowledge. You then joined the network of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry to improve hospitality and tourism education.

In 1992, our meeting marked a turning point in our respective lives.
You agreed to take on the management of Vatel Paris.

Together with Mrs. Pouzet, the sister of Mrs. Sebban, you formed for seven years a remarkable and benevolent duo, whose encouragement and kindness are still remembered by the students of that time.

Jérémie de Fombelle, now CEO of the Esprit de France Group – Hotels & Demeures – told us how grateful he was that you helped him start in this career in this fascinating industry. It is thanks in part to you that he succeeded in both his professional and personal life.

At Vatel Paris, you were already passing on to students the Vatel values that you always embodied: openness, sharing, commitment, respect, and kindness. You helped them grow and guided them toward success.

You also patiently built a deep and highly specialized knowledge of higher education and the hospitality and tourism sector. This made you a recognized expert, called upon to speak on these subjects all over the world.

In 1999, I asked you to help develop Vatel beyond France. You said yes. That was the beginning of a wonderful adventure during which we formed another exceptional partnership.

I was overflowing with ideas that I did not know how to bring to life. You loved building and implementing projects all the way through to their completion.

Very quickly, we created Vatel Hospitality Consulting. Through this, you built a valuable global network within ministries of tourism, embassies, hotel groups, public and private universities, and associations dedicated to hospitality and tourism professions.

In 2001, while in Bangkok, you were informed by Dr. Sompid Kattyapikul, that Silpakorn University wished to open a hospitality program. You proposed conducting a market study.

With the French Embassy and Edufrance, you met with national tourism and hospitality authorities, executives from major international hotel chains, and the headquarters of Accor Asia. Once your report was completed, you submitted it to the university, which in 2002 agreed to launch the Vatel program.

That first contract signing was the most memorable moment you ever gave me—because together we knew that the doors of the world were now open to us.

From then on, as a tireless worker, you traveled the globe and, in barely ten years, helped create sixteen Vatel schools outside France.

Dear Mr. Magne, until your retirement in 2012, Vatel owes you the openings of

• Mexico and Tunis in 2002,
• Bangkok in 2003,
• Buenos Aires, Marrakech, and Moscow in 2005,
• Manila in 2007,
• Los Angeles and Salta in 2008,
• Mauritius, Kazan, and Madrid in 2009,
• Singapore and Switzerland in 2010,
• Asunción and Saigon in 2011.

During this decade, you demonstrated not only your professional excellence but also your deep loyalty to the Vatel Group.

You initiated the annual International Conventions and defined the themes of their programs.

You also promoted the creation of the Vatel International Research Center in Tourism and Hospitality and its annual publications.

It was therefore natural to appoint you in 2012 as Advisor to the President, a role you honored to date.

During your years at Vatel, you also built strong friendships. I think of Régis Glorieux in Bordeaux, Alexey Riabov in Moscow, Sompid Kattyapikul in Bangkok, Saïd Boukili in Mexico, Alain Auneveux in Buenos Aires, Laetitia Delarmante in Manila, and many others.

I cannot name them all, but I can assure you that the many messages we have received show the immense affection they felt for you.

You were a joyful and hardworking man—optimistic and pragmatic, discreet and efficient.

You were also a man deeply committed to the nonprofit world. You were involved in

·       France Qualité Formation,

·       the French Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism,

·       the World Association for Hospitality and Tourism Education,

·       the International Association of Hotel Schools,

 

·       and above all, EURHODIP, the International Association for Education and Training in Tourism and Hospitality.

 Together, we contributed to its creation and growth. And when I decided not to renew my term as President, it felt natural to me that you should succeed me.

But you were a man of action. You preferred to remain the dynamic Vice President you had always been since 1992.

In this role, you were responsible for the accreditation of quality labels under the Eurhoqual program and for defining the themes of the annual conferences.

Paulo Revés, President of EURHODIP, shared this beautiful tribute:

Henri left an indelible mark on the history of EURHODIP.
His constant commitment, vision, and energy were decisive for the development of our association, as well as for the promotion of education, training, and excellence in hospitality and tourism in Europe and beyond.
A man of conviction and values, Henri was recognized for his intellectual rigor, his team spirit, and his deep humanity. He passionately defended the fundamental role of education as a driver of progress, while remaining close to people, attentive to individual paths, and generous in sharing his experience.
Beyond his professional responsibilities, Henri was above all a man of heart: a devoted husband, a loving father, and a loyal friend. Those who had the privilege of working with him will remember a man who was deeply committed, upright, and kind.
Today, EURHODIP loses far more than a Vice President. We lose a reference, a builder, and a key figure in our community. From this day forward, nothing will be quite the same.

Dear Mr. Magne, that is a perfect summary of the man you were.

Dear Mrs. Magne, dear Laurent, dear Delphine, dear Pierre: Mr. Magne was a precious companion to me.
Vatel owes him its international reputation. I sincerely thank you today for allowing him to devote so much of himself to Vatel.

Dear Mr. Magne, the time has come for us to say goodbye and to tell you this: you will forever remain my friend.

Alain Sebban
Founder and President of the Vatel Group
Lyon, January 12, 2026