Director of Product Development
Beat Ehlers

Beat Ehlers, who is based in Zurich and serves Gate Gourmet as Director of Product Development for the European region, has a broad background involving diverse roles in the culinary and airline industries. 

Among Chef Beat’s current roles is the key responsibility of building culinary capabilities in Europe and exchanging best practices throughout the Gate Gourmet network, through each region’s Product Development forum. He also helps identify and standardize industrial best practices, according to material management principles, and coordinates the implementation of new and improved culinary methods, concepts and standards across Gate Gourmet in Europe.

Chef Beat got his start in the culinary arts in the early 1980s, when he completed a dual chef/waiter apprenticeship, learning the art of serving as well as cooking.  In 1988, he joined Deutsche Lufthansa GmbH in Frankfurt as a flight attendant, and in 1993 came “onboard” Gate Gourmet as a Customer Service Manager in Zurich, Switzerland. Over the last 10-plus years, Chef Beat has served in many roles of increasing responsibility with the company: Global Executive Account Manager; Director Sales & Marketing - Ligabue Gate Gourmet Italy; Director of Global Service Excellence; and Director Food Process, all in Gate Gourmet’s European regions.

Chef Beat earned his bachelor’s degree in 1993 from the Swiss Hotel Management School in Lucerne and in 2005, completed the GSBA /SUNY MBA Dual Degree program at the Graduate School of Business Administration in Zurich.