Our Story

Long ago in 1988, WIPS, Worldwide International Placement Services, was founded in Switzerland, it responded to huge recruitment demand for top qualified hotel professionals worldwide. For decades WIPS has successfully placed professionals around the world and still today we build lasting relationships. Our work echoes the Swiss Hotelier Heritage & Reputation in line with Swiss Quality, Authenticity, and Efficiency, all part of our DNA.

Heidi Breitenmoser

Heidi was born in Appenzell, Switzerland and joined WIPS in June 2017 as business partner. She graduated from the SSTH Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality, Coire, as a Hotel & Restaurant Specialist. She completed various management trainings in different luxury hotels in the French part of Switzerland and in the United States. While she continued her studies at the SHL; Swiss Hotel Management School Lucerne, she gained additional work experience in luxury hotels in the Maldives, Madrid, Spain and then traveled the world with the international luxury cruise line Silversea. After her role as Executive Assistant to the Area Vice President of the SBE company in Miami, she moved to Berlin where she acted as the Assistant to the Managing Director at the Kempinski Hotel, Bristol Berlin. Heidi speaks fluent German, French, Spanish, and English. She is also certified Yoga Teacher.

She is very much looking forward to assisting you with anything you might need at WIPS.

Roland Solenthaler

Swiss born Roland Solenthaler started his career at prestigious food and beverage establishments in Switzerland. He became an Executive Chef by the age of twenty. He then worked in several Food and Beverage Manager positions at The Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto and San Francisco Clift Hotel.

Furthermore he was the General Manager at the Swiss Pavilion Restaurant at the 1986 World Expo in Vancouver. This led to his appointment as Director of Food & Beverage for the opening of The Peninsula Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, California.

A year later an article on the front page of The New York Magazine entitled “How to start your own business” fueled Roland Solenthaler’s ambition to establish himself as an entrepreneur in New York City.

Based on the historic swiss tale of William Tell and his famous shot through the big apple, and the birth of the Swiss confederacy in 1291, he then started the 1291 Corporation, modeled after the story’s charm and his nation’s success. The article still adorns his midtown Manhattan office wall, he looks back to over 25 years entrepreneurial experience in NY as a hotel operator and Swiss restaurant owner in Times Square in Manhattan.

He gave the next generation of Swiss apprentices a chance to make it in New York City.

As founder and owner of 1291, Roland Solenthaler sees his role as a mentor for young professionals within the hospitality field, and as a driving force for his ever expanding business ventures.

Roland’s business investments have also included restaurants, B&B-Hotels, film productions, a TV show, and rare coins he has collected since the age of twelve.
 Roland is co-owner of www.wips.ch, a 30 years old recruitment agency that was founded in Switzerland and now is based out of New York WIPS.CH, Worldwide International Placement Services.

Anna Maistrenko

Before getting into the Hospitality industry Anna got her Bachelor degree in Economics and Masters in International Business in Kiev, her hometown in Ukraine. After graduation, she worked for almost 5 years in banking.

However, in 2014 Anna decided to change her career path and went to Switzerland, leader of the world hospitality education. She graduated from BHMS, Business Hotel Management School in Luzern with a diploma in Hospitality Management. There she also had a face-to-face acquaintance with Swiss standards as a management trainee in a traditional swiss restaurant.

Next, Anna decided to continue her journey in the luxury hotels of Thailand, on the islands of Phuket and Koh Samui.In 2019 Anna moved to Los Angeles, California, and started discovering the world-known hospitality brands of megapolis from the perspective of events and catering. Eventually, the path brought her to the world of “white-glove” five-star services in private aviation which added for her a whole new definition in her vision of the world of luxury hospitality.

Not so long after that, in 2021 Anna met Heidi and Roland. Anna noticed that her personal beliefs resonated with WIPS values and decided that it can be an open door to her new chapter in the luxury hospitality industry. Anna admits that this time the new duty sounded especially exciting for her because it is all about helping people to succeed.