Richard Sagala
First certified butler in Montréal, Canada, trained in the Netherlands, the UK, France, Italy and Austria, Richard Sagala got his butler diploma in 2001 from the International Butler Academy (with Distinction) plus a Chauffeur certification from the Rolls-Royce & Bentley Motor Cars School of Instruction.
Richard Sagala Wine MBA is the owner and founder of the International Montreal Butler Academy (IMBA) and École In Vino Veritas (ÉIVV) a WSET accredited wine business school with a track record of a dozen business research presentations around the world;
Italian Wine Ambassador, conducting workshops for Kedge Paris Business School and University of British Columbia Wine Leaders Forum, Richard Sagala is an international wine judge.
link to Richard's Wine Journey
In Memoriam, Gérard Basset
Gérard Basset MW, MS, MSc., IMBA (Honorary) Chair of the Wine Cellar Management Program
Best Sommelier in the World (2010), Gerard Basset is the Honorary Chair of our Cellar Management Program. To create a World-class, unique IMBA Wine Cellar Management Program and IMBA Center of Excellence in Wine Education and Cellar Management requires a special talent. Gérard has occupied this function until the 16th of January 2019 when he left us. From now on, in honour of his memory, Gérard will symbolically keep his Chair title as an Honorary one.
Gérard Basset was the only person in the world to be simultaneously a Master Sommelier, Master of Wine, Wine MBA and OIV MSc. and will be a model for all students of the Art of wine.
Gérard Basset OBE (Order of British Empire) was received under the Hospitality qualification and as such, position Gérard Basset as a model for butlers.
In his honour, IMBA has created a special prize for the ASI Best Sommelier in the world qualified competitors link.