Back in 1989, Fritz Gubler shared a bold idea with Max Player—a vision to create a hotel school in Australia that would become the leading institution not just in the country but across the entire Asia Pacific region. Both Fritz and Max knew how transformative education could be. Fast forward to 2004, Fritz and the Blue Mountains Hotel School were approached for help with the newly established Sala Baï Hotel & Restaurant School in Cambodia. This initiative was spearheaded by the French charity Agir pour le Cambodge—its name meaning “helping the Cambodians.”
Initially, the team from Blue Mountains pitched in by refining Sala Baï’s curriculum and helping the school secure better resources. But Fritz, alongside Max Player, Suzanne Stanton, Maurice Cooper, and Gavin Faull, realised Sala Baï needed even more support to thrive. With a genuine commitment to the cause, they rallied their friends and industry colleagues to join forces and contribute financially, ensuring the school’s continued success. And just like that, the Friends of Sala Baï Australia (FOSBA) came to life—a passionate group working together to make Sala Baï’s future brighter.