Faculty & Staff

Faculty, Bakery & Pastry

Sayed Sameer is a seasoned bakery and pastry chef with over 15 years of rich experience in food and beverage operations, specializing in bakery production and team management. He is currently working as a Pastry Junior Sous Chef with Carnival Cruises and has previously held leadership roles at Le Canapé Bakery, TajSats, Qatar Airways Catering, and other prestigious establishments. His expertise spans across kitchen operations, recipe standardization, quality control, and training. He is also a certified professional in food safety and fire safety, with international exposure and experience in cruise lines, hotels, and educational institutions.

Faculty, Hot Kitchen

Ashley N. J. Furtado is an accomplished culinary professional with over 12 years of experience across leading cruise lines and luxury hotels. He is seeking a Lecturer position in Hospitality or Hotel Management, bringing hands-on expertise in food production, kitchen operations, hygiene standards, and international cuisines. Ashley has worked with Saga, TUI, and P&O Cruises, as well as The Leela and Hyatt. His strengths include staff training, menu planning, and compliance with global culinary standards. A graduate in Hotel Management, he also holds UK Level 2 & 3 certifications in food safety and is passionate about mentoring future hospitality professionals.

Head Chef – Faculty 

With decades of experience in world-class onshore and offshore hospitality ventures, Chef Patrick Albert is a veritable repository of foundational knowledge, technique and culinary business management. He is a member of the prestigious Académie Culinaire de France and was named Maître Cuisinier de France in 2014, an enviable title given to the highest class of chefs charged with preserving French cuisine. The past decade has seen Chef Albert spearhead operations on Disney Magic and Disney Wonder as executive chef, and later set up the popular Remy restaurant on Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, while working with Michelin-starred chef Arnaud Lallement and 5 Diamonds chef Scott Hunnel. He offers valuable expertise in hands-on management; maintaining exceptional standards of service and quality, ethics and hygiene; and fine dining, with specialties in kosher cooking and healthy cooking.

Faculty, Chef

Following his dream, Paul Fernandes started his career in the kitchens of Taj Intercontinental in Colaba, steadily moving up the ladder to the top, filling roles that offered him a wide range of skills. He has worked with major luxury cruise lines including Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International, and also garnered experience with shore operations at Sandalwood Hotels, Acacia Palms and Taj Hotels. To round out his skills, he studied management at leading institutes in Austria and Miami before moving on to sharing his experience as a recruiter and trainer at culinary institutes.

Faculty, Bakery & Pastry

Chef Playton Dias is a master of cuisine and an expert in efficiency. With over 18 years of culinary experience, Chef Playton has established himself as an exceptional bakery and pastry chef. He has been passionate about culinary arts since a young age and has honed his skills over the years, turning himself into a highly skilled, efficient and detail-oriented individual.

With a desire to make the industry more gastronomical, Chef Playton Dias utilized his time off to train young chefs in the art of preparing delectable meals. His experience in over 9 cruise liners over the past 12 years as well as his excellent communication and creativity enables him to effectively manage teams and consistently achieve goals. Chef Playton is eager to bring his passion for culinary arts to you.

Before graduating with a B.Sc. Catering Science & Hotel Management from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. Chef Playton did a one year Craftsmanship Course in Food Production & Patisserie at the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition, Alto Porvorim, Goa. Followed by a course in Indian Academy of Catering Technology & Culinary Arts Hyderabad.

Faculty, Chef

Pratiksha Dessai is a seasoned chef with 4 years of experience working in international five-star hotels and 7 years of teaching Food Production at hotel management institutes. With a strong academic background in Hotel and Tourism Management, Pratiksha is known for her systematic and organized approach, excellent teamwork, and time management skills. She is passionate about upgrading her culinary skills through ongoing education and industry engagement. Her career spans roles as a chef and lecturer, demonstrating her dedication to both the culinary arts and education.

Faculty, English Communication

Berlina Dias is a highly driven and motivated professional who combines her international experience in client relations, training and coaching to provide students with holistic language development. With 15+ years of experience in offering world-class customer service, Berlina has proven herself to be an exceptional professional. Her people skills, dedication, and patience enables her to bring hands-on, real world experience in language, administration and technology to the table. 

She has an Internationally Certified Post Graduate Diploma in Master Trainer-L&D And Soft Skills and has completed her Diploma in Hotel Management & Catering Technology from Nosso Lar Educational Center- Margao Goa. She is presently pursuing her certification in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming).

Wearing many hats, before joining Kamaxi, Berlina was a Guest Relations Executive at the Royal Goan Beach Resorts Ltd, she was also a F&B Service Facilitator at the Mahindra group of Companies as well as an Administrative Assistant Fleet Maritime Services International Ltd (Carnival Co) at Southampton, United Kingdom for 7 years.

Berlina enjoys traveling to historical destinations, especially visiting and learning about ancient ruins. Cooking and learning global, traditional and local cuisines; collecting recipe books and spices as well as writing poems.

Faculty, English Communication

Vishakha Bhonsale is a passionate educator with extensive experience in English teaching and a deep commitment to continuous growth in the field of English Literature. With a strong academic background and expertise in both classroom instruction and research, she brings innovative teaching methods and valuable insights to every role she undertakes. 

Faculty , Chef

Alison Melroy Fernandes is a highly motivated chef with a strong desire to build a successful career within the culinary world. With excellent organizational skills and a quick learning ability, Alison effortlessly fits into existing established environments. Utilizing talent, skills, and extensive experience, Alison develops compelling menus, engages staff, and creates positive and memorable dining experiences for customers while upholding the highest standards.

Alison’s work experience includes working as an Executive Chef at Karma Royal Palms, Benaulim overseeing all culinary operations at the hotel, experience as a Sous Chef at M/s Nimbus contributing to the culinary team’s success and a stint on Aida Cruises as Demi Chef De Partie showcasing dedication and skill onboard.

Alison Melroy Fernandes is a dedicated and skilled chef who consistently strives for culinary excellence. With a passion for creating remarkable dining experiences, Alison’s talent, experience, and commitment contribute to the success of any culinary establishment.