About Elie
Claimed by the mountains
Elie Khatami built Zermatt Alpine Concierge from a life shaped by movement, culture, trust, and the mountain community she calls home.
The founder
An American story, shaped by the Alps.
Elie’s path to Zermatt was shaped by movement, culture, trust, and a lifelong pull toward mountain places.
A proud American of Iranian heritage, Elie Khatami has lived across Arizona, New York, Atlanta, Singapore, Shanghai, and Switzerland. Long before Zermatt became part of her story, she was drawn to wild landscapes, movement, and the discipline of building trust across cultures.
Her path eventually led to Switzerland, and then to Zermatt, a village that became more than a destination. It became a community, a calling, and the foundation for a concierge service built around preparation, relationships, and the right people by your side.
Global experience
20+ years of leadership, translated into personal service.
With a career spanning 20+ years as a senior executive and Vice President at Honeywell Aviation and GE Vernova, Elie has led global teams across the United States, Asia and Europe.
She brings that same precision, preparation and attention to detail to every Zermatt experience she coordinates.
Local relationships
Not just familiar with Zermatt. Known here.
Elie first arrived in Switzerland in 2012 and made Zermatt her home from 2019 to 2021. Over years of living, climbing, skiing, and returning to the village, she built trusted relationships with the people who make Zermatt feel personal.
These are not anonymous vendor connections. They are local relationships built through time, care, and real experience in the village.
Five summits and treks
The mountain is not scenery. It is part of the story.
Elie summited the Matterhorn in September 2021 and Mount Fuji in August 2025. Upcoming: Mont Blanc July 2026, Kilimanjaro August 2026, and Machu Picchu via the Salkantay Trek September 2026.
Switzerland
Matterhorn
September 20214,478 m
Zermatt, Switzerland
Japan
Mount Fuji
August 20253,776 m
Japan
France
Mont Blanc
July 2026 (upcoming)4,808 m
Chamonix, France
Tanzania
Kilimanjaro
August 2026 (upcoming)5,895 m
Tanzania, Africa
Peru
Machu Picchu
via the Salkantay Trek
September 2026 (upcoming)Peru
Why it exists
Because the first days should not be wasted finding your footing.
For years I helped friends, colleagues and family plan their Zermatt trips — coordinating guides, restaurants, hotels, transfers and mountain experiences. Everyone kept asking me. It had no name because it did not need one. Until the day I realized — every North American coming to Zermatt deserves this level of preparation and care. That is when Zermatt Alpine Concierge was born.
Year after year, Elie saw travelers arrive in Zermatt full of excitement, only to lose valuable time figuring out ski access, transfers, restaurant timing, local guidance, and the rhythm of the village.
Zermatt Alpine Concierge exists to remove that uncertainty, so the trip starts with clarity, confidence, and the right local support from day one.
Start your inquiry
Start before you arrive
Experience Zermatt through someone who knows it personally.
Share your travel dates, priorities, and plans before you book. Elie and her trusted local network will help shape the right preparation around your stay.