Founder

Mrs. Nguyen Ngoc Lan, AIFD, founder and director of the International Florist Academy and School, is one of the best known designers and teachers in the Canadian and international floral industry.

Her Academic Curriculum

Mrs. Lan is a graduate of European, Traditional and Oriental (Ikebana) Floral Art. She has also studied and continues to do research in Psychology.

She chose Floral Art as a career after obtaining her degree in Chemical Engineering in Japan. She has since pursued other fields of study in Canada, such as obtaining her diploma in Acupuncture and Naturopathy.

An accredited teacher, recognized by Emploi-Quebec, Mrs. Lan is also the resource person for many organizations, helping to ensure the continued success for those in the flower industry.

In collaboration with School Commissions and Labor Centers she has travelled and given in-store training for floral designers who have been in business for awhile but who,in order to remain competitive, need their knowledge and skills upgraded so as to satisfy their clients' desire for the latest styles and designs in the industry to many in locations such as Rimouski, Sept-Iles, Baie- Comeau, Gaspesie, Matane and Iles de la Madelaine.

She is also the author of three books in floral art.

Her Professional Experience

She has many job titles and assumes many responsibilities. Among them:

Owner of two succesfuly flower shops from 1978 to 1995
She was a professor at I.T.A.A. (Institut de Technologie Agricole et Alimentaire) at St. Hyacinthe in the floral art program between 1978 to 1985.
Floral Consultant for the city of Montreal from 1983 to 1985
Vice President of the Floral Industry Development Network
Founder of the Florami Internationale Association in 1990 as well as the International Floritherapist Association in 2001
Founder of a new academic discipline, Floratherapy in 1972 and Floritherapy in 1988

Her Social Engagements

- Participant in the International Floralies of Montreal and Quebec in 1980, as well as at the Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA in 1995.

- Jury member of FTD for the American Cup in 1991 and Maple Leaf in 2000. She was also a judge during the 2002 Ouebec Floral competition. the Ouebec International Floralies and many other floral art competition across Canada.

- Named "Introductor of the Oriental Modern Floral Art" in Quebec, 1978

Her dedication to the community and her desire to be a positive influence in society earned her many recognitions, among them :

- She was Woman of the Year in 2004

- Was named one of the Great Women of the 21st Century for Development in Floritherapy by the American Biographical Institute

- Was named one of the 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century for Development in Floritherapy by the International Biographical Institute, Cambridge, England