2023 Panel elections
Below you will find the profiles of the individuals nominated for the WYSE Travel Confederation Sector Panels.
Management Board nominations
Abby
Holland
Operations Director
What Media
Sébastien
Leitner
VP of Strategic Partnerships
Cloudbeds
Vicki
Cunningham
CEO
JENZA, BUNAC & USIT
Abby Holland
Company: What Media
Job title: Operational Director
How many years has your organisation been a continuous member? 6
Which Sector Panel do you fall under? Management Board
Years of relevant experience you have for this role: 6
Please give a full outline of your professional and personal experience and skills that are relevant to your application:
I was instrumental in the creation of the board for What Media and have served as a member since its inception in 2020.
I am responsible for contributing to the agenda, taking minutes, and ensuring the necessary points are actioned in
advance of the following meeting. I bring a holistic perspective to the meetings; covering business strategy, business
operations and team management.
My current role and previous experience has utilised and developed a multitude of skills including sales, business
development, account management, client services, team management, project management and business operations.
I have personally taken part in a number of youth and student travel programmes including study abroad, and work and
holiday. I spent my second year of university studying at The University of Oklahoma where I was fortunate enough to
experience another education system, culture, and student living experience. In my final year of university, I completed
a week long charity hitchhike to Krakow; using multiple transport methods. After graduating, I secured a work and travel
visa for Australia, working in multiple locations across the country; including hospitality roles, and farm work, and also
travelled across both islands of New Zealand. These experiences ignited my passion for travel, and allowed me to gain
a huge appreciation from the benefits of youth travel.
During my employment at What Media, I have worked with many WYSE members including IENA, Tru Travels and
Green Lion. These jobs have allowed me to experience additional youth and student travel programmes including:
summer camp in America, sailing adventures in Greece, and cultural exchange in countries such as China and
Madagascar. From these jobs I have both developed relationships within in the industry, and broadened my
understanding of the customer demographic.
In no more than 25 words please state why you are perfect for this position:
I possess strong interpersonal, organisational and critical thinking skills, and can offer the perspective from a female
under 35.
Sébastien Leitner
Company: Cloudbeds
Job title: Director
How many years has your organisation been a continuous member? 12
Which Sector Panel do you fall under? Accommodation
Years of relevant experience you have for this role: 12
Please indicate any relevant qualifications you have for this role:
Board Member of HEDNA for 8 years
Treasurer of HEDNA for 2 years
President of HEDNA for 3 years
Please give a full outline of your professional and personal experience and skills that are relevant to your application:
Sébastien Leitner is VP of Strategic Partnerships at Cloudbeds, the industry’s leading hospitality management platform. His team is dedicated to partnering with best-in-class service providers and distribution partners that complement the Cloudbeds platform in enhancing and automating workflows for lodging businesses worldwide. The team also oversees Cloudbeds Horizon, which brings Cloudbeds technology into the classrooms of the world’s top hospitality schools and universities.
Sébastien is an industry veteran who began his hospitality career in Europe working at Le Meridien and Swissotel, before moving on to Expedia to work in various roles managing lodging connectivity. Based in Montréal, Sébastien has been at Cloudbeds since 2017 and has served as board member and President of HEDNA, the world’s leading industry association for travel distribution
In no more than 25 words please state why you are perfect for this position:
As a pragmatic optimist I bring a positive mindset to the professionalisation of an often fragmented market. I believe we can collectively improve the global product offering through open and consistent dialogue.
Cultural Exchange Panel nominations
Darya
Modestova
CEO
Global Friends
Rumyana
Sotirova
Director
USIT Colours Bulgaria
Darya Modestova
Company: Global Friends
Job title: CEO
How many years has your organisation been a continuous member? 3
Which Sector Panel do you fall under? Cultural Exchange
Years of relevant experience you have for this role: 14
Please indicate any relevant qualifications you have for this role:
Professional Experience:
1. Leadership:
I have joined the Global Friends company in 2010 when I knew nothing about the cultural exchange industry, I was just a first
year university student looking for challenge. Shorty after becoming an operational manager, I also made a decision to
participate in the “Work and Travel USA” cultural exchange program – that changed my life. A few years later after graduating
the university I also participated in the “Internship” J-1 program – working at the visa sponsor organization located in California. I
had a chance to work with companies from all over the world, assisting them in their daily operations. After the internship
completion I took over 50% of the Global Friends company and became a co-owner. This was achieved by my current
knowledge and my constant desire to grow and help everyone around me grow as well.
2. Cultural Expertise:
During my professional path I had a chance to work with individuals from very different backgrounds and cultures in different
roles, that provided me with a very deep understanding of people and their cultures. Because of the nature of the industry I’m
working at I had an amazing opportunity to practice the knowledge I gained at my university on how to conduct business in
different cultural environments.
I worked in American company shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues from the US and also from Ukraine, Georgia, Columbia,
Dominican Republic, Brazil and a few others. All together we were also working remotely with companies from all over the world,
guiding them through the business processes and also assisting their clients when they got to the US, helping them overcome
the cultural shock.
3. Program Development:
During my career I was able to try myself in different roles and that gave me core understanding on a lot of processes and ability
to plan, grow and develop new strategies and approaches. This skill got handy during the recent events connected with COVID
when our company had to adapt and survive the impossible – stay on board for 2 years with ZERO business due to the
embassies closures.
4. Networking:
I am a people person, and I strongly believe that people and strong connections and partnership is a key to success in any
project. Being able to grow and connect with others – this is what motives me everyday. This is why I have stayed in this industry
for so long, we are building bridges between the communities on such a personal level. I deeply enjoy being a part of it in so
many ways.
5. Project Management:
Besides being a people person, I am also big in technology and organization. I love using the modern software to help my team
plan and navigate through different projects.
Personal Skills:
I view myself as a young(although some may argue this statement since I am over 30 🙂 ) and motivated individual who always
brings positive change in any environment.
Cultural exchange is not only my work but also part of my life: I moved to the US 6 years ago and continue living here,
embracing the cultural differences between myself (Russian born and raised in Uzbekistan) and my husband (American born
and raised in California). I continue to build bridges between the community I came from and the community I live in now and I
find so much beauty in it!
My specialties include:
J-1 programs in the U.S, Non-Immigration visas, J-1 Sponsorship, Marketing and Advertising, Operations Management
and Educational Marketing Research, Human Resource management.
Please give a full outline of your professional and personal experience and skills that are relevant to your application:
1. Education:
I hold a Bachelor of science in Business Information Systems and Business Administration from Westminster
International University in Tashkent. Being that this is an international University in Uzbekistan a big part of my education was
dedicated to the cultural diversity.
2. Professional Experience:
-I was a participant of the cultural exchange program – Work and Travel USA 2010
– I am a CEO of Global Friends in Uzbekistan – agency working with variety of the cultural exchange programs
– I was a participant of the cultural exchange program – Internship USA 2016-2017. I worked in a visa company sponsor
organization called Cultural Homestay International in the “Work and Travel” Department.
– I am also currently a member of WYSE Crisis Management group
3. Language Proficiency:
I fluently speak in English and Russian languages.
I am open-minded and eager to learn, constantly participating in different conferences and activities to enrich my skills
In no more than 25 words please state why you are perfect for this position:
My profound cultural knowledge, leadership skills and ability to foster meaningful connections make me an ideal fit for fostering
cross-cultural understanding and collaboration.
Rumyana Mehandzhieva
Company: USIT Colours Bulgaria
Job title: Director
How many years has your organisation been a continuous member? 1
Which Sector Panel do you fall under? Cultural Exchange
Years of relevant experience you have for this role: 22
Please indicate any relevant qualifications you have for this role:
I have a master degree in Tourism and Travel management.
Please give a full outline of your professional and personal experience and skills that are relevant to your application:
Spending the first 15 years of my life in a country, on the east side of the “Iron curtain” and living in a country from the Communist Bloc, my options for travel abroad were extremely restricted, but my desire was strong. My first experience with the J1 exchange programs was in 2000, when I participated in the SWT program and I truly enjoyed every singe moment of it. I started my professional career in Cultural exchange back in early 2001, as an Exchange program consultant, when I was headhunted by Usit Colours, the company I am still working at. I accepted this position, because I truly believed in the importance of
these programs to build a better cultural understanding between young adults from around the world. Who would know, that just couple of months, after I started working in the Cultural Exchange sphere the world will change again – 9/11, and the role of these programs will become even more significant. My job duties at the begging were very basic – to promote the cultural exchange programs, to consult the students, explain program rules and regulations, to set right expectations about their experience abroad, to administrate the process. During the years my job duties changed and expanded a lot. Nowadays they
include, but are not limited to: managing the Cultural exchanges department in the largest J1 sending agency in Bulgaria; overseeing the J1 exchange programs at our daughter company in Romania; negotiations with US sponsoring organizations and other partners (banks, universities, non-profit organizations); program advocacy, building a product strategy and structure, budgeting and pricing policy; marketing and outreach campaigns, market research, content creation, media coverage and relations, PR, staff trainings and educational sessions. A very significant part of my position duties is working the the US Embassy in Bulgaria – planning outreach campaigns, consulting them on how to plan the J1 visa appointments procedure and schedule, providing feedback on J1 trends and students interest towards the programs, estimations for the market size and J1 numbers projections by year. During the years, I was taking part in many panel groups to comment proposed changes of program rules and regulations by the Department of State, actively took part in reviewing and re-designing the Pilot J1 program.
On a different note I know in person and I am in a good relations not only with all other J1 agencies in Bulgaria, but with most of the J1 sponsoring organizations as well.
In no more than 25 words please state why you are perfect for this position:
I have an extended experience in Cultural exchanges and public diplomacy, and an excellent understanding of the Department of State Regulations and the importance of the US Bridge programs.
Study Abroad Panel nominations
Jacqui
Fox
Co-founder
Twin Group
Jacqui Fox
Company: Twin Group
Job title: Co-founder
How many years has your organisation been a continuous member? 18
Which Sector Panel do you fall under? Study Abroad
Years of relevant experience you have for this role: 35
Please indicate any relevant qualifications you have for this role:
Whilst a qualified Cert Ed teacher, my main contribution in this role would be the sum of my experience in the industry, from absolute startup to a provider of a broad portfolio of student learning and travel experiences both inbound to and outbound from the UK, from juniors to mature students, from self-funded to government funded students.
Please give a full outline of your professional and personal experience and skills that are relevant to your application:
I have extensive personal experience in developing and operating end-to-end student travel experiences, from short-stay cultural travel to long-stay English Language provision, to students from around 90 countries from Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa. In these offerings, we support tens of thousands of students, mainly young but in some cases fully mature students. In so doing, our company is experienced in managing multiple channel categories to market in both private and public sectors and familiar with the needs of formal accreditation/inspection and formal bidding as well as day-to-day volume channel management.Our networks include ETOs, Schools and colleges and other public sector bodies, plus an extensive portfolio of suppliers.
In no more than 25 words please state why you are perfect for this position:
I’d hope to share – and continue -Twins learning on our journey to success and contribute to further success for WYSE and all its members.
Travel Safety Panel nominations
Claudia
Reichstein
Director International Sales
DR-WALTER
Accommodation Panel nominations
Etienne
Matichard
Director of Sales and Distribution
JO&JOE
Kevin
McCormick
Head of Commercial Operations