STB, Brazil’s largest study travel organisation, announced today that Peter de Jong is to become their Vice President of Business Development in January 2012. De Jong, who is currently a senior partner at global travel industry consulting group Travel and Tourism Strategies, Inc will work from STB’s New York and Bangkok offices.
Jose Carlos Hauer Santos Jr, president of STB, said: “We are very fortunate to have a professional of Peter de Jong’s calibre and experience join our group of companies… Several of our companies and brands will greatly benefit from his expertise and his unique industry network in Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific.”
STB operates 70 offices in Brazil and helped 55,000 clients access language travel, high school, academic and work experience programmes in Europe and North America in 2011. According to Santos, De Jong’s appointment coincides with new expansion for the company. “It is now time to develop new opportunities in North America and assess emerging opportunities in Asia for our customers; Peter’s expertise in these areas will be indispensable,” said Santos.
From 2001 to 2008, De Jong was president and CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, and he worked for ten years previously as Director General of the Federation of Youth Travel Organisations in Copenhagen. He lived in Sao Paulo Brazil from 1985 to 1990.
“This is a unique opportunity to reconnect with two of my passions: the student travel industry and Brazil… Contributing to [STB’s] ongoing success will be a real pleasure,” De Jong said.