The PIE reveals 50 voices ‘Americas’ list for 2025

The PIE News’s editorial team has been hard at work pulling together their annual list of innovative leaders, marketeers, activists and policy makers in the region who all offer valuable commentary on the international education ecosystem.

This year’s list features a totally different group of people to last year’s, and has been expanded from North America to include new names from Central and South America.

The launch of the list comes ahead of The PIE Live North America Conference, taking place December 1-3 in Chicago, US.

Both the US and Canadian sectors have been experiencing significant challenges as a result of domestic policy, heightening the need for champions to lobby for the rights and value of international students.

Beth Kennedy, editor of The PIE, explains the importance on compiling such a list in light of the many headwinds the sector is facing.

It has been a rollercoaster year for colleagues across the Atlantic and there have been many voices who have provided essential commentary
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“It has been a rollercoaster year for colleagues across the Atlantic and there have been many voices who have provided essential commentary. I think this list acknowledges the champions in our the sector, along with the innovators and those who keep colleagues informed and supported.

“Readers should remember this is our fourth edition of this list, so this list stands on the shoulders of giants. It is worth revisiting our previous digests to see an extended list of the influencers across the Americas.”

This year the list includes AIEA chief executive, Clare Overmann, NAFSA’s Joann Ng Hartman and entrepreneur Taylor Shead – all of whom will be speaking on The PIE Live stage in Chicago.

The PIE’s 50 voices for the Americas, 2025
Click the links below to access professional profiles on LinkedIn.

1. Adel El Zaim, vice-president research and internationalisation, Université du Québec en Outaouais
2. Ahmad Ezzeddine, president, NAFSA
3. Alexandre Argenta, CEO, TravelMate Intercâmbio
4. Angel Pérez, CEO, National Association for College Admission Counseling
5. Angela Schaffer, executive director, Fund for Education Abroad
6. Ash Kaluarachchi, CEO, StartEd/ Producer, Edtech Week
7. Bassem Khafagy, secretary general, World Universities Foundation
8. Blair Thomson, senior international officer, University of Mississippi
9. Brooke Roberts, vice president, Via TRM
10. Chris Glass, editor, international higher education, Center for International Higher Education (CIHE), Boston College
11. Christian Meyer, executive vice president, EF Study Abroad
12. Christina Thompson, founder, Compear Global Education Network
13. Clare Overmann, CEO, Association of International Administrators (AIEA)
14. Dawn Whitehead, vice president, American Association of Colleges & Universities
15. Denise Amyot, consultant and board member, various
16. Emily Dobson, founder, Caribbean and Latin America Network
17. Erin Mote, CEO, InnovateEDU
18. Fernando León García, president, CETYS University
19. Gina Ortiz, head of internationalisation, Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud
20. Hilary Kahn, associate vice president of international affairs, Indiana University
21. Holly Hudson, associate VP, Global Engagement, Texas A&M University
22. Jane Gatewood, vice provost, Emory University
23. Jeff Hutcheson, director, advocacy & public policy, TESOL International Association
24. Jing Luán, provost emeritus, San Mateo Colleges of Silicon Valley
25. Joann Ng Hartmann, senior impact officer, NAFSA
26. José Celso Freire Junior, president, The Brazilian Association for International Education (FAUBAI)
27. Juan Eduardo Vargas Duhart, rector, Universidad Finis Terrae
28. Kate Moore, co-founder, Global Career Centre
29. Krishna Bista, CEO, STAR Scholars Network
30. Maria-Ligia Barbosa, professor, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
31. Mark Overmann, executive director, Alliance for International Exchange
32. Meghna Ramaswamy, director of International (International Research and Partnerships ), University of Saskatchewan
33. Melissa Torres, president & CEO, The Forum on Education Abroad
34. Michael Pelletier, executive director, Institute for Global Engagement, University of Houston
35. Mike Henniger, CEO, Illume Student Advisory Services
36. Mirka Martel, head, research, evaluation & learning, IIE
37. Patrick Vogt, CEO, Academic Programs International
38. Phil Agbeko, founder, Hilltop Global Group
39. Philipp Reichert, director of the global engagement office, University of British Columbia
40. Pierre Dubuc, co-founder, OpenClassrooms
41. Ravi Ammigan, vice provost, global engagement, University of Delaware
42. Rishab Malhotra, founder, AIDO
43. Ryan Fleming, regional director, Explore
44. Sabine Klahr, vice provost, Penn State Global, Penn State University
45. Samba Dieng, executive director, Global Engagement, Louisiana State University
46. Sammer Jones, director of global relations, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
47. Sudhanshu Kaushik, president, Centre for Youth Policy
48. Taylor Shead, founder, Stemuli
49. Tonija Hope, assistant provost for international programs, Howard University
50. Yumna Khan, director, AFS Youth Assembly

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How did we do? Who would you have on your list? Comment below or email us at editorial@thepienews.com